Category Archives: professional development

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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Three Ways to Work More Deliberately


Posted by ajlovesya

I’ve become increasingly focused on having the right mindset when working.  I worry that sometimes we work without focus and deliberation.  Aside from leading us to feel unfulfilled, we also lose confidence in our skills.   We can’t pinpoint our strengths and weaknesses, as our work just seems to be a series of endless tasks.  We don’t reflect on our accomplishments and where/how we thrive and instead focus on just getting things done.  In doing so, we don’t sharpen our skills and instead allow them to become dull.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways to work more deliberately:

Solve a problem outside of work:  Seek opportunities to leverage your skills in new contexts that present new challenges.  This can be as simple as helping a friend or colleague solve a problem that is related to your work, volunteering at an organization, or starting a blog where you provide advice regularly on your area of expertise.  In each situation, the focus is on solving problems which requires you to think beyond your day to day while harnessing your talents and experiences.

Reflect regularly:  Whether it’s daily, weekly, or monthly, in a journal or online, asking yourself meaningful questions about your work can go a long way in helping you become better at what you do.  The right questions can help you zero in on what you’re good at, what challenges you face while helping you develop strategies for building up your expertise.  Michelle Martin over at Bamboo Project Blog often asks great questions and shares tips for reflection.

Join an association:  Associations provide a variety of opportunities to their members including workshops, jobs, social events, and chances to get involved in the planning and leading of the organization.  All of these activities allow you to meet people, learn, and work.  A great place to start is the local Young Nonprofit Professionals Network chapter near you.  You can also seek associations related to your field.

In and out of the office we can adopt strategies that allow us to put our professional growth at the center of our work. What other strategies would you add?

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What It Really Takes to Do What You Love


Posted by ajlovesya


The mantra of my peers is that we want to do what we love, or pursue our passions.  Unfortunately I think the way we talk about pursuing passion may actually make it more difficult to live the lives we want.

Two Problems with Passion

Passion is Seen as Sufficient

There are countless stories of people who break free from their cubicles to pursue a lifelong dream whether it is writing a novel, starting a bakery, or just freelancing.  What’s missing, though, from these stories are the risks, investments, and skills required to make these kinds of transitions.  Interested in photography?  Are you ready to make a financial investment in equipment?  Want to start a restaurant?  How will you land customers and refine your menu?  In other words, the jump from hobby to skilled professional is a big one and often, passion alone isn’t enough.

Passion is Presented as Static

One of my favorite social change awards is the Purpose Prize, which supports people over the age of 60 who are interested in launching socially minded ventures.  What I love about it are the journeys many of the awardees have taken up to the moment they land an award.  Some have been involved in social change work all of their lives or have done work that has an explicit connection to their project.  Others have had work in different industries and professions that planted a seed or sparked interest in pursuing social change work more directly.   They all share a desire to make a difference through their work yet how they arrived there varies.  When we talk about passion, unfortunately, we talk about it as if it is static—just one idea/feeling/action that will carry you throughout life as opposed to a mindset that allows you to seize meaningful opportunities as they come.

Changing the Conversation about Passion

I point out these problems not because I don’t think doing what you love is unrealistic; instead I think our portrayal of what it takes to do what you love ignores the reflection and persistence that is required.

We speak of passion the way we speak of true love: something worth pursuing, something quite lovely, but something that can’t be defined.   However, the opposite is often true; when we do what we love, we become even more focused and deliberate to ensure we are doing it well and are truly fulfilled.

So let’s change the conversation about pursuing passion.

Passion as a Mindset

What if instead of looking at passion as an end goal or something that needs to be pursued, we looked at it as a way of thinking and reflecting that allows us to enjoy various opportunities.  What if we asked:

  1. Do I feel as if I am contributing to something larger than myself?
  2. Do I feel I am leveraging my talents and time in a way that makes me feel most useful?
  3. Do I feel connected to others around me and to my work?

Passion as a Launching Pad

Additionally, knowing what we love to do is just the beginning.  When it comes time to put passion into practice we need to ask three large questions:

  1. What do I enjoy doing often?
  2. What am I willing to put the time and resources into becoming excellent at?
  3. What social need can I meet by doing what I love well?

By beginning to answer these questions we can really dig into what it means to do what we love.

What do you think?  Do we need to shift our understanding of passion and its role in our careers?

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Staying competitive in the workforce when you’re looking for work


Posted by ajlovesya

I am happy to welcome this guest post from Elizabeth Campbell, an aspiring nonprofiteer in Chicago. While my last post discussed the importance of  managing your professional development, what does this mean when you’re looking for work or are new to working?  What actions can you take or resources can you leverage to grow and stay competitve?  Elizabeth shares her thoughts below.  Be sure to add yours in the comments!

As someone who has recently graduated and joined the real world, I can tell you that staying competitive in the job market takes dedication and lots of patience.

But I will say I’m lucky. I already know for certain that I want to work in the nonprofit sector. I’m devoted to social change and building communities. I might be unemployed in a large city, but I know exactly where to look for work. I’m also keeping busy in many ways as I send out résumés and cover letters with fingers crossed.

  • Reading the local paper. In just a few weeks of reading the Chicago Tribune every day, I’ve learned so much about this town. Not only do I feel more prepared for job interviews, I also care much more deeply about this community, which helps me stay motivated.
  • Researching local organizations. In addition to applying to jobs via website such as Idealist, Opportunity Knocks, or Chicago’s NPO.net, I spend lots of time going to the websites of individual organizations I find interesting. Even if they aren’t hiring, I add them to my list of organizations to keep an eye on. I read up on their history, mission, programs and staff.
  • Reading articles, social media posts, blogs and books about nonprofits. You might have noticed by now that a lot of my time is spent reading. Online and offline, I’ve been catching up on nonprofit sector news. News sites such as Chronicle of Philanthropy, Nonprofit Quarterly, Nonprofit Times and Philanthropy Journal offer a lot of information without having to subscribe. Spending time on social networking sites like Twitter and LinkedIn lets me see not only what’s going on with other nonprofit professionals, but also what they think. It encourages conversations and connections. And, of course, catching up on sector-related books and blogs helps me feel like I know what I’m talking about to prospective employers.
  • Joining a member organization. I’ve joined YNPN-Chicago. It was free and a close friend is on the board, so I had no excuse. And so far I’ve met many other nonprofit professionals. Not only have a made some friends, I’ve gotten the opportunity to volunteer with their Programming Committee. I’m learning some new skills and having a voice in this association. 
  • Maintaining down time: crossword puzzles, reading, writing letters to friends. This is very important. Every day I make sure I do certain activities just for the enjoyment I get out of them. Especially as I wind down for the night, I love to work on the paper’s crossword puzzle, read a book just for fun (currently, it’s F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “Tender is the Night”), and writing letters to my friends scattered all over the country. It relaxes me and keeps me sane!

Staying competitive in the workforce means staying knowledgeable. But just because I can’t afford all the wonderful workshops and conferences that Chicago has to offer, doesn’t mean I can’t keep learning. Taking advantage of Web-based media and professional networking keeps me dedicated and enthusiastic. That way, when I do finally get an amazing job, I’ll hit the ground running.

In the meantime, I’ve got another cover letter to write.


Elizabeth recently earned her B.F.A. in Writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She now lives in Chicago where she’s looking for work in nonprofit administration. You may reach her online through her website, blog, Twitter and LinkedIn.


The Importance of Managing Your Professional Development


Posted by ajlovesya

I came across this article in the Wall Street Journal about the sorry state of professional development support at organizations.  While some argue that the employment gap is due to lack of skilled workers, there is also the reality that employers are no longer offering training for these positions as was once the case:

And make no mistake: There are plenty of people out there who could step into jobs with just a bit of training—even recent graduates who don’t have much job experience. Despite employers’ complaints about the education system, college students are pursuing more vocationally oriented course work than ever before, with degrees in highly specialized fields like pharmaceutical marketing and retail logistics.

Unfortunately, American companies don’t seem to do training anymore…

With an abundance of workers to choose from, employers are demanding more of job candidates than ever before. They want prospective workers to be able to fill a role right away, without any training or ramp-up time.

In other words, to get a job, you have to have that job already.

 

Michelle Martin over at the Bamboo Project Blog summarizes perfectly what this mean for employees:

We can’t just pay attention to what is needed for us to be marketable within our own organizations. We must also pay attention to what the larger market is looking for. And we need to look at how our strengths intersect with that market.

In other words with employers no longer training employees and with competition for positions rising, you must take greater ownership of your development.  This goes beyond focusing on professional development to make you a better employee at your current job.  Instead, you are obligated to focus on your field, changes in the market, and where you fit in (and where you want to fit in).

This is a radical shift from how many of us are taught to look at work.   While we’ve accepted the fact that there is no such thing is job security, with that is the reality that a job can no longer be at the center of your professional growth.  This is not to say that you cannot learn a great deal at your job or that employers are all in cahoots to drain their employees.  Indeed, there is a push to get employers to see the value of professional development.  But this does mean that ultimately the only person responsible for your growth is YOU.

Given this new reality how can we make professional development a personal priority?

Subscribe to professional development blogs:  Often times the biggest barrier to our own development is our lack of understanding how we want to develop.  What questions should you ask?  What do you value that affects the choices you make?  What resources should you pursue for professional growth?  There are several blogs that get to the heart of these questions (and also help us realize that personal and professional growth often go hand-in-hand).

Some of my favorites are: Bamboo Project Blog, White Hot Truth, and Dumb Little Man-Tips for Life  Set aside time to read them, reflect, and take action.

Build your network outside of work:  Focus not just on your field, or even your profession.  Look at your values, your interests, and your affinities as new territories for connecting with people who can expose you to new ideas, resources, and opportunities.  Again, this is where blogs come in handy as niche bloggers often have their fingers on the pulse of their subjects, so you can start by browsing alltop.com to see the top blogs in the areas you are interested in.  You can also try meetup.com, local chapters of national organizations related to your interest, alumni groups, and volunteering.

Seek inexpensive professional development resources: Of course, nothing beats refining your hard skills.  From watching webinars, to joining committees, to starting a blog, or participating in fellowships, there are many low-cost ways to strengthen your skill set.  To start, check out this list I made of professional development opportunities that you may not be aware of.

How are you making professional development a priority?

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