5-Part Series on an Exhaustive(exhausting) Job Search

She asked why graphic design was so low on the totem pole, and I had to be frank in my response, ‘I can make graphic design a part of any job—it’s an inescapable aspect of business in all arenas.’

Image Source; AwakenYourInnerCowgirl.com

High on my list is that I make a positive impact—that I do something worthwhile. High on my list is a bikeable commute. High on my list is autonomy. High on my list is odd hours to accommodate my Jeffersonian sleeping habits.

With this graphic as my guide, I began my search again, half-a-year after my first email application was sent , I realized exactly where I needed to be and why. So I applied to every singly posting at one particular organization. Then after having heard nothing for over a month I reached out to everyone I knew with ties to this place. Folks who I hadn’t seen since grad school, someone I took an undergraduate class with, a former employee at destination X, a woman I met at the salad bar in the grocery store (yep I cyber stalked her) and even my mentor who knew somebody-who knew somebody.

Another thing that I did was to cast a winder net. I then applied with four nonprofit organizations, one museum, and I put in 5 resumes with the regions largest employer, and two with state government. Of the dozen applications, I had four interview requests (an impressive success rate in the current job market). In one case I was positive that I’d be hired, then wasn’t. In the other three cases—I learned a few home truths about the nonprofit industry of 2015. It’s a much different climate than even 5 years back.

First, I need a collaborative and effective team. Second, my move must be worthwhile and offer me chances to grow, and not get bored, while having a creative element and allow for autonomous work. Lastly, I've gotta be able to get there easily, have the  ability to start my day early, and get to they gym on the company dime. Not on my list is the fact that I refuse to work in a cube--apparently, the longer you do it the less soul-sucking it seems (which is reasonable considering you have less of a soul).

Up Next : Nonprofit Needs

* My mentor is also my former communications director

Notes on the Job Search

This is crazy, but I took a break from my job search after a highly successful interview, followed by rejection, followed by a good Tarot Card Reading…

Here’s What Happened

I’ve mentioned in the past that my professional development and training skill has been honed and encouraged in my current job. Not only am I great at it, I love it. Getting the feedback, the ‘Aha!’ moments give me such a rush after a seminar. In general, I love the rush and satisfaction of teaching.

In the summer I applied for a job that incorporated teaching / training / professional development as a larger part of the job. The posted position was for a trainer who would travel several times a month, conducting various training sessions, layout print training materials and develop some web-based training materials. Interesting, right?

For my panel interview I was asked to design and deliver a brief training that did not rely on technology. Being awesome, I designed a 5-minute interactive training session where I taught the panel how to propagate succulents to help purify the air in a stuffy office building. My plan was to wow them with dirt and knives then get hired in the 4 weeks that it took for the African Violets to die off completely.

The interview went off without a hitch, the panel was appropriately engaged throughout the interview portion, and then wowed at the training portion of our hour-and-a-half together. Shortly thereafter I got a cordial condolence letter..

The weekend after reading that note, I sat on the couch going through the storage ottoman and watching the West Wing. I found an old faded box of novelty Tarot Cards, the Rider Deck. In doing a simple three-up reading, I got the fantastic news that made me stop my job search.

Just so you know, the desperate always look to the supernatural in times of great strife.