Additional Resources

Transcription

1 LIFE AFTER AMERICORPS: Unleashing Your Personal and Professional Potential! Additional Resources Trainer-Facilitator: Shoshanna Cogan

2 Branding, Resumes, & You OUT with the Old; IN with the New OLD Objective statements Keywords only being used at big companies Responsibilities/skills All chronological on resumes One resume for all jobs Readable in person or on computer screen NEW Professional profiles/branding statements Keywords are always needed on resumes and cover letters. SEO Search Engine Optimization. Impact/Accomplishments Cluster chronological (2 or 3 categories) to highlight relevant experience Tailor resume and cover letter EVERY time Readable on Blackberries/IPhones/I-pads; Think micro-content 3

3 EXAMPLES OF IMPACTFUL ACCOMPLISHMENTS OLD Organized a day of community service at local schools for 150 volunteers Wrote 3 grants with agency staff Started new after school sports program Developed training manual and community resource guide NEW Spearheaded community service day (150+ volunteers at 5 schools) by building local partnerships, recruiting volunteers and corporate sponsors and managing dayof logistics. Successfully secured $25K to rehabilitate decaying playground through writing 3 fully funded grant proposals. Launched brand new after school sports program including raising $2K in-kind equipment donations to address ongoing challenge of no physical activities for middle school students. In first six months, 150+ youth participated. Addressed need for standardized operating procedures/centralized resources by researching, writing and distribution organization training manual and community resource guide. 4

4 EXAMPLES OF POWERFUL PROFESSIONAL PROFILES OLD Seeking a program management position at an after school youth development organization Extensive community organizing experience. Motivated team player and able to work independently. Good sense of humor. NEW PROGRAM MANAGEMENT YOUTH DEVELOPMENT Versatile, enterprising professional with experience both on and off the field in creating and delivering highly successful youth sports programs within urban, multicultural environments. Accomplished fundraiser (private and public grants) and community collaborator. Bilingual (Spanish/English) community organizer specializing in small business development and technological innovation. Successful track record in independently scaling up projects, building private sector partnerships and developing multi-agency partnerships. Known for ability to handle complex, challenging situations with humor, tact and diplomacy. 5

5 Explore AmeriCorps Alum Top 5 Resources to Jumpstart Your Career (See AmeriCorps Alum Website for more details) 1. Virtual Career Fairs Network with employers who want to hire alums. 1,000+ alums connected with more than 20 employers from private, public, and government sectors for entry-level and more seasoned positions during our last fair fair information coming soon. 2. Virtual Grad School Fairs Find schools recruiting alums and schools with scholarships dedicated to AmeriCorps alums. In 2015, more than 30 schools with programs ranging from public policy to theology recruited thousands of students who registered for our Virtual Grad School Fairs grad school information coming soon. 3. Job Search Tools & Tips AmeriCorps Alums is a key partner in launching Employers of National Service, a new initiative to recruit, hire, and advance alumni of AmeriCorps and Peace Corps supported by over 100 public, private, and nonprofit partners. For more information and a list of partners, visit nationalservice.gov/employers. Browse our jobs board and career center Post your resume and manage your job search in one location. Read our Career Newsletter Get tips in our Ask the Career Coach column and learn about the latest jobs, events, and resources from Alums in our Monthly e- newsletter. 4. Top 5 Professional Development Webinars Listen to our 5 most popular webinars including how to translate AmeriCorps onto your resume. Access recorded webinars. Stay tuned to our Event Calendar for upcoming webinars. 5. Resources from AmeriCorps Programs Did you know some AmeriCorps programs have alumni associations with resources? Check with your program staff to see if there are benefits and other supports available to you as an Alum. See the AmeriCorps Alum website for a list and link to some of the larger AmeriCorps program alumni associations. 6

6 Selected Resources (Note: Some information subject to change without notice) AmeriCorps Alums: AmeriCorps Alums Career Resources Create a career account with AmeriCorps Alums. Your first priority should be to create a Career Profile. This profile includes all the details of your resume, and it allows you to receive job opportunities -- and offers -- without having to search on your own. In addition to your Career Profile, your account allows you to store cover letters, job openings, communications with employers, and notes that you keep on companies and job openings. Once you ve registered as an AmeriCorps Alum, you can begin creating your Career Profile: To be directed to your personalized Career Account: The other tool you will want to create is a Job Alert. This tool will search for new job opportunities that match your criteria and automatically these to you. To create a Job Alert: For Career Webinars: For Career Newsletters: EWSLETTER%3A+APRIL AmeriCorps+Alums&body=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.americorpsalums.org%2Fgeneral%2F custom.asp%3fpage%3dcn201404%23.u3kgerzyjxs.gmail&ui=2&tf=1 For Job Search: KEN=e4cdc7acf8b76544-F757422A-BD24-266C- DAB0B940600DF54E&jsessionid=2030c8297e4f634552d2 7

7 Federal Loan Forgiveness Programs: LoanForgivenessv4.pdf Partnership for Public Service: Making the Difference: Government Loop: NonProfit/Public Sector Young Nonprofit Professionals Network: (47 chapters across US) Alliance for Nonprofit Management: Idealist Career Section: Nonprofit Quarterly: Nonprofit Times: Jobs/Internships/Fellowships General Nonprofit: Idealist.org; Higher Education: (note: some universities only post on their own websites) Public Service: New England Nonprofit Jobs: DC Jobs: Green Jobs: Philanthropy/Foundation Jobs: Fellowships: n.pdf 8

8 For-Profit Sector General: monster.com; indeed.com Sustainability: network/csr-jobs International & Domestic Idealist: Volunteer Options: er_programs Educational Resources Community Colleges: Undergraduate School: Graduate School: The AmeriCorps Alums Virtual Grad School Fairs are a chance for graduate schools and alumni to have live one-on-one conversations about higher education opportunities. Participating schools often match the Segal education award or provide additional incentives to AmeriCorps alumni who apply Virtual Grad School Fair Dates: May 18th, 1-4pm EST September 14th, 12-3pm EST November 9th, 12:30pm-3:30pm EST 9

9 Salary Resources Professionals for Nonprofits HigherEd Jobs Simply Hired NonProfit Jobs Job Star Salary.com Indeed s Salary Search by geographic area PayScale Glassdoor- Company Salaries Reviews, etc. 10

10 The following Career Tips are adapted from the Ask the Career Coach Column by Denise Riebman (AmeriCorps 94), Director of Career Development and Alumni Services for the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration at George Washington University. See more tips on her website: careerhappinesscoach.com. 1. STOP Saying Networking The word Networking can conjure up images of smarmy people, uncomfortable favors or long awkward silences. Instead think about it as building your network which represents mutually reciprocal, professional relationships with people you respect, admire and want to work with now, and in the future. Build your network! Notice I said work with not for. Even if that person does hire or recommend you for a job, that should only be one part of your relationship building. Your professional network could include grant writing partners, community collaborators, potential panelists (or someone who asks you to speak at their event!), prospective applicants for a job you re hiring for and the list goes on and on. Reciprocity might not be obvious to you right now, but think about how mutuality could develop in the future. Building Career Capital with a community of individuals with shared interests and goals could result in a greater impact for your causes. It can start off as easy as closing a thank you after a networking meeting with this line, Thank you again for your help, and if there s ever anything I can do for you, please don t hesitate to get in touch. Then you might give them a heads up about a relevant event or article, or ask them for coffee and have an agenda-free meeting when you talk about issues and shared interests. Light, authentic touches keep you connected now and into the future. 2. STOP Going to Generic Networking Events Yes, you read that right. I don t want you to waste your time at generic networking events which are often filled with people who want to just pass out business cards or who are 11

11 desperate for a job. Instead, attend events (and make it less stressful by asking a friend to join you) that are relevant for your field. Conferences, lectures, fundraisers, volunteer events, advocacy meetings, community gatherings are all effective approaches to connecting with people who care about the same things you do and will result in natural conversations. And if you can find programs where you see the same people repeatedly, this will accelerate the relationship building. Whether you re moving to a new town, shifting fields or just dipping your toes into the water, some good sources of these type of events include: The AmeriCorps Alums website, LinkedIn group and Facebook and Twitter pages Umbrella organizations in your city like Hands on Network, United Way, volunteer centers, chambers of commerce and business associations. Nonprofit organizations (e.g. Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood) and university e- newsletters. Focus on universities with relevant research centers/schools (e.g. If interested in transportation planning, look for a School of Urban Affairs; want to get involved in nutrition issues, check out a School of Public Health). State/Local government and groups advocating for state/local issues. For example, I commute everyday by bike so I often go to Sustainable DC events to connect with likeminded individuals. Meetup Groups. Once primarily focused on social groups, Meetups now have something for everyone from foreign policy professionals meetings to green gatherings to corporate social responsibility talks. LinkedIn Groups and Following Employers on LinkedIn. One easy trick is to check out profiles of people who have jobs that you d like, and see which groups/employers are on their profile for ideas on which groups and employers would be most beneficial for you to join or follow. 3. STOP being cold Starting from scratch can feel overwhelming until you realize that you don t actually need to start from nothing. Since cold calling can be intimidating, I recommend instead beginning your outreach with who you know and ask them to facilitate introductions to their connections. LinkedIn should be your new best friend as you can easily check out your first-degree connections to see who is in their network. Don t think of this as stalking but as doing your research. And one tip to make it easy for your contacts is to offer to draft up language about you and your interests so that they can just copy and paste it into an introduction STOP dropping the ball Last week I met with a student who was frustrated by her lack of progress in landing a job, so I asked her how it went following up with the contacts she received from a professor. After a feeble excuse, she confessed that she just hadn t felt like following up yet. Seriously? When someone sends an introduction for you or gives you a contact s , send a note immediately to the new contact (and thank the first person for making the 12

12 introduction). If at first you don t hear back from the new contact, hit reply all so that the initial is included and send another message like, I wanted to send you a quick note to follow up on the I sent last week (copied below) about finding a time to connect. After hearing about your work from Jack Smith, I am eager to learn more about your career. Thank you! Just because they didn t respond the first time, doesn t mean they aren t interested. More than likely, it just means that they were busy and appreciate a light touch reminder. And after an initial meeting or talking with someone at an event, connect with them via Twitter or LinkedIn. LinkedIn even has a place for you to include where you met them and set up reminders to follow up. Please don t ever send the generic LinkedIn connect message 30 seconds is all it takes to write a personalized note, and it will have a much greater impact. 5. STOP saying I m not a good networker I know initially it can seem awkward or feel like stalking. I know it doesn t come naturally to everyone. In fact, it doesn t feel natural to most people at first. I also know that once you shift your thinking to see it as a long-term, mutual relationship, and start practicing in all situations it will get much easier. And shocking as it may be to learn, people actually want to help you. Studies conducted in the UK showed that people underestimate by up to 100% how likely others were to help them. The reality is that in our interconnected world building an expansive network is a necessity for professional success. And, as I said before, if you re connecting with people you like, who care about the same things that you do, it can actually be fun! So STOP putting this off and GO build yourself a network that inspires and motivates you! How to Get Employers to Notice You by Denise Riebman Here are some questions to get you thinking about what makes you NOTICEABLE: What is it about the combination of your strengths, skills, experience and innate qualities that makes you unique? Why would an employer get excited to choose you over other candidates? What are positive words that colleagues have used to describe you? What praise have you received during performance evaluations? When have you been at your best professionally? When have you felt the most alive at a job? A few years ago, when I was on the job hunt, I realized that based on my AmeriCorps VISTA experience of working myself out of a position, one of my unique skills is that I m always about pragmatic, funded programs that are sustainable in the long term. I also recalled a former boss calling me an organizational guru. You can bet these unique qualities worked itself into my resume, cover letter and interviews! Are you getting OTHERS to NOTICE you? 13

13 Create a list of target employers and 3-5 priority fields/causes (e.g. higher education reform; watershed issues; alternative transportation) which will serve as your focus for building social capital to connect you to jobs. Now that you have your lists, here are some approaches to building social capital to get you NOTICED: Be in the Know. Follow employers on Google news/linkedin and sign up for e-newsletters to learn about what s current in the field and who are the thought leaders. Be Known. Tweet on topics or retweet what others are saying. Write a blog post. Answer questions in a relevant LinkedIn Group. Present at conferences. In addition to the often quoted statistic of over 90% of recruiters using LinkedIn to recruit for candidates, 93% use it keep tabs on potential candidates and 92% use it to vet candidates pre-interview. Imagine if the hiring manager read in your LinkedIn Profile how you are tweeting, blogging, presenting in ways that are relevant to their organization and the field. (Source: Attend Known Events. One example in DC is the website, dc.linktank.com, which lists all the think tank events around the city which attract high profile speakers and attendees. Other sources include your local United Way, community foundation, industry associations and chamber of commerce which often host prominent events and have community calendars on their website. Get Involved. Whether you volunteer, join a Board, young professionals group or a professional association committee, find a way to get yourself immersed with priority employers and causes. I was once hired at an organization whose Executive Director said that she noted which applicants for the job had signed up for their annual day of community service PRIOR to the job announcement and who registered AFTER. Meet Lots of People. Grab lunch, treat someone to a cup of coffee, meet at their offices no matter how many times I expound on the power of networking meetings, people resist saying it doesn t feel authentic or that they are not comfortable with it. They are actually just genuine conversations with people doing work you are interested in which is something everyone can do and is easier than you think. Meet A Few People. As you build your career, you want to find people who you have authentic relationships with who can champion you to an employer. It doesn t matter if they work there now, used to work there or just have a relationship with people there, if they know and respect you, they can help you get see by those key people you want to NOTICE you. Is your RESUME and COVER LETTER in the 5% that get NOTICED? 14

14 A recent study showed that while 90% of people think they have a good resume, recruiters say that only 5% of resumes stand out. And from the hundreds of cover letters that I ve reviewed (and often covered with red pen corrections), I m guessing that the percentage of compelling cover letters is about the same. What is it about that 5% that gets noticed? Overused buzzwords are NOT used. Instead of saying I m entrepreneurial or a problem solver or the ever popular a team player, include concrete examples in the accomplishment and professional profile section that highlight those skills. Lead with results. It s the difference between this, Developed bilingual information sessions and neighborhood meetings to recruit more parents to volunteer for Saturday tutoring program, and wowing them with this, Increased by 25% parental involvement in Saturday tutoring program through launching first ever bilingual information sessions and neighborhood evening meetings to accommodate working parents. Compelling stories. I worked with a student applying for a job at a national emergency management organization who had been a student at Tulane during Hurricane Katrina. While most of her cover letter focused on how her skills aligned to the job, she did include one line about how she served 40,000 meals as part of the relief efforts. There is no doubt that any hiring manager reading her letter would know that she had a personal connection to this issue and would bring a passion that others might lack. Your compelling story doesn t need to be as dramatic as that but provide concise, convincing stories that will make them want to bring you in for an interview to hear more! This three-zpronged approach of knowing why you are NOTICEABLE, getting others to NOTICE you and ensuring that your documents are NOTICED can shift the entire job search process. Trust me.you ll NOTICE the results! 15

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