Author Archives: ajlovesya

Three Powerful Career Questions from Google


Posted by ajlovesya

I recently came across this article on the secret to landing a job at Google. Applicants go through rounds of interviews with a variety of seemingly odd questions. Yet while the questions may appear unconnected, Google is really trying to gauge the following:

(1) whether you know your field of expertise;
(2) whether you can apply what you know in an unfamiliar context; and
(3) whether you can make “creative” leaps to arrive at a solution.

These three characteristics of their ideal employee struck me as characteristics we all should be developing as we navigate our careers and lead in the nonprofit sector.

1. Do you know your field?

Who are the key people and organizations? What are some big issues or policies on the table that affect your cause? How do the people you serve understand your cause? Beyond your cause there is also your profession. What are some best practices in fundraising? What key texts are useful in designing curriculum?

However, developing expertise isnt just a matter of reading and learning (which are important). It is also about connecting with others, exposing yourself to new opportunities, and putting what you learn into practice. Which brings us to the next question:

2. Can you apply what you know in different contexts?

I’ve recommended working on projects outside of work to keep your skills sharp. This is because knowledge isnt just developed in a vacuum; it is affected by the environments we work in as well. Exposing yourself to new challenges exposes the gaps in skill set while allowing you to hone in on what you’re really good at.

3. Can you make decisions without all of the information at hand?

As I assume more responsibility at my current organization, I find myself in this situation quite a bit. However, I find that rarely am I completely in the dark: I have my experiences and expertise to help guide me as well as an understanding of the context. This is often enough to help me make thoughtful decisions.  So the question really is how do you leverage what you DO know to solve a problem?

What I love about these questions is that in reflecting on them I get a better sense of where I am professionally: what skills and knowledge I have and what I need to build on.

What do you think of these questions from Google?

 


My favorite nonprofit career clarity activity


Posted by ajlovesya

“I want to help people, but I don’t know where to start.”
“I don’t know what I’m good at or what I’m passionate about.”
“How do I really know what the right job is for me?”

While the mantra of our generation might be “do what you love” we often struggle with a. figuring out what we love (passion) and b. gaining the skills necessary to be excellent in what we love (practice).

So when I get emails asking for clarity, I often recommend the Career Tracks Activity (PDF) by The Office of Career Services of New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service.  I did this activity a few years ago while a fellow in the NYU Wagner Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service and found it incredibly helpful. In this activity, you gather at least 50 job opportunities that appeal to you on at least one of two levels: you like the organization or you like the job itself. Don’t pay attention to location or education, just focus on those two categories.

Next sort through the job opportunities, looking for patterns. Is there an issue or cause that resonates with you? Maybe you like the size/type of organization–small and entrepreneurial or larger and more established? Is there a department you like? Fundraising? Communications? Outreach? Or maybe there is a location you find most appealing, say in an urban or rural area?

After sorting, you create at least one but no more than five career tracks around attributes that have the most meaning to you–for example: cause, department, location, etc. Chapter 3 in Idealist.org’s Career Guide for First Time Job Seekers provides a great breakdown of building career tracks, as well as other questions to ask yourself when searching for your first job.

Why I love this activity:

1. It starts from a place of what’s available: Sometimes, our passions can be disconnected from what it takes to land a job and thrive in the workplace.  This activity helps ground us in our job search beyond what we simply enjoy.

2. It exposes you to different opportunities: Often times our understanding of jobs is very narrow. There is more to work than being a teacher, doctor, lawyer, or writer.  In fact, there are jobs today that didn’t exist just a few years ago. 

3.  It helps you plan your next steps:  Is there certain education or training you need?  Do you have a particular skill set that seems to be in demand?  Are most of the jobs you want focused in certain areas? By honing on patterns that are rooted in what’s happening in the workforce, you can better plan your moves.

Have you done this activity before? What are your thoughts?

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Why Your College Major Doesn’t Matter


Posted by ajlovesya

With only 55% of millennials employed–the lowest percentage since World War II–there is a pressing need to pinpoint the reason behind this depressing statistic.  After all, with this generation being the most educated, surely we all should be able to find employment, no matter what the economy is.  The consensus seems to be that if millennials are struggling, there is one reason: they don’t know how to choose the right college major.

It makes sense to me that professional track majors would yield higher employment statistics as there is often a clear path and clear opportunities.  This does not mean that those who chose liberal arts majors are doomed and I think the focus on college majors reinforces problematic thinking around careers:

1.  It implies that careers are linear. There are jobs today that didn’t exist years ago.  As a result of the weakening economy, we’ve realized that there is no such thing as economic security, prompting the rise of slash careers and side hustles.   In other words, the market is different and the older approach of school –> job –> career simply doesn’t apply any more.    This is especially true if you are interested in public service careers where a linear path never really existed.

2.  It reduces college to job training.  I majored in sociology and that is a small component of my college experience. I took some fabulous courses–some in subjects I was just curious about.  I spent nine months in South Africa.  I started blogging.  I had great internships.  I grew my network.  I created an experience that simply made me interesting and more competitive.  And this is the beauty of college.  I don’t think it’s a coincidence that many leaders across sectors–from Wendy Kopp to Mark Zuckerberg–started their innovative, groundbreaking businesses in college.  In college you have choices and can build yourself up in a way that’s not always possible outside of the ivory tower.

3.  It ignores the importance of excellence and self-determination (and implies that jobs are given, not earned):  Excellence and self-determination are key no matter where you are in your career, however they are especially important when you are just starting out.  No matter what you do, do it well, and do it with purpose.  Very few of us know exactly what we want to do when we graduate from college, yet you can still put your best efforts into your work and reflect on the skills, networks, and opportunities you have now earned as a result of that work.

So instead of harping on majors, why don’t we focus on integrating stellar career support programs into colleges?  Why don’t we expose people to opportunities and encourage them to act on these possibilities?

In the end, the career killers are lack of self-awareness and mediocrity, not the wrong degree.


5 Questions to Help You Create Your 2012 Nonprofit Career Plan


Posted by ajlovesya

On Wednesday, Rosetta Thurman and I hosted our first #ynpchat of the year on creating a 2012 nonprofit career plan.  The questions, adapted from Rosetta’s powerful piece on the 15 questions you should ask about your nonprofit career, strengthened our sense of pride in our work and allowed us to walk away with a better vision and strategy on how to rock our careers in 2012.

 

1.  What do you most want to get out of your involvement with the nonprofit sector?  In other words, why are you here? What are you hoping to learn and do that will help you grow professionally and personally?

 

2.  What accomplishments in your nonprofit career were you most proud of in 2011?  I must say that the responses to this questions blew me away.  From raising money, to implementing new programs, to finding our voice in the sector,  we clearly have done a lot of good for ourselves and others.  Yet so often, we are quiet about the work we do, thinking that to focus on accomplishments is taking attention away from the problems we may be addressing.  Yet the reality is, if we dont celebrate what we do, nobody else will and our accomplishments often lead to more interest in our work.   So let your light shine, people!  My challenge to participants: do you have a portfolio of your accomplishments?

 

3.  What opportunities do you want to take advantage of in 2012 to grow your leadership and further your nonprofit career? This question essentially has two parts 1. Understanding how you would like to grow and 2. identifying those opportunities that would aid in your growth. In reflecting on your accomplishments and your reasons for choosing your work, it’s easier to think about how you’d like to grow and seek programs, events, or other opportunities that would help you.

 

4.  What’s ONE step you can take in the next 30 days to make progress on your 2012 career goals?  I don’t know about you, but it’s so easy for me to make a list of my goals then walk away hoping they get done.  30 days to take one step makes progress actionable and manageable.

 

5.  Given your 2012 career goals, what’s your ONE-WORD theme to guide your work for the year?  VISION.   FOCUS. CREATIVITY.  DISCIPLINE.  My personal favorite: STRENGTHEN.  Thinking of the previous questions, what  word embodies your success, your ambitions, and your plans?

 

This was one of the most exciting chats we’ve hosted and proved to be a great way to kick of the new year.  Didn’t participate in the chat?  Check out the responses on twitter.  You can also share your thoughts below, on facebook, or tweet your responses using the#ynpchat hashtag so we can keep the conversation going.  And be sure to join us Wednesday, February 1, 12PM-1PM EST for the next chat!

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What did 2011 teach you?


Posted by ajlovesya

This is my favorite time of year. People are reflecting and sharing excitement about possibilities and growth. There is simply a lot of positivity and promise in the air.

2011 seemed to be a year of transitions and lessons for me and those I love: my five year college reunion is coming up (five years? already?); my mailbox was full of wedding invitations; my calendar was overflowing with good bye parties as friends went off to grad school; I celebrated big professional wins and took the plunge into GRE prep; and I have a neat stack of failed projects and squandered opportunities that I look at occasionally as a reminder that while mistakes are inevitable, the world wont come crashing down. I’m also celebrating my fourth year of blogging and my birthday–milestones that make it easy for me to track my growth and encourage me to plan for my future.

While the changes seemed to come fast and suddenly, they also signal a general movement towards a better understanding of who I am and what I value. I realize that I have everything I need to create the professional and personal experiences I desire. My focus now is on  nurturing and leveraging–people, ideas, skills, work–instead of just adding, in order to move forward.

Here’s to being more deliberate and more focused; to saying no in order to get to yes; to prioritizing; to being grateful; and to making mistakes.

What did 2011 teach you?