Whether you’ve been at your nonprofit job for 2 months or 2 years, it’s natural to wonder what the future holds. Sure this entry-level job will cut it for now, but what about next year? Don’t we all want that big, shiny promotion?
Last night, I was on the phone catching up with one of my cousins. He doesn’t work for a nonprofit, but our roles are similar enough that it’s easy for us to get lost in work chat. We eventually got onto the subject, and began opening up about the different challenges we faced that week.
He started to share a story about one of his supervisors, who I immediately remembered from a past conversation as being uniquely difficult to work with. Continue reading
For the ambitious nonprofit professional who wants to master their craft, conferences are the way to go. A conference can be a great opportunity to expand your skills, build your professional network, and learn new knowledge to propel your organization forward. As someone who personally loves learning, they really are my jam.
That said, not all conferences are made equal. And not all employers are jumping to send us there.
Last September, I set a lofty professional goal. By 2018, I would get my Salesforce Admin certificate.
For background, I was hired to support our nonprofit constituents by being a face for our organization. My 3+ years of database experience would be helpful, but I accepted this role because it wasn’t that. It was a chance to be external-facing and build relationships, something brand new to me. Salesforce wasn’t part of the equation.
That lasted for about 6 months.
If there’s one thing I can count on about this season, it’s the fact that it flies by every single year. Seriously, where did August go?
But this is not the time to lament the end of summer and long days at the beach; after all, who doesn’t love the fall?! Continue reading
I never planned to learn Excel. It sort of happened by accident.
At the end of my junior year of college, I was accepted into an internship program that placed me at a major nonprofit organization. Since the program was best known for its banking internships, every participant had to complete an Excel course as part of our training. I set aside one day after finals to walk through the modules, opened up my laptop, and got to work.
Things haven’t been the same since. Continue reading
I can clearly remember the times in my adult life when I felt stuck and unsure of what to do next. It happened during my senior year of college while on the job hunt, and then again a few years later when I decided to change course in my career. There were even moments in between, where personal and professional concerns overlapped all at once (and yes, I’m still working on those).
I’m going to bet that you’ve felt stuck at some point too – because the feeling is a frustrating but very normal occurrence. Continue reading