If you're a new college grad looking for a foot in the door, consider reading my internships and networking post for ideas.
Coming back from a year break after my first child was born, I didn't know how to "reenter" the workforce without starting from scratch. When I left my job as an Account Executive with a DC pubic relations firm, I had 7-8 years experience already doing public relations (This includes internships. Internships, while not always paid - though mine were - count as long as you're doing a job. If the company or organization benefits from what you did, it counts as relevant experience.). I had worked for PR agencies, private companies such as AT&T and Schering-Plough and was looking to parlay that experience to secure a position which would be the next step rather than a step back in my career. But how?
Changing Tacks from Industry to Environment:
I had been following idealist.org which is an online forum that posts jobs having to do with the general betterment of society, whether it be environment, development, etc. They've made some changes to the site that I'm not terribly thrilled about (its not as easy to surf for jobs anymore since they redesigned their site), but I still think its a good resource if you're looking for the "I want to help humanity" types of jobs.(Yes, after having a child, I wanted to save the planet.)
From my perusal of the site, I saw they had a green job/career fair that was going to be at George Washington University in DC. They have others throughout the country, so you should check the site out and see if there's one near you.
I was hesitant about going back to work but with some encouragement from my husband, I went to the job fair with a stack of resumes and no real plan.
I was hesitant about going back to work but with some encouragement from my husband, I went to the job fair with a stack of resumes and no real plan.
After seeing the booths, I decided I wanted to go for a "test-drive" by doing some work in the environmental community before committing to moving into that sector permanently. But how, was the question. I looked on the participant brochure and picked the organizations I felt were doing work I wanted to be a part of. Organizations I looked into were DC Central Kitchen, The National Audubon Society, The Brookings Institute and Alaska Coalition. I am have looked into the American Red Cross and other folks but job fairs are always a bit overwhelming for me. Looks of possibilities can be exhausting so I tend to focus on 5-6 organizations and go from there. Its more manageable that way as you can actually have a conversation rather than just dropping off resumes. Use your judgement on what you're style is but don't discount the possibility that your next job could be among that sea of booths.
Fast forward 3 months...
Interview #1 and pre-screen call
I get a call from the someone from Alaska Wilderness League telling me that someone had passed my resume along from Alaska Coalition. To be honest, I thought AWL and AC were the same organization, but that's not really important. What is important is what came next: a job interview.
So during the call the operations officer asked me about my background and told me AWL was seeking a communications director. (The position was not listed anywhere, so there's no way I would have known to even apply for such a position.) When I offered to do a pro bono project, she didn't even consider it because they were looking for a permanent person for the job. While this was not what I was seeking, it was worth going in to meet the person who who ultimately end up being my boss. My husband's (and now my) motto when it comes to interviews..."It never hurts to make a connection."
After a great conversation on the phone, Tara (the operations manager at the time) recommended I meet with her colleague who was doing the job and seeking someone to replace her as her job was evolving away from that role.
Interview #2
So I went in for a conversation (yes, it was not a formal interview but a discovery interview -- an interview where I listened to what they were seeking and they got to learn a bit more about me and whether I'd be a fit for what they were seeking in a communications director.) After speaking with the person who had been responsible for the communications work, we both felt it was a good fit and she recommended I speak with the executive director about a position. **Interview Tip** -- Always ask why they're hiring. This can be a good indicator of the company you're looking into (e.g. If the person is staying, that indicates growth potential. If the person is leaving, that may mean turnover or some other challenge you'll want to be thinking on as you interview.)
Remember, you should be looking for clues about the organization you're interviewing with as much as they're checking you out. This is your "dating" period and you should be vigilant to see if they are what you want (I know how radical that interviewees should have a choice!).
Interview #3
Within a week or so of interview #2, I was scheduled to meet with the executive director. Now that was the conversation where we discussed what they were looking for, when I could start and where I expressed my desire to be part-time. This was the moment when I knew I wanted to work for AWL. While I wasn't able to get the pro bono project framework I was seeking, the leadership within the organization was nimble and flexible enough to say, "you can work part time for 3 months and we'll revisit about the timing of you transitioning to full time." The ED knew what the deal breaker was for me (working part time initially) and she had the power to make that decision on the spot.
If I didn't ask, I wouldn't have gotten that agreement in the negotiation. If God (and my husband) hadn't compelled me to put that not the table, I would never have considered asking. I found a good paper talking about the difference between men and women in job negotiations that was published by Harvard and Carnegie Mellon. While they talked mostly about salary negotiations, I think the overall message is clear. Women are less likely to ask for what they want in an interview.
At the end of the day, I wanted to work but not at the expense of leaving my 10/11 month old full time in daycare. I wasn't ready so I found an organization that was willing to work with me.
ADVICE alert: The negotiation period is an important time in your job search where you have to carefully weigh what you want and what you need in terms of a job (e.g. flexible schedule, family friendly environment, potential for growth, etc.). That's where you get to decide if its a fit for your life as well as ensure you have a job that you'll want to be in and find fulfilling. I'll write more on that if you comment below!
Interview #4
So yes, there was a 4th interview and it was with staff. For a communications position, it is very important to interview with all those (when possible) that you will work with. As the national lead on communications, I would have to work with everyone so everyone was basically in the room to ask me questions. During that interview, I fielded questions from development and donor outreach to press communications to program communications support. Its always a bit intense being surrounded by 6-8 people but you learn to adjust to that level of scrutiny when you've been on as many interviews as I have. Like anything else, it provides you with an opportunity to practice and that is invaluable when it comes to this job market. You need to impress the first time you encounter prospective interviewers whether it be 1 or 21 people.
Starting a Job in the Environmental Field
So I started within a month of my interviews wrapping up. I started as communications director for 3 months and after 3 months, I transitioned to full-time. I was AWL for two years before I chose to leave after my second baby. I tried working part-time after my maternity leave but the organization really needed a full time person it the communications role. With limited budgets and the organizational changes (they had hired someone to do my job while I was on maternity leave), there wasn't really a job for me to go back to.
New Skills Acquired? Check!
So how did I hone my skill set at AWL? I learned pretty much how to do communications for an environmental non-profit as well as how to do legislative communications and planning. Remember my blog about developing a skill set? I added both environmental as well as legislative communications in one job. The benefit and downside of working for a small but busy non-profit is that you get to do everything! Because of that experience, I was able to add legislative communications and planning to my resume, which has made me a more valuable asset to hiring managers since.
I get a call from the someone from Alaska Wilderness League telling me that someone had passed my resume along from Alaska Coalition. To be honest, I thought AWL and AC were the same organization, but that's not really important. What is important is what came next: a job interview.
So during the call the operations officer asked me about my background and told me AWL was seeking a communications director. (The position was not listed anywhere, so there's no way I would have known to even apply for such a position.) When I offered to do a pro bono project, she didn't even consider it because they were looking for a permanent person for the job. While this was not what I was seeking, it was worth going in to meet the person who who ultimately end up being my boss. My husband's (and now my) motto when it comes to interviews..."It never hurts to make a connection."
After a great conversation on the phone, Tara (the operations manager at the time) recommended I meet with her colleague who was doing the job and seeking someone to replace her as her job was evolving away from that role.
Interview #2
So I went in for a conversation (yes, it was not a formal interview but a discovery interview -- an interview where I listened to what they were seeking and they got to learn a bit more about me and whether I'd be a fit for what they were seeking in a communications director.) After speaking with the person who had been responsible for the communications work, we both felt it was a good fit and she recommended I speak with the executive director about a position. **Interview Tip** -- Always ask why they're hiring. This can be a good indicator of the company you're looking into (e.g. If the person is staying, that indicates growth potential. If the person is leaving, that may mean turnover or some other challenge you'll want to be thinking on as you interview.)
Remember, you should be looking for clues about the organization you're interviewing with as much as they're checking you out. This is your "dating" period and you should be vigilant to see if they are what you want (I know how radical that interviewees should have a choice!).
Interview #3
Within a week or so of interview #2, I was scheduled to meet with the executive director. Now that was the conversation where we discussed what they were looking for, when I could start and where I expressed my desire to be part-time. This was the moment when I knew I wanted to work for AWL. While I wasn't able to get the pro bono project framework I was seeking, the leadership within the organization was nimble and flexible enough to say, "you can work part time for 3 months and we'll revisit about the timing of you transitioning to full time." The ED knew what the deal breaker was for me (working part time initially) and she had the power to make that decision on the spot.
If I didn't ask, I wouldn't have gotten that agreement in the negotiation. If God (and my husband) hadn't compelled me to put that not the table, I would never have considered asking. I found a good paper talking about the difference between men and women in job negotiations that was published by Harvard and Carnegie Mellon. While they talked mostly about salary negotiations, I think the overall message is clear. Women are less likely to ask for what they want in an interview.
At the end of the day, I wanted to work but not at the expense of leaving my 10/11 month old full time in daycare. I wasn't ready so I found an organization that was willing to work with me.
ADVICE alert: The negotiation period is an important time in your job search where you have to carefully weigh what you want and what you need in terms of a job (e.g. flexible schedule, family friendly environment, potential for growth, etc.). That's where you get to decide if its a fit for your life as well as ensure you have a job that you'll want to be in and find fulfilling. I'll write more on that if you comment below!
Interview #4
So yes, there was a 4th interview and it was with staff. For a communications position, it is very important to interview with all those (when possible) that you will work with. As the national lead on communications, I would have to work with everyone so everyone was basically in the room to ask me questions. During that interview, I fielded questions from development and donor outreach to press communications to program communications support. Its always a bit intense being surrounded by 6-8 people but you learn to adjust to that level of scrutiny when you've been on as many interviews as I have. Like anything else, it provides you with an opportunity to practice and that is invaluable when it comes to this job market. You need to impress the first time you encounter prospective interviewers whether it be 1 or 21 people.
Starting a Job in the Environmental Field
So I started within a month of my interviews wrapping up. I started as communications director for 3 months and after 3 months, I transitioned to full-time. I was AWL for two years before I chose to leave after my second baby. I tried working part-time after my maternity leave but the organization really needed a full time person it the communications role. With limited budgets and the organizational changes (they had hired someone to do my job while I was on maternity leave), there wasn't really a job for me to go back to.
New Skills Acquired? Check!
So how did I hone my skill set at AWL? I learned pretty much how to do communications for an environmental non-profit as well as how to do legislative communications and planning. Remember my blog about developing a skill set? I added both environmental as well as legislative communications in one job. The benefit and downside of working for a small but busy non-profit is that you get to do everything! Because of that experience, I was able to add legislative communications and planning to my resume, which has made me a more valuable asset to hiring managers since.
No comments:
Post a Comment