Welcome to Considering
Your Career Options:
What Can You Do Today,
a webinar from
the AmeriCorps VISTA Program.
I'm Andy King, your host
for today's session.
I'll be introducing our session
and all of our presenters.
And later on, I'll be back
with you for the Q&A session.
Joining me today are
other members of our team
to support you in your learning.
Jessica Knight and Endi Clark
are with Education Northwest.
They'll be joining me
in monitoring the Q&A
and the Chat to make sure we can
get your questions answered.
And it's my very distinct honor
to introduce you
to today's presenters.
Leading our presentation,
we're delighted to have with us
Dr. Erin Barnhart.
Dr. Barnhart is the Founder and
President of Effective Altruism,
LLC, as well as the Director
of Operations for the American
Gap Association.
She serves on the Board
of Directors
for Building Bridges Coalition.
She is on the Oregon Committee
on Volunteerism.
And she serves as
an online instructor
for the AmeriCorps
VISTA Blend Corps.
She teaches sections
on volunteer mobilization.
And Erin is an Adjunct Professor
at the University of Oregon
and Concordia University,
Portland.
And the best part of her resume,
Erin is an AmeriCorps NCCC alum.
Later on in this session,
we're going to hear
from Signe Bishop,
who is going to share
her perspective
on career develop
as a VISTA alum.
Signe has been working
in the training
and development field
in higher education,
nonprofit, and national service
settings for the past 10 years.
She has a master's
degree in education
and a certificate
in intracultural training
and development through
Portland State University.
Before joining OHSU in 2013
to work on leadership develop,
Signe worked
for several nonprofits,
recruiting volunteers,
engaging students in service,
running college access programs,
and managing
AmeriCorps programs.
Signe also got her professional
start as an AmeriCorps VISTA.
Let's take a look at the goals
for today's session.
By the end, we'd
like you to be able
to first of all identify
some potential career options
that you may like to explore,
and then be able
to access resources
that can help you in your
career exploration process.
We're going to offer you
some strategies
that you'll be able to apply
for effective networking,
and then we're going
to give you some tips
and hope that you'll be able
to identify your own next steps
for engaging in career
exploration and development.
In terms of our agenda,
we're going to start out
by looking at what
the modern career
landscape looks like these days.
We'll talk about some of
the specific career exploration
strategies including reflection,
research, and networking.
And as I alluded, we're going
to hear from a VISTA alum
about her experience
in career exploration.
And then we'll offer you
some next steps and resources
before we get to your questions.
Now, you may have noticed
that we have available
for you a Reflection Guide to go
along with today's session.
This document is intended
to help you capture
your thoughts
and your reflections,
to keep questions throughout
the presentation.
You could use it either during
the session for note taking,
or you could use it afterwards
to come back
and fill out when you've got
a little bit more time and space
to reflect and think about your
own career possibilities.
This resource guide includes
a summary
of the resources and activities
that we're going to outline
for you in the presentation.
And we hope that you'll be able
to get started with
those activities right away.
If you weren't able to download
and print this document earlier,
you can do it now using
the link that is going to appear
- or I guess that did
appear in the Chat window.
So you may need
to scroll up to see that.
Anyway, this Reflection Guide is
a new approach
that we're testing out here;
and later on, we're going
to appreciate hearing
about how useful
that is for you.
For now, we're going to turn our
presentation over to Dr. Erin?
Thank you so much, Andy.
Hi, everybody;
I'm very happy to be here.
Before we get started,
we'd like to ask
a quick question of you.
Specifically, where are you in
your career development process?
And you're going to see
this question pop up
in the poll on the right
side of your screen.
And you can select
and answer based
on the ones we've provided here.
We're going to tally
those as we go.
Your options for answers are:
I have a pretty good idea
of what I'd like to do;
I have some ideas
but need to sort them out;
I'm just now starting to think
about what I'd like to do;
and I have no idea yet.
We've got that question
up there,
and I'm
seeing responses come in.
We're going to take
that information
and talk a little more
about how you can use
the information
that we're providing here.
The nice thing is if you
are at the very
beginning of
your career development process,
we're going to be providing you
with a number of tools
and strategies that you can
use beginning today
to start thinking about what you
might like to do next.
If you have a pretty good idea
of what you'd like to do,
you're still going to be able
to take these tools
and move forward
and find that job that moves you
along towards your dream career.
We have our responses here;
it looks like they're coming in.
We have just a few more seconds
on the timer there for the poll.
But I do hope that no matter
where you are in your process,
you're going to find
some information
that's really useful for you.
Let's see;
do we have our responses yet?
Okay, we're going to pull
those up on the screen.
It looks like most
people have some ideas;
but they're not quite sure
yet what to do with them,
and they need to sort them out.
That's a pretty
common place to be,
especially in the midst
of doing VISTA.
So keep in mind wherever you
are in this process,
you're going to be able to take
content from today's webinar
and get started on your own
career development process.
Let's start
by looking a little bit
at the modern career landscape.
And that visual you're looking
at is pretty accurate.
There are a couple
of key things to know here.
One of them is that modern
career paths are not linear.
That's a pretty
common misconception
- that we need to find
our dream job right away,
or that deviating
from that dream job is
leading us astray.
The reality is that
the vast majority
of career paths are not linear.
You likely won't find
the exactly perfect first job
followed by the exactly
perfect next job.
Instead, you're more likely
going to orbit around specific
interests and passions,
landing jobs that are
the right fit for that moment.
That's going to be because of
factors like the role,
the location, the compensation.
And that's going to set you up
for the next role down the line.
So, please, do not panic
if the job you find next
isn't exactly the one
you thought it should be.
As long as you're
gaining something from it
- skills, experience,
new connections
- you're doing just fine.
Another one that you need to
keep in mind is that modern jobs
also are not lifelong.
Unlike the jobs
of our grandparents
and great grandparents, today's
tenure at any particular place
of employment is very
rarely going to be
for the life of your career.
In fact, according to the Bureau
of Labor Statistics in 2012,
the average tenure
of a worker at a particular
position was 4.4 years.
The expected tenure
for millennial
workers was even less.
And according
to a Forbes article
that was explore
those statistics,
that meant that the average
worker may have 15
to 20 jobs over the course
of your working years.
So again, don't worry so much
about any particular
job being your forever job.
Think about is as being
your job right now.
The last thing to keep
in mind is consider each job
to be a stepping stone
to the next.
Knowing that you won't
be there forever
and that it's okay to not
land your dream job right away
- and, in fact, in most cases,
that's fairly unlikely
- you can instead
focus your time
on gaining as much from your
current job as you can.
Assess what skills
and experiences
you can gain from it
and how you can leverage
those to prepare you
for your next position.
And that's going
to lead you closer
and closer to what you'd
eventually like to do.
Continuing
on our career landscape,
let's talk about that idea
of the dream job.
Finding your dream job is one
part opportunity
and one part preparation.
One of the biggest realities I
discovered during my
own career path,
and has been seconded by many
of my peers and my colleagues,
is that there are two parts
to finding your dream job.
The first part is,
frankly,
sheer luck or opportunity.
You need to be looking
for the role when it appears,
or someone you know needs
to see it and send it to you.
It needs to be available
somewhere you can move;
it needs to compensate
what you can afford;
et cetera.
The other part,
though, is preparation.
If and when that window
of opportunity opens up
right next to you,
you need to be ready to step
through it with the right skills
and experiences to land it.
I can give you a little example
from own career history
in that I knew I wanted
to work in the field
of civic engagement.
I had a passion for
(inaudible)
volunteerism;
I was studying it in school;
I was trying to find
interesting roles
that were focused
on volunteerism
and civic engagement.
But I was also starting to panic
a little because I
was starting to think,
how am I going to find a great
job that lets me do what I want
to do around civic engagement
and volunteerism.
I kept pursuing my interests.
I kept gaining skills,
experiences,
and knowledge
around civic engagement
and at the same
time trying to keep
my ears open for opportunities.
I ended up applying for a job
that wasn't quite the right fit;
but someone
on the hiring committee said,
"You'd actually be great
for this other job over here.
Can I pass your resume along?"
And my first thought was,
"Oh, how nice, but no one
actually ever does that."
Well, she did pass it along.
And it ended up opening a door
for me to land
what was a dream job
with Idealist.org
for four years.
And it all was
because that window
of opportunity happened
to open up
in that she saw it on my resume
and said "I'd like
to pass this along."
But I was the right fit
for the job when it was there.
So we can't control
the opportunity part,
but there is also a lesson
her that we can make it
more likely to happen.
We can do that by strengthening
our networks of peers
to have them keep an eye out
for interesting roles for us.
There have also
been many jobs that I've
had since then that a peer
or a friend saw and said,
"You'd be a great fit for this."
So this is part of
our preparation process as well,
and it can potentially directly
affect big opportunity,
half of the formula.
As for the rest of it,
spend your time focused
on gaining the skills,
experience,
and knowledge needed
so that if and when
the opportunity comes along,
you're ready for it.
We're about to talk career
exploration strategies.
You'll note in the Venn diagram
on your screen
that there are three circles
critical to career exploration.
And we're going to talk
about each one of these.
The first of
these is personal reflection.
The second is gathering input
from your inner circle:
your friends,
your peers, your family,
your colleagues.
And the third is networking,
informational interviews,
and research.
Again, we're going to spend time
on all three of these because
all three are critical
for finding the sweet spot of
career development exists right
in the middle of
where those three circles meet.
So let's start
with personal reflection.
What we're going to do is look
first at interests and skills.
What I recommend that you do
is spend some time doing
some real personal reflection.
Now you're going to
notice that an image
there for The Idealist Guide
to Nonprofit Careers
for First-time Job Seekers.
That's a guide
that was developed
by some of my peers at Idealist,
and it's a free
online downloadable resource
that you'll see
in the Chat window.
We're also going to share it
at the end in resources,
and we're going to refer
to this several times
throughout our day today.
In identifying your interests
and skills, first and foremost,
think about your passions
and your interests.
There are a couple of questions
you can ask yourself
to get to this.
What news articles draw you
in the most?
What kinds of books,
blogs,
social media posts are
most compelling to you?
If you could spend your day
focused on any particular issue
or task or responsibility,
what would it look like?
Now, in the Idealist Guide,
there's a terrific
self-assessment activity.
I highly recommend you take
a look after the webinar today.
A note about the guide
- it was written specifically
for folks looking for work
in the nonprofit sector.
But there are activities
and ideas in there
for people looking
to work in the public
and private sectors as well.
Again, I'm going to refer you
to specific activities.
But after the webinar,
I highly recommend that you
download it and go through it.
What I'm going to ask you
to do right now is on the slide
on the computer or piece of
paper in your Reflection Guide,
I want you to jot down a couple
of your specific interests
and passions.
Don't put them
on the Chat window yet,
but do just
a quick brainstorming
of what it
is that lights you up.
It can be a particular cause;
it can be a type of work;
it can be a way
of engaging in the world
that you find most interesting.
And when you're ready,
then I want you to be thinking
about assessing your skills
and your talents.
Think about what you're good at,
and don't be humble.
This is not the place
to be humble.
Think about what
your skills are,
your abilities are,
as well as what might
you want to learn.
What skills do you hope
to gain in the next few years?
And again, I want you
to write these down
in your Reflection Guide,
on a piece of paper,
on your computer,
and set it aside.
But be thinking
about what are the things
that you're really terrific at,
and think about it
in terms of hard skills
as well as interpersonal skills.
One of your talents might
be I can take a big issue,
and I can break it down
into little parts
that make it more manageable.
That's a real skill;
it's just difficult to quantify.
What I'm going to have you do
now is I want you to share
these in the Chat window.
We're using the Chat window.
What you're going
to do is share a couple
of your top interests
and passions,
as well as a few of your
top skills and talents.
And what I'd like you
to do is notice
what your peers are posting.
Obviously, we have a lot
of folks on the call here today.
But pay attention
to what people are writing down.
And if someone writes something
down that's relevant
for you too,
make sure you write that down.
It may be something
you hadn't considered.
Similarly, you may
find several VISTAs
who have similar interests
or they have similar skills;
and these are folks
you could connect with.
Something mentoring,
listening, analyzing,
information gathering,
women's rights and empowerment,
leadership, civil rights,
economic development,
energy efficiency,
criminal justice
- so many different
interests and skills,
and these are all within our
existing network
of VISTA members just
here on this webinar.
So pay attention to what
fellow people are posting,
and make a note
to yourself to follow up
with those who have similar
interests.
And again, write down the ones
that are also interests for you.
So in my case,
I'm going to move forward
with the rest of the webinar.
Basically, so that I can help
you go through the activities,
I'm going to pretend that my
top interests I animal welfare.
And my primary
skills are in writing,
communications, and outreach.
So that's how I'm going
to approach these activities.
But for yourself, be thinking
about what your interests are,
what your skills are,
and how you might do
some of these activities
after the webinar.
Let's go to the next one,
which is thinking
about your dream career.
I'm going to ask you
to visualize
what your dream career
could look like.
If you were telling a story
of the day in your life,
what might it look like?
What kinds of responsibilities
would you have?
How would you spend your day?
What might your successes be?
What might your challenges be?
Take some time
after this webinar
to jot down some ideas
for this exercise as well,
and really spend
sometime visualizing
what your dream career
would look like.
So in my example,
as someone passionate
about animal welfare,
I want to consider
whether I want to spend
my day working directly
with animals
or whether I'd rather
be doing something
behind the scenes
of the organization.
I want to think about things
like what level
of responsibility do I want
to have?
Do I want to be
running programs,
or do I want to be running
the whole organization?
How would I frame my success
in my chosen areas?
Is success the number of animals
that we're able to save?
Is it that we're able to come up
with innovative programs
or run a sustainable
organization?
Think about what
your dream career
could potentially look like.
That's that activity.
That's personal reflection.
Now we're going to go
to peer input.
Having done the inner looking,
I want you to look outwards
and talk to your peers,
your colleagues, your friends
and your family.
And ask them what they
think you are good at
- what types of careers
they might choose
for you to consider.
For example,
what skills and talents
of yours do they identify?
Where do those align with what
you identified yourself,
and what might be
some of the things
that you hadn't considered?
Where could they
see you thriving?
They may have noticed
- you know
what you do really well?
You work on your own.
Or,
"I see you really thriving
when you're working in a group,"
- again, things you may
not have noticed.
Now, this is an especially
great activity
for you to complete
with your supervisors
and your peers
at your VISTA site.
They've seen you in action,
and they likely
have a pretty good sense
for your strengths and talents.
So ask them if they were
the architect of your career,
what would they recommend
that you do next.
You might also consider
whether you can use social media
to facilitate this type
of thoughtful feedback
from your friends.
Perhaps people will be willing
to review your LinkedIn profile.
And based on how they know
you now as well
as your past experiences,
they might be able to write you
a short note of recommendation
that highlights your strengths
and your talents.
Now we're going to talk about
career researching
and networking.
And again, there's that guide
that you're going
to refer back to.
Having done some personal
and some peer reflection,
you'll then be ready
to do a bit of research
and networking to learn more.
I want to share two activities
that are outlined in the Guide
to Nonprofit Careers.
The first one
is called career tracks.
The career tracks activity
- basically, what you're going
to do is you're going to go
to job boards like Idealist.org,
Monster.com, USAJobs.gov,
Simply Hired.
And you're going
to search for job postings
in your areas of interest.
Now, while you're doing this,
don't worry whether you're
actually qualified for the job
or it pays enough
or it's in an area
where you're willing to live.
All you're doing at this point
is identifying interesting jobs.
And you'll just want
to copy them or otherwise save
them somewhere
so that every single job posting
that sounds interesting to you,
you're setting aside
for assessment.
After you've set several
of those aside,
preferably 50 or more,
go through them again
and identify those key themes
and shared characteristics.
You might discover things
like you've mostly flagged roles
with small organizations
or positions
where you'd have significant
autonomy to work independently.
Or you may find
that most of them are
focused on a particular
type of work or issue.
You may have found
- I have a real passion
for women's rights,
and 42 of these 50 jobs work
specifically
with women's rights issues.
Either way, you're likely going
to learn about what kinds
of jobs are most interesting
to you today.
And it's going to off insight
into the kind of work
that you might want
to pursue next.
You can also take the activity
a few steps further and craft
potential career tracks using
the data you've collected.
And when you go into the guide,
it will actually walk you
through how to design
a career track of your own.
Again, using my example
of animal welfare,
I might flag every job
I can find related
to animal husbandry,
animal rights, shelters,
education, advocacy.
I'd then want to go
through them to see
if particular traits stand out.
Did I choose organizations
where I'd have direct
contact with animals?
Did I mostly identify capacity
building roles where
I'm building the strength
of the organization
to be able to serve more?
Were the organizations
mostly small;
were they mostly
large national entities?
Was my role in the trenches?
Was it leading the organization?
Again, I'll want to see
what sort of jobs I set aside
and which ones interest
me the most today.
The second activity
from this guide that I want
to talk briefly about is called
the Four Lenses Framework.
And in this activity,
you're going
to ask yourself questions
to identify the types of roles
that are most of interest
to you according
to four specific lenses:
the issue or the value,
which is a matter of public or
personal concern, for example,
homelessness or civil rights;
the organization,
which is the type of structure
within which you'll do the work,
for example,
a grassroots nonprofit
or a multinational corporation;
the role,
which is the particular type
of role that you would do,
for example, marketing
or accounting or fundraising;
and then the system,
which is the interplay
between these previous
three characteristics
and how they interact.
Now, the goal of this activity
is to help you identify
if and which one of these lenses
might matter to you most
as you're looking
for your next position.
It may be that what matters
to you most is the issue.
You're not picky about whether
you'll work for a small
or a big organization
or what your role is,
as long as you're working
around animal welfare
or women's empowerment.
It may be that you want to work
for a small grassroots group,
and you have more
flexibility in terms
of what your role is and
what type of work you might do.
It may be that the two
of these are at the top
of your list,
and the third one is flexible.
So I highly recommend
that you check out
this activity in the guide
and go through it yourself,
so that you can assess
what your top priorities are.
Again, using that example
of animal welfare,
I'd want to use
these four lenses
to assess which matter
most to me.
Is it the issue itself,
or can I stray from this issue
for the right kind
of organization?
Is it that I'm really
more focused on developing
skills in a marketing role,
or do I prefer to work
with animal welfare
regardless of this position.
Now, keep in mind
that your priorities are going
to shift and change over time.
It may be that I want
to work in animal welfare,
but I really need marketing
skills first and foremost.
And so I'm going to choose a job
that lets me develop those,
whether or not it's
in animal welfare,
with the goal of getting back
to working in animal welfare.
We're going to talk in a moment
about informational interviews,
and that's an activity I
cannot recommend highly enough.
Now, some of you may
already have a lot
of experience with these;
and some of you are probably
just getting ready to start.
So before we get
into this topic,
I'd like to pause
and hear from you.
What's a word that comes to mind
when you think about doing
an informational interview?
And go ahead and use
the Chat window there,
and throw some words out there.
What comes to mind
for you when you hear
"informational interview?"
Networking, inquiry,
curiosity,
research, advice,
lots of research,
question marks
-never heard of it.
Of course, there are going
to be several folks here.
Uh-oh, I saw "yuk."
Okay, we'll come back
to that one.
It can be awkward,
informative, fun but serious.
I've seen intimidating;
I've seen informal,
excitement
- lots of information here,
lots of different experiences
with informational interviews.
Okay, well, I am a big fan
of informational interviews.
And I say that as an introvert
who doesn't really
like small talk.
The reason I like them
is they can be structured,
and they can be so invaluable.
It's such a great way
to gather more information
about specific roles
and career paths,
while also strengthening
and expanding your personal
and professional networks.
Plus, they really
are pretty easy to do;
and they're not
too time-intensive.
Overall, they can be
a really great investment
of your career
development energy.
What an informational
interview is,
when you meet with someone
in a field or role of interest
and you ask them questions
about their position
and their background.
That's it in a nutshell.
You can find an informational
interview subject
in a few different ways.
When you think
about who should you ask,
start with who you know.
It will be most comfortable
this way as well.
Interview colleagues and peers
whose work you admire
and have an interest in.
And be sure to ask them
who they know
that you should also talk to.
It's really great when someone
can open the door for you.
Considering connecting
with partners
of your current organization.
Who do you work
within your community
that has an interesting job
or position and you'd love
to learn more from?
If you're using LinkedIn,
you can use the Search feature
to type in any career field
or title and see people
in those fields
who are connected to others
in your current network.
So this is an easy way
to seek out an introduction
through an existing contact
who already knows you.
They may be able
to open that door for you.
You can also "cold call" people
by doing research on sites
like Idealist.org,
Monstor.com,
and just identifying
organizations of interest.
You can then go
to their website,
take a look at a list
of their staff,
and find the people whose roles
sound most interesting.
Then you can send them
an introductory e-mail
that explains who you are,
the purpose of communications,
and a request for 30
to 60 minutes of their time.
Now, you really
will be surprised
by how many people say yes.
Most individuals are happy to
share insights into their work,
especially with others who are
looking to do something similar.
Frankly, I've done
this for years.
And most of the time
when someone says no,
it's just
because they're too busy.
So don't be disheartened if
someone says they're too busy;
keep trying.
A quick note though;
before you cold contact anyone,
ask around and see if someone
you know knows someone
at that organization.
Again, it's always easier
to have that door opened for you
than it is to knock on it cold.
Now, informational interviews
are best done in person,
30 minutes to an hour,
preferably over coffee or tea.
Meet them in a coffee shop
somewhere convenient for them.
This makes for a relaxing,
informal discussion.
However, do treat it
like a professional activity;
and dress and prepare
appropriately.
Informational interviews
can also be done by phone;
or, if people are
a fair distance away
or simply unavailable
to meet in live time,
you can also do them by e-mail.
Questions that you might
ask them include
what educational
requirements are there
for their particular position?
How did they come
to this line of work?
What did they do prior
to this role?
What advice might
they have for others
who want to do similar work?
You might also ask them what
their day-to-day looks like,
what their primary
responsibilities are,
what they value most
about their position.
You can also ask them
what they find challenging
or what they find least
rewarding about their work.
Be sure to ask them
what you should be reading
or if there are networks
with which you should be
connecting to learn more
and meet others in the field.
For example, is there
a professional
association you
should know about?
Lastly, you might consider
asking them about the future
in their profession.
What will future jobs
in their field look like,
and who will be best
suited to fill them?
To bring those together,
let's go back to my example
of a career in animal welfare.
I might want to research
specific organizations that I
admire and see whose roles are
most interesting to me.
I also might want
to reach out to people
I know in the field to see
if they might be available
for an interview as well.
And they might be able to see
if they have recommendations
for me of who else
I might contact.
Overall, my goal is 30
to 60 minutes
of someone's time so I can
ask them specific questions
about their career
in animal welfare.
And in the process,
I'm expanding my professional
network by getting to know them.
They're getting to know me;
and hopefully, they'll be able
to keep their eyes open
for roles that fit well for me.
Now, there are a couple of rules
of thumb when it comes
to informational interviews.
First and foremost,
don't ask for a job.
This isn't a search for a job
but rather for information.
And that information is going
to help inform your job search.
People are open
to informational interviews
because you're not asking
anything of them but their time.
Similarly, it's typically
not a good idea
to contact a person listed
on a current job posting
and ask them
for an informational interview,
at least as long as
that job post is still live.
They may frankly
interpret your request
as an attempt to land that job
rather than just a general
interest in their work.
Another rule
of thumb is to be prepared.
Take a list of questions to ask
with you so that you have a way
to drive the conversation
forward if it falters.
This will also help
ensure you get all your answers
to the most compelling
questions that you had.
And again, as an introvert who
gets nervous talking to people,
a list of questions makes it
very easy to keep talking.
Be gracious;
thank them for their time.
If you can, offer to pick up
the tab for the coffee.
Frankly, a lot of times
they won't let you
because they're in a profession;
and oftentimes, you're a student
or an AmeriCorps member.
And they'll say, "No,
no, no, I've got this."
But at least offer;
it's the kind thing to do.
And always, always follow up.
Send them a quick note
to thank them for their time.
This begins the process
of staying in touch with them,
and you can potentially
foster this relationship
over the lifetime
of your career.
I have colleagues
that I consider to be my peers
now who I did informational
interviews with 10 years ago.
So hold onto those connections.
And again, for more information
on informational interviews,
I do recommend that you
check out the chapter
in Idealist Guide
to Nonprofit Careers.
There's some great
more information
in there on informational
interviews.
And then the fourth activity
that we have under research
and networking is getting
involved.
Oh, volunteering
- you guys have never heard
this before.
There's a reason, though.
I want you to think about it in
terms of strategic volunteering.
This means identifying
those skills and talents
that you'd most like
to further hone or develop,
and then seek volunteer roles
that will give you
that opportunity to do so.
Similarly, if you've identified
particular kinds
of organizations of interest,
volunteering with them
will give you insight
into what it's
like to spend your time there,
what does a day look
like from the inside.
Similarly Board service is
another great way
to expand your network
and bolster your resume
with leadership
and governance skills.
Think about these strategic
roles as ways
for you to help fill
the gaps on your resume
and make you an even
stronger candidate
for your job of choice.
Now, you'll also want to think
about professional associations.
And there may be
professional associations
for either your current career
and/or your desired profession.
And you may want
to connect with them so
you can get to know others,
be reading the right sources,
stay abreast of what matters
in your particular field.
And then lastly,
think about online communities.
Where can you meet others?
Where can you
develop connections
and learn more
about your career of choice?
And now I want to pause because
I want to pass the microphone,
so to speak, to Signe Bishop,
who is going to tell you
a little bit more
about her particular
experiences.
Thanks, Erin.
I'm happy to be here
and to share my experiences
with fellow VISTA members
as an alum.
My career path has been very
similar to what Erin described,
definitely non-linear.
And I've used many
of the activities
and resources that she suggested
in my own career exploration.
I launched my career
as a VISTA with a statewide
(inaudible)
with various focus areas.
This was advantageous
in that I got to learn a lot
about the different kinds
of service VISTAs were doing
around the state.
I got to meet and work with
a ton of community partners.
And I had the opportunity
to meet a few
of my teammates' supervisors
and colleagues,
which helped me build my network
of nonprofit professionals.
In fact, it
was this serendipitous
and relatively
effortless networking
that got me an interview
and my first job after VISTA.
One of my fellow VISTAs was
leaving her organization,
and the host nonprofit was
hiring a staff person
to sustain her position
as a volunteer coordinator.
She encouraged me to apply,
and I knew her supervisor
through the VISTA program I was
a part of.
This got me in the door,
and the skills I
gained as a VISTA helped me
to speak to how I would perform
the responsibilities
of the roll.
And, voila, I got the job.
I also found out later
that they received over 40
applications for that position.
So this experience helped
solidify
for me how critical
networking really is.
Erin spoke about luck and
opportunity being a component
of finding your dream job.
And in this case,
it was certainly true for me.
However, now I try
to make my own luck
by intentionally preparing
for my next career move.
To illustrate this point,
I'll add
that aside from my first
VISTA position after college,
I have been connected with
someone at each of the four jobs
I've held since 2006,
previous to my hiring.
Furthermore, I'd met in person
each of my future supervisors
through various
networking opportunities.
So the question then is,
how does one make this happen?
Well, Erin highlighted all
the strategies I used,
including Board service;
joining professional
associations;
and also simply
talking with my friends
and colleagues
about my career goals.
I'm also a total proponent
of the information interview.
My first VISTA position happened
to be in a career center,
where I learned a lot
about the benefits
of this strategy early on.
Initially, again
as an introvert,
I was really nervous
about making that first
ask for an informational
interview.
But every single one
of the professionals
I reached out
to was totally supportive
and even appreciative
of being asked.
It sounds easy, right?
Well, okay, maybe not--
but let's make it real.
Here's a specific example
of how an informational
interview helped me.
About four years ago,
I was struggling with a part
of my job that had to do
with facilitating training;
and I needed some expert help
and advice.
I just didn't have enough
experience at that point
to solve the issue
that I was having.
So I had a friend and colleague,
who was in a graduate program
for adult learning;
and she recommended that I talk
with one of
her fellow grad cohort members,
who was an extremely
skilled trainer.
She set up a coffee date
for all of us;
and as a result,
I got the support
and advice I needed at that time
to overcome my
job-related challenge.
Little did I know,
two years later,
I applied for my
current job at OHSU,
and the friend of a friend
I'd met over coffee was
the hiring manager and is now
my current supervisor
- crazy, right?
Well, maybe
- maybe not, considering
that this was a professional
connection formed in the field
that I am now
pursuing as a career.
So now I know
you're all totally sold,
100%, on the informational
interview.
But just in case you still
have reservations,
I'll just say that having
been on receiving end
of informational
interview requests
and subsequent coffee dates,
I can absolutely speak
to how fun they are,
how flattered I
always am to be asked,
as well as to experience
really being reciprocal
and that I get to learn about
and build a relationship
with someone who may very
well be a colleague one day.
I also see it as an opportunity
to give back and spread
around some of that luck
that I was fortunate enough
to encounter.
Thanks for letting me join you
today, and I'll hand it back
over to Erin for a few
closing activity and Q&A.
Thank you so much,
Signe.
Just to second what she said,
I can't agree more;
I can't agree less.
I can agree
- I'm going with more
- with how much fun
it is to be on the receiving end
of informational interviews.
So again, don't be scared;
and don't think
you're bothering people.
It really is genuinely fun
to just talk about your work
with someone who is excited
to learn more about it.
Before we get to next steps
and resources and open
the floor for questions,
I want to sum up
what we've learned so far.
Start with personal reflection.
Take the time to really consider
what are your interests,
what are your skills,
and what might you like to do?
Engage your colleagues,
your family, and your friends.
Seek that peer input
because they are going
to identify things
that you may
have never considered.
And then do your research
and your networking.
Take some time
to explore what your
particular interests might be,
what types
of jobs are out there.
Do the activities in the guide
that we shared to learn a little
more about what lights you up,
what kind of work is most
interesting to you today.
Spend some time thinking
about informational interviews,
learning more from other people,
taking time to ask them
the questions so that you
have a complete understanding
of what that job looks like.
Think about volunteering
and serving strategically.
Again, I know you
guys are volunteering
already all the time.
But take a chance
to think, okay,
what skills do I
need on my resume;
and how might I gain them
through voluntary service.
Similarly with Board service,
it's an opportunity
to learn leadership
and governance skills and,
again, to build your network.
And then join
professional associations
and online communities
in an effort
to connect with others,
stay abreast of what matters
to your particular field,
and stay connected to hear about
jobs as they open up.
Now, as far as next steps,
there are a couple of things
to have you consider
to do in the next weeks.
The first is take some time
to brainstorm your skills,
talents, and interests
beyond what we did here today.
Schedule time on your calendar
for a brief self-assessment.
Then choose at least
one of the career
exploration activities
that we talked about today
to complete,
preferably
within the next two weeks.
Download the guide;
go straight to the chapter.
I believe you can
download it by chapter;
if not, you can still skip
straight to the one of interest.
And go through and figure out
what might work for you.
See if you can learn something
from completing one
of the activities.
And then lastly,
identify three types
of individuals or organizations
from whom you'd like to learn
via an informational interview.
If you want to take
the next step
and actually identify three
individuals to contact,
awesome
- go for it.
But think at least about,
hey,
I know I want to talk to someone
who is an executive director;
or I want to talk to someone
who works in an organization
around education.
Think about the types
of individuals you want
to learn from.
And I'm even going to have you
start on that one right now
because what I'm going to ask
you to do is if you're willing,
please share one
or more of the types
of persons or organizations
you'd like to connect
within that Chat window.
So individuals can
potentially connect right now.
It may very well be
that there are others
on the webinar today who--
"I know somebody
who is a project manager;
or I know someone who works
in environmental planning."
I have someone I
can connect you to.
Again, take advantage
of the existing network
that is here right now today.
And keep doing that;
don't stop.
At the same time, I'm going
to share with you some resources
that you can potentially
take a look at.
Here are some of
the job search sites that
I've recommended
that you can take a look
to do the jobs track activity.
You can look for currently
available positions.
And again,
these are great sources
to do the research activities.
You'll notice the link
at the top,
www.idealistcareers.org.
That's where you'll
find the Idealist Guide
to Nonprofit Careers,
a free downloadable eBook;
it's under their Resources tab.
The second set of resources are
those specific to VISTA.
Now, there are several
outstanding resources developed
by AmeriCorps VISTA specifically
for AmeriCorps VISTA members.
First, I recommend
that you check out
the great resources at Preparing
for Life after VISTA.
You'll see the URL here
on your screen here.
After, after you successfully
complete your VISTA service,
you are eligible
for non-competitive eligibility
or NCE status,
when applying for Federal jobs.
This special status streamlines
the Federal hiring process.
And while it doesn't guarantee
you a Federal position,
it does allow you to be
considered
for Federal employment
without going through the
standard recruitment process,
which is frankly a plus for
both you and the hiring agency.
If Federal employment interests
you, be sure to learn more
about it by visiting the NCE
page on the VISTA Campus.
And Employers of National
Service was launched
in September 2014
by President Obama.
This initiative recognizes
the valuable skills gained
by those who serve
with AmeriCorps
and also Peace Corps
because according to Obama--
I've lost my
(inaudible).
I'm doing a direct quote here;
I have to read it right.
I'm quoting the President.
"Citizens who perform
national service are special,
and you want them on your team."
So check out the Employers
of National Service Web page
for a list
of participating companies,
where you'll have an advantage.
And then last but not least,
do check out the network
of AmeriCorps Alums.
I'm connected to that network;
a lot of the folks
here on the call
are connected to that network.
And it's great access
to resources,
as well as expanding
your network.
You're talking
to fellow AmeriCorps alums,
many of whom have been out
for a while and are active
in the career space and are
happy to guide you forward.
Keep going with your networking
that I can see going
on in the Chat window;
I love it.
With that to, I'm going to pass
the mic back over to Andy.
Great, thank you so much,
Erin,
for this fantastic presentation
- all the strategies and ideas.
And thank you, Signe,
as well for your experiences
and observations.
As I mentioned earlier,
we've provided this Reflection
Guide as kind of an experiment.
We're testing out a new approach
to interactive learning
via the webinar.
We've got a quick poll
on the right.
We'd like to know,
if you had a chance to download
that Reflection Guide,
what you think of it
and if we should do it again.
If you would, take a minute
to download your thoughts
about the Reflection Guide;
and that will help us
to know whether we should create
those for other webinars
that are coming up.
And then in just a minute,
we're going to ask you
to give us your thoughts
about the webinar overall.
As you know, we love to hear
what you think about the webinar
that you experienced today
- what worked for you,
what could have been done
differently.
We take all of that to heart.
And also, we want
to hear your ideas
for other webinar topics that we
could offer in the future.
So if there is some other thing
that maybe got sparked
by today's presentation
that you'd love to hear about,
we'd love to know that as well.
We're doing planning
for next year
and would love
to have your ideas.
You'll see
that evaluation poll open
in just a couple of seconds.
And while you're working
on that,
I want to now
invite your questions.
You see the poll
there on the right.
There are two ways
that you can ask a question.
as some of you have discovered.
We have the Q&A box.
It's now probably closed
for you if it appears
above the evaluation poll.
But you can click
the little triangle next
to the letters Q&A.
That box will open;
you can submit your question
electronically.
Or if you've dialed
into the phone
and you want to ask
a question by phone,
I'm going to ask Terri,
our operator,
to come back and give us
those instructions.
Terri?
Thank you, sir.
At this time, if you would
like to ask a question,
that is going to be "star 1"
on your touchtone phone
- "star 1" to ask a question.
To withdraw your question
from the queue,
please press "star 2".
Once again, if you'd like
to ask a question, "star 1".
You'll be asked to state your
name prior to joining the queue.
Please make sure
your mute feature is unmuted
and you state your name clearly.
One moment, please.
Great,
and while we're waiting
for questions
to come in by the phone,
we've got a few already
in queue here in the WebEx.
First up, Shannon has a question
and she says:
I've already had my dream job;
but unfortunately,
the nonprofit was not run
in a sustainable way.
She asks:
Is it more important
to do go things
or to have a good job,
and how can we
support the former?
Meaning, how can we support jobs
that allow us to do good things?
Erin, do you have some thoughts
about that.
Wow, we could have coffee
and discuss
that for a couple of hours.
It's a very big question.
I think my answer
is I don't think you
have to choose one or the other.
I think that there are plenty
of good jobs where you can
also do good things.
It's a matter of finding
the right balance for yourself.
I understand entirely
what you're talking about.
I think almost
everyone has a story
somewhere in their job history
of a job they really loved,
but something about it didn't
fit or something changed
or for one reason or another,
they had to leave that position.
And there's a grieving
when you've had that "dream job"
that you're looking
for something else.
I think the most important thing
from that is to identify
what made it your dream job?
Was it the type
of work you were doing?
Was it the environment?
Was it the focus of the work?
Identify what about it made it
so special, and then seek out
those attributes
in another place.
As far as if you
have an opportunity
to take job that it's not
working in nonprofit
or public or environmental
focus in some way
and you're having
that battle thinking,
"Oh, man, I don't know
if I should take this.
I really thought I'd
always do work
that was focused
on the public good."
Remember, that's not
your forever job.
If it's a job
that fits for you right now
because the paycheck is good,
because you're going
to learn something from it,
take what you can
from that experience.
Consider staying as long as it
makes sense for you.
Make sure it aligns
with your values, of course.
And then seek to do good work
through volunteering,
through other service.
And again, you may keep
that job for 1 year;
you may keep that job
for 10 years.
It's a constant
assessment process
for you of
what is the right fit.
So I think ultimately
my answer is an unsatisfying,
"I think both matter.
The trick here is to try
to find what fits for you.
And always keep in mind
that what fits today
doesn't mean it's going
to fit tomorrow.
And you're not stuck once
you've taken a job.
Great, thanks, Erin.
Signe, do you have any thoughts
to add to that?
Not necessarily, I think
Erin covered it really well.
But I've certainly had jobs
where I had to make a decision
whether it was worth my sanity
to continue doing something
that I loved and that was great
but that I was getting
burned out
doing or feeling disengaged
because the organization
maybe wasn't a good fit
at that time.
And so I really think it
is absolutely that balance.
And I absolutely
agree that that job
isn't necessarily
your forever job,
and that you can always
supplement what you do.
Maybe you can make money
with volunteering
or even philanthropy
at some point as well.
Don't allow yourself to be
in a place that's not good
for your wellbeing.
I think that's really important,
and you have to take
that into consideration.
Hear, hear, I agree.
Perfect.
Next up, Donna asks:
Are your recommends
the same for VISTAs
who are 50 years and over?
Oh, awesome, yes
- actually they are,
only you've got
a major head start
because you have a significant
history of job
and career development
that you've been already doing.
So when you're thinking
about your interests
and your skills-- now,
your interests are
constantly evolving;
but your skills are
going to be substantial.
So you actually will get
to do a little bit
of cherry picking of,
well, I have all these skills;
which ones do I
want to use next?
Which ones do I want
to develop further,
or are there skills that I've
never done that I want
to develop afresh?
But as far as the activities,
I would say do the same ones.
It's just you have a slightly
different lens,
and you have more information
with which to work.
Networking, also I think you
probably have quite
a few opportunities
to go back to contacts
that you may have talked
to several years ago.
Reconnect with colleagues
from years past.
And this is a great
opportunity to say,
"I'm doing
some career exploration.
I know we haven't touched base
in a long time;
but I wanted
to have a conversation
with you and learn more
about what you're doing today,
what your work looks like.
Also, as far as that peer input,
you're going to have some really
stellar opportunities
for peers to speak
to your abilities
in a number of
different capacities.
So I would say same activities,
but you have a lot
of opportunity here to really
shuffle the playing deck
and decide which cards matter
most to you at this moment.
And I'll pass it to Signe
if she has anything
that she wants to add as well.
I've met a lot of folks who have
done strategic volunteering,
particularly
around Board service
where they have developed
longer-term relationships
with colleagues,
who they're looking to move
into that field or to get a job,
who are very explicit
during their service that,
"I'm here to volunteer,
and I'm making
a career transition."
Or, "I'm currently
looking for work,
and let me know
if you hear anything."
And because they were developing
these long-term relationships
with folks who were in that same
organization,
they were really able
to tap into the expertise
and to sort of get a foot
in the door with those people
who became really
excellent long-term contacts.
And I know a lot of folks who
ended up getting jobs that way.
So I would definitely say
that these were strategies
for anyone,
regardless of where they
are in their career.
Okay, terrific.
We've had a couple of questions
come in about non-competitive
eligibility, NCE.
I'm going to handle
those quickly,
but basically I'll say
that's a little bit
outside of the content
for today's presentation.
As Erin mentioned,
we do have a quick resource.
There's a little
quick animated video
that describes what NCE is
and how you go about using it.
It's a benefit
that lasts for a year.
Once you finish your
VISTA term of service,
you automatically are
granted this status;
you don't have to apply for it.
It's good for one year.
It can be extended,
but that extension is done
by the hiring authority.
So the conditions under which
you could extend is are say,
if you go to graduate school
immediately after or if you
go into some other type of,
say, military service
or other type
of national service that doesn't
come with the NCE benefits,
you could, when you apply
to that employer,
you could request
that they use their discretion
to give you an extension
of the NCE.
All the details of that stuff
are on the VISTA Campus,
so I'll point you there.
And now I'll turn to Terri
and see if we have any questions
lined up on the phone.
At this time,
I'm showing no questions.
If you'd like ask a question,
"star 1".
Okay, well, we've got several
others already in queue here;
so we will keep
moving with those.
Suzanne says:
Are there resources available
for those of us who have been
in the workforce for a while,
sort of like career redirection?
The good news is,
yes;
there are
some terrific resources.
And in fact, I focused
on the Idealist Guide
for First-time Job Seekers
because that's the one
they have available
online for free.
But there was a second
book written specifically
for what they
call sector switchers.
They meant people going
from other sectors,
from the private
or public sector, to nonprofit;
but it was really designed
for people who are mid-career.
Now, the bad news is that one is
not available free online;
but the good news is that they
did publish them as books.
So check your library,
especially check
an academic library;
or check your bookstore--
I've seen them in local
bookstores as well--
for The Idealist Guide
to Nonprofit Careers
for Sector Switchers.
And there will be several
activities in there.
I imagine there's going to be
a lot of crossover because,
as I mentioned before,
many of these can be done
regardless of where you
are in your career.
But there are also key
strategies and steps in there
for people who were mid-career
looking to make a change.
So first and foremost,
I'd recommend looking for that.
I know I'm promoting
this book quite a bit;
but I know the people
who developed it,
and they really did
an outstanding job
developing these guides.
Otherwise, I would say,
check out some of the career
nonprofit workforce resources
that exist online.
I don't know of one particular
one offhand
to point you towards.
But I would use
some key word searches
like career redirection,
career development,
mid-career switch.
Encore careers, for example,
is another term that's
used by people
who switch careers
later in life.
And I think you're going to find
some really terrific resources
out there specifically
for people
who have substantial experience
and are looking
to move in a new direction.
Great, terrific--
next up, Tishana says:
Are we able to participate
with AmeriCorps Alums right now?
And I'm guessing that she's
still currently serving
as an active VISTA member.
That's a great question.
I don't see why not.
I know that the AmeriCorps Alums
puts on several
different events.
They host some online fairs
for graduate school,
for career fairs.
They host webinars;
they host training
opportunities.
I think they also try
to coordinate local events.
I can't imagine
that's a problem.
I would just go ahead
and contact them today.
They have their own website;
they have their
own Facebook feed.
There are also local chapters
of AmeriCorps Alums
in major cities,
so you can look
for your local branch.
For example, I'm connected
to the local Portland version
of AmeriCorps Alums.
So yeah, I can't imagine
that it's a closed door.
In fact, I'm sure that they're
looking to connect with folks
who are currently active
in their service.
I'd say go for it;
it's never too soon to start.
Erin, that exactly mirrors
my experience
with AmeriCorps Alums,
both nationally
and with local chapter.
They're really
interested in meeting
and connecting with currently
serving AmeriCorps members
so that it's a really
smooth transition
when you finish your service.
And speaking of finishing
service, Abbie says:
I'm looking to move
after my VISTA service is over.
When is a good time
to actually start applying
and looking for jobs,
and when is it appropriate
for me to talk about it
with my supervisor?
That's a great question.
If you're looking to move,
there are a couple of different
way you can approach it.
A lot of times when people
advertise for paid positions,
they're looking for someone to
start within a couple of weeks.
I think most at least assume
that you're going to give a two-
to three-week notice
at your current job.
I would say if you could
feasibly start that new job
within a month to six weeks,
you could probably
go ahead and apply.
It takes a couple of weeks
usually for people
to go through applications,
to interview,
to do all that sort of stuff.
But if it's a job
where I wouldn't be able
to move there
and start for three months,
that's probably
not going to work.
Typical rule of thumb I would
say if I could feasibly start
this job in four to six weeks
- maybe eight
- go ahead and start applying.
And as far as letting your
current supervisor know,
I typically wouldn't
let them know
until I had a pretty
good job in hand.
Certainly there are very
supportive supervisors
out there who would say,
"That's awesome.
I'm so proud, and I'm looking
forward to getting you started."
There may be others
who aren't ready for you to go.
And there's a difference,
I suppose,
between a VISTA supervisor
and a paid supervisor.
So actually let me backtrack
on my own advice.
If it's a paid job,
usually we don't let them know
until we have a job offer
in hand because we don't want
to give then the heads
up that we're looking
to leave because
if it falls through,
you may want to stay.
In the VISTA case,
I would say go ahead
and let them know as you're
nearing the end of your service
that you're starting
to look for jobs.
Let them know
what you're looking for
- what types of positions,
where you're looking.
They may very well
have contacts in those areas
where you're looking to move,
and it won't be a surprise
to them that your service is
coming to a close.
So I would say start maybe
six weeks out, eight weeks.
You can let your supervisor know
six weeks out,
eight weeks out;
start applying.
That's a pretty
rough rule of thumb;
and certainly, there will be
those who started three months
out and those who started
two weeks out.
It's pretty fluid.
I will pause with my rambling
to see if Signe has anything
to add or if Andy
wants to add anything.
I think Erin's
advice is pretty solid.
One of my recommends
would be that if you are
the right candidate
for that job,
they'll wait a little
bit longer for you.
I wouldn't make them wait
three months or six months,
but they would wait
a couple of weeks I bet.
I wouldn't necessarily hesitate
to put yourself out there maybe
a little bit earlier.
At the very least,
definitely start doing
informational interviews;
start connecting with folks;
start asking your friends.
Start looking at jobs
to just figure out
what you might be interested in.
But, yes, you could probably
be a little bit daring.
I don't know if that's
good advice or not,
but that's probably
what I would do.
Yes, I agree;
I think that sounds
like good advice.
Yes, and I'll just
add-- The worst thing
that can happen is
- oh,
sorry Andy.
Go ahead;
what's the worst thing
that could happen?
The worst thing that could
happen is they really like you;
and you can't start right away,
so you have to negotiate
a later start time.
The very worst thing
that could happen is they say,
"We can't wait for you,
sorry.
We're going to go with someone
else." But at least you tried
- yeah, I think
that's strong advice.
Yes, I would echo that.
And I think too that if you say,
"Look,
I'm committed to this VISTA
position until a certain date."
They will respect you
for that because they'll
see that you're kind of person
who makes a commitment
and keeps it.
And so I think that weighs
in your favor as well.
Absolutely.
Next up, a question from Vanessa
that I think I'm
going to handle.
There are really two parts
to her question.
First she says: How do we
continue our service with VISTA?
I'll answer that.
When you get to about your
ninth month of service,
the VISTA Support Unit will
unlock within your account
in My AmeriCorps a form that we
call The Future Plans Form.
And it's your option
- it's your opportunity
to express what it
is that you want to do.
Around that time,
if you think you want
to continue serving
with the project you're at,
you would want to be talking
with your site supervisor
to say,
"Hey this has been great for me.
I hope it's been great for you.
Could I serve
another term here?"
Or if you want to do VISTA
but you want
to do it somewhere else,
you can go back to My AmeriCorps
and search the listings
for other opportunities
- either in a city
where you're currently
serving or that region.
Or you could look afield
and see if there is something
that interests
you someplace else.
And then, of course,
you'd have to go
through the regular application
with that other VISTA project.
But that's how you would
go about continuing service
with VISTA.
The second part
of Vanessa's question was:
How do we go about
getting employment with CMCS?
And that would be the same
as for any other Federal job.
And that is to go
to www.USAJobs.gov.
You'll create
a profile on there,
and you can set up
a search agent for the kinds
of jobs that you're looking for.
You'll get automatic
notifications
when they're posted.
You'll build an online resume;
and then when you find something
that really interests you,
you'll submit your
resume online.
And for any Federal employment,
you're going to want
to make sure that you've gone
through the little
tutorial on NCE
so that you know which boxes
to check and what to put in
your cover letter about your
Non-Competitive Eligibility.
That's how you would go about
applying to work with CMCS.
We would love
to have all of you working here.
We don't have nearly
that many positions,
but we do know
that VISTA alums make for great
colleagues here at CMCS.
I'm going to pause for a second
and check with Terri
to see if we have any callers
on the line.
Currently, I'm showing
no questions at this time.
That's great;
we will go ahead then
with the questions we've got
here online.
Kevin says:
If you don't know
where to look for a dream job
- that is, if you aren't tied
down to any specific location
- how do you narrow things down
to avoid getting overwhelmed?
That's a great question,
Kevin.
It sounds like there were two
components there;
one is the specific job,
and then one is the where of it.
I might start
with the where of it.
If you're pretty fluid
in terms of where you're willing
to live and what kind of
role you're willing to look at,
I would start geographically
and sort of do a wish list
of here are my spots
that I might want to live.
And then figure out where
those local job boards are.
There are national sites,
of course,
like the ones
that we've listed here.
And you can narrow your search
geographically to see what sorts
of jobs are available.
You can also
figure out what sort
of networking groups might exist
in those local communities.
If you really are that fluid
where you don't even
have specific geographic areas,
then I would stick
to the national sites
and just see what's available.
As far as figuring
out where to start,
I would recommend doing like the
Four Lenses Framework activity
or the self-assessment,
the career tracks activity,
basically to build
in some priorities.
Chances are you might be really
flexible in terms of what type
of work you're willing to take,
but chances are also
there are some things
you'd prefer over others.
The more information
you can self-gather
on what your priorities are
- whether it's what I need
to do now is make more money
so I can pay down my loans,
whether it's what I
need right now is to gain
this particular skill set,
what I need right now
is nonprofit experience.
Whatever it might be,
if you're able to establish
what those priorities are
for yourself,
I think that's going
to help you narrow the search
and make it a little
less overwhelming
as you start to dig
through what jobs are available.
I agree, absolutely.
I think that personal reflection
piece is going to be key
to start launching
that job search,
just to narrow it down
a little bit
around what you might want to do
and where you might want to be.
Otherwise, you'll sort
of be inundated with a lot
of information.
It will be really hard to think
about that within any sort
of framework if you haven't
already established that.
I would absolutely recommend
going through some of
those exercises
that Erin mentioned.
All right, and our next question
is sort of along the same theme
about not want
to get overwhelmed.
Tanya says:
I don't want to
stretch myself too thin,
but I also want to make
the most of my VISTA service.
I've already started
by making connections.
I'm guessing with other people.
She says:
I want to volunteer
outside of my VISTA site,
but I'm also currently
pursuing my master's degree.
Any suggestions?
Well, you're definitely busy
although I know
that's the lifestyle
of the VISTA is to be
crazy busy.
I might recommend looking
for volunteer positions
that you can fit
into your lifestyle.
I wouldn't recommend
looking for one
that's necessarily long-term.
Actually, let me reframe that
- not long-term but one
that requires a lot
of hours per week.
Board service actually would
fit really well, I think,
with what you're doing,
depending on the board.
There are a couple of different
kinds of boards, of course.
Working boards are
very hands-on,
and they need you to do a lot of
the nuts and bolts of the work.
Governance boards typically meet
once a month. You get together;
you talk about priorities
for the organization;
you talk about financial
decisions,
leadership opportunities.
And then collectively
as a board, you make
those decisions.
There might be committee service
in addition to that,
but you have a lot of say
over how much work you're doing.
If you plan to stay
in the community you're in now
for at least a year or two,
you might look
into board service.
That's a great way
to make those connections,
to gain that skill
and that resume filler,
but also have it fit with your
studies and your VISTA service.
I would also take a look
and see if there are roles
that you might be able
to do in your "free time."
Things like online positions,
or maybe there's
an advisory role
where they just need someone
to just take a look at something
and give feedback.
See if there are team
opportunities,
where you can
step forward and step
back based on your availability.
But first and foremost,
you're doing a lot already.
And Signe talked
about this earlier,
that the self-care
aspect is critical.
It sounds like you're already
making some great headway
and doing some really
good things
to be establishing yourself.
You're doing your studies;
you're doing VISTA.
These are all great things
to prepare yourself
for your career development.
And it may be that for now
you may need to limit
yourself to informational
interviews as you can,
and then consider
doing something
more substantial
as your schedule changes.
But I would first and foremost
see maybe board service
or if there are particular
volunteer roles that fit well
but don't require you to commit
X hours per week for X weeks.
Tanya, there may also be things
as part of your master's degree
that you're required to do.
For example, we had a variety
of community projects
that we were required to work
on during my master's program.
And so there may be things
that you could do strategically
in terms of volunteerism
that would also get you credit
during your master's program.
There may be things
that you have to do already.
But you could think
a little bit outside the box
or gets some special permission
to do something in an area
where you're really interested
or want to get a job
in eventually
to help you start networking,
even though it's something
that you also have to be doing
for your master's program.
That might be something
to think about as well.
And of course graduate school
itself is a great
networking opportunity.
I'm sure, Tanya, you're already
maximizing those possibilities
within your fellow students,
professors, and maybe others
who come is as guest presenters.
Let's move on.
Sarah makes a comment.
She says:
You address the
informational interviews
and contacting people.
She said:
I feel this works better
for the location
where you currently are.
What would you suggest
for someone who is currently
in one state but planning
to move across the country
after finishing VISTA?
Do you want to go first?
Sure, there are so many great
professional social networking
opportunities
now that I think you could
probably take advantage
of some of those.
LinkedIn is a great place
to get connected to folks
who are in a place
that you are looking to move.
Informational interviews can
absolutely be done by Skype;
they can be done over the phone.
It's not something
that you have to do in person,
though that is sort of nice.
You can definitely,
with camera phones
or a smart phone,
be able to connect with folks
who aren't physically
geographically near you.
I do think it's possible.
You just maybe
have to think a little bit
in terms of a broader,
maybe online network
that you have.
But I'm sure Erin has
suggestions for this as well.
Yes, I agree with Signe.
In person is great
when you can do it;
but phone interviews work well.
You Skype;
use something with a visual
component if you need to.
As I mentioned, you can
even do them by e-mail.
You can write your questions
in an e-mail
and have them answer back.
But start now because one
of the biggest questions
you're going to be able
to ask them is,
"What networks do I need
to plug into?
Where are the jobs posted?"
For example,
if you're in Portland
and you're looking
for a nonprofit job,
there are two online ListServs
that are the number one places
to go online
to look for nonprofit jobs,
more than any national site.
And you wouldn't know
that unless you ask
a Portlander who says,
"Oh you need to go to this,
and you need to go to this."
So reaching out now,
even if it's a cold contact,
they're going to be able to
point you towards the direction
of what should I be reading;
what ListServs should I be on;
what websites should
I be perusing?
How would I look for a job
like a New Yorker?
How would I look for a job
like someone in San Diego
- wherever you might
be looking to go.
And don't be afraid
to do the cold contacts.
But again,
even if it's a new city,
reach out to your peers and say,
"Does anyone know anyone
in X city or in these types
of organizations in that city?
Because they may know someone
who could open the door for you.
Even it appears that
their connections are local,
I'm sitting in a room
in Portland with people
who have colleagues and friends
all over the country,
if not the world.
So have that door opened
for you if you can,
but doing it by distance is
no problem at all.
In fact, that makes it
so that if and when you
make it to that town,
you have someone you can
immediately follow up with
and say, "Would you
like to have coffee?
I'd love to connect
with you again
and let you know what I'm up to,
and follow up with you in person
to thank you again
for your time."
That's great advice;
I love that.
Kenneth says:
I'll have six months
in between the official close
of my AmeriCorps service
and graduate school.
Will it be hard for me
to find a full-time job
if employers know I'll
be gone in half a year?
Probably
- unfortunately,
that will be tough.
Most people, by the time they've
actually trained you and gotten
you up-to-speed to where they
don't need to oversee your work,
then you would be leaving.
And typically, it's not
great form professionally
to take the job knowing
that you're going to leave them.
I would instead look
for seasonal work if you can.
There are seasonal positions
where they need people
to step in.
It's basically
like subletting an apartment;
it's subletting a job. Someone
might be on medical leave;
they might be on maternity
or paternity leave
and they need someone to step
in for X number of months.
Look for positions
that have contract roles
or that have a specific
length to them.
Or look for part-time.
Basically, you could be really
honest with them and say,
"This is the frame of time
that I have available."
But my honest advice
that full-time work
for a six-month period
of time is going to be
pretty tough to secure.
Temping might be
a good option though.
I have had lots of friends
who have had great success
with temping for a very
short amount of time.
And it very often
can be full time.
And it really is someone
just stepping into a role
that they need someone very
short term to help out.
And it's actually
in a lot of their examples
have been a great
networking opportunity as well.
So I would certainly recommend
looking into temporary agencies
or temporary positions.
I agree;
I've done temping myself,
and it's a great space filler.
It's a great way also
to be doing work
while you're looking for work.
Yeah, and getting experience
in something that maybe
you don't have experience in
and learning about whether you
like it or not. Yep, I agree.
And on the subject
of graduate school,
(inaudible)
asks:
Do you have any advice
on selecting a graduate
school program?
I do;
first and foremost is looking
for what you want to study.
This is similar to a job,
frankly.
You're going to use a couple
of different lenses.
You're going to look
at what you want to study;
where you want to study it;
what the cost of study is,
including what sort of financial
support they might provide;
and then weighing
what it is that you want
to do with that degree.
To use myself for an example,
I wanted to do my Ph.D. in
and study civic engagement;
but I had a hard
time finding a program
that would fit for that.
And I narrowed it down
to Portland State University,
where I could
have a lot of leeway.
I could live in the Northwest,
and it was a relatively
inexpensive school.
Or also Harvard had a program
in government
that I could have maybe
tried to make it work.
And I really wrestled
with that and thought,
"Should I try to apply
to go to Harvard?
What a scary idea.
I don't think I can get in.
It's so expense;
I don't know."
And ultimately I decided, well,
I want my Ph.D. because I want
to be a practitioner.
I want to teach on the side,
but I'm not looking
to be a full-time academic.
So it probably doesn't
matter to my employers
whether I went
to Portland State or Harvard.
They just want to see
that I finished by degree
and studied this topic.
So that was a decision maker
for me.
I don't need
the prestige of Harvard,
so I also don't want
to necessarily live in Boston
and the other factors
that came into play.
You know, of course,
that Harvard has a great
scholarship program
that Portland State didn't
have quite as much of.
But I was still able
to secure a scholarship.
So I would do the Four
Lenses Framework,
but do it for grad school
of what matters most to you.
Is it the location
where you'd be studying?
The location
that you're interested in,
do they offer a program
that offers what you want to do?
Talk to people
who are current students;
I can't recommend that enough.
They're going to be able
to tell you the good,
the bad, and the ugly
of being a student there.
Talk to Financial Aid.
Ask them what sort
of support they provide.
What are the actual chances
of getting that support?
Talk to the program itself.
Of course if you can,
make a visit, that's great;
you can get a sense
for a place by visiting.
If you can't, it's expensive
to fly around the country.
That's okay;
you can gather a lot
of information from social media
and from talking to people
on the phone and via e-mail.
There are, of course,
resource guides
like the Princeton Review
that rank universities
and give you information
on what their programs are like.
Again, if that's something
that's a critical piece
of your decision making you
can do that.
And then there are grad fairs
that travel around the country.
If you're specifically
looking to do a degree
in some area related to public
good or environmental good,
Idealist does a series of grad
fairs in major U.S. cities.
You can go to their website
and see what the dates are.
AmeriCorps Alum does an online
grad school fair
where you can actually show up
online and ask representatives
questions in Chat windows.
So look for grad fairs
where you can ask questions.
And try to narrow that
search using the various lenses
you have of what matters
most to you?
Do you want to stay in a
particular part of the country,
what are you studying,
and do they offer it?
That would be my advice.
Wow,
that's amazing for not having
prepared on the subject
of graduate school that you just
can provide all
that information.
Thank you so much,
Erin.
There's time
for a few more questions.
I'm going to check
again with Terri
to see if anybody has come
in on the phone line.
I'm showing no questions
at this time, sir.
If you'd like to ask a question,
"star 1". Thank you,
Terri.
And just to remind everybody,
we do really care about
your opinion on this webinar
and suggestions for other topics
that we could present.
So if you would click
on the polling icon
and answer our
little evaluation,
that would be much appreciated.
And now back to our questions.
Ranada says:
How do employers
view self-created opportunities,
such as assisting
an organization
with their marketing
and planning?
I developed an informal
connection with a family farm
that wants to expand
its business
to include increased marketing
and event planning.
I think most employers
would think that's great.
They want to see that you
can take initiative,
that you're able
to deliver on your outcomes.
I think there are
some layers to this.
If it was that you sort of went
off and did it on your own
without working
your organization
and they didn't know
what was happening,
then an employer might say,
"Whoa, wait a minute,
what's going on?"
But it sounds to me like you
were doing it under the auspices
of the organization.
Effectively they
said "Go do this."
You found an opportunity.
You came back to them and said,
"Look, we have this opportunity
to develop this partnership."
And they gave you
the green light.
That's excellent.
Future employers would
look to that and say,
"This is someone
who can get things done."
My suspicion is that telling
the story of how you were able
to initiate
and deliver on that type
of partnership is going
to be something
that will be really valuable
on your job search.
I absolutely agree.
I think it sounds a lot
like first
doing a volunteer opportunity.
I think employers would
see it sort of like that.
And I think really that story
about your initiative
and being tenacious
and going out
and getting that is really
going to be
a compelling story
for employers.
All right, great.
We have a question from
(inaudible),
who says
- it looks like
(inaudible)
is interested in the field
of social work
and in the state of Alabama.
It says:
Where would be the best place to
begin a search in the field
of social work in Alabama?
Goodness, unfortunately,
I'm not as connected
with the field of social work;
so I don't know if there are
specific national boards.
What I would say is identify
social work agencies
in your town
or in other towns in Alabama.
Reach out to them and say,
"If I'm looking for work
in this field,
in this area,
where should I be looking?"
People within the field are
going to know
where the jobs get posted.
It's also, frankly,
a great door opener to do
an informational interview.
If trusty Google doesn't
turn up something
and if you're looking
at the national sites
and you're not seeing much
- actually, even if you are
looking at the national sites,
I would still do this.
Identify social work agencies.
Send a couple of cold e-mails
and just say,
"I'm interested
in looking into this field.
Where are the jobs posted?
Where should I be
paying attention?"
That would be my advice.
Universities with graduate
programs in social work,
probably you could
just call them up
and have a conversation
with the person over the phone
about where their graduates tend
to get jobs;
what kinds of things
they would recommend.
I think that's kind
of their job to do that,
so I would definitely
encourage you to check in with
the local universities
that have programs in that area.
Great suggestion.
Francesca says:
I'm in a
master's degree
in public relations.
I'm currently in my last year
and doing my thesis.
Are there
AmeriCorps opportunities
that are part-time?
I'll take this question on.
Within the VISTA program,
all of our positions
- the full year
and summer associate VISTA
positions are full-time,
so essentially 40 hours a week.
But AmeriCorps State
and AmeriCorps National Programs
do offer part-time
AmeriCorps positions.
And so you would go to
My AmeriCorps and do a search.
You could put
in where you're looking,
and you would check state
and national.
And then you could
also look for part-time
and find out
those opportunities.
That's a great way to stay
connected in national service
while you're pursuing
your master's degree
and writing a thesis.
I'm looking here
- we had just
a couple questions come
in right at the end,
and we're going to have time
for maybe one or two more.
Abby says:
If I'm interested
in setting up
an informational interview,
do I just call and ask?
You could;
I tend to prefer e-mailing first
just because you may not
get them at their desk
or in the right mood
or moment to ask them.
But I would go to their website;
take a look at their staff list;
see whose role sounds
interesting.
Oftentimes, they'll
have an e-mail address on there.
If they don't,
you're certainly welcome
to call the front desk and say,
"I would love to send an e-mail
to one of your staff members;
is there an e-mail I
should use?"
The other reason I like e-mail
is because you can think out
in advance how you want to say,
"This is who I am; this is
the reason I'm e-mailing."
You have an opportunity
to do it as a script.
Especially if you're doing
this for the first time,
that can be a little
more comforting
because you can
hone your language
and make sure you like it.
You also, frankly,
can then copy and paste
it into other e-mails to other
people that you want to contact.
But having said that,
if you're good on the phone
and you feel confident
that you can just call up,
then certainly
you're welcome to try it.
I fully admit
that there are many people
in the world
who prefer phone calls.
I'm one of those people
who prefers e-mails;
I'm sure that colors
my answer a bit.
But yes, just
cold contact people
and just explain the reason
for your communication
- that you just want to learn
more from them what their role
is like as you develop
your own career.
Like I said, you'll be
surprised by how many people
will be totally willing
to participate.
If you're in the same
geographical area as you two,
it's very likely
that you are somehow connected
to them through contacts
you currently
have at your VISTA position
or friends or folks that you
know through school, whatever.
So I would do a little bit
of research first
and see if there is any way
that you could get
an introduction for this person,
just because it
makes it so much easier.
But you can absolutely
cold e-mail or cold call them,
and that works just as well.
I get both.
I get people who say,
"I know a friend of yours,"
someone introduces them.
And I also get ones
who say "I saw your bio online,
and I wanted to follow up
and see if you'd
have a conversation."
And speaking for myself
and for others
who have been willing
to speak to me,
I'm totally fine with either.
And usually you can send folks
a message on LinkedIn too,
which is another way that's nice
to communicate because it's
a networking site.
And so they've put themselves
out there
in order to get inquiries
and connections like this.
And so it's a very natural forum
for making that connection
with someone
who you might not know.
I agree.
All right,
well, thank you both,
Erin and Signe,
so much for all the experience
and expertise you've
shared today.
We're going to have to leave it
there as we've run out of time.
But I do want to thank everybody
who participated
in today's session.
To thank our technical team,
Jessica Knight and Endi Clark
at Education Northwest,
for producing today's program.
And again, Dr. Erin Barnhart
and Signe Bishop,
both in Portland,
Oregon, for your time
and expertise today.
And then I'd like to invite
all of you to our next
VISTA webinar which is,
Translating VISTA Service
to Your Resume and Career,
coming up on September 17,
2015.
And we'll have a chance
to her from Dr. Barnhart
again next month.
Thank you
all for participating today,
and we hope
to see you again soon.
