Juggling Prospects

Tomorrow marks the eight week anniversary of my job “consolidation,” a two month period marked mostly by frustration, inactivity and occasional bouts of self-pity. All of a sudden, however, the flood gates have opened and I’ve been besieged by job prospects from all angles.

(Quick tangent: shouldn’t we have a better word than “anniversary” to mark the time elapsed since something bad happened? The word anniversary has a positive connotation, but losing one’s job is far from a good thing. Perhaps “shamiversary”? Maybe “dreadaversary”? Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves.)

I’m not complaining about my sudden good fortune, but where I recently felt starved for employment options, I’m now trying to juggle multiple balls without letting one drop. And while no one has made me an offer yet, instead of being elated about one opportunity, I’m now trying to rank my prospects and determine exactly which is best. Sure, it’s a good problem to have…but it’s still a problem.

Let’s examine the contenders, shall we?

Prospect #1 – the agency that had to cancel several first interviews because the executive director was stuck in New York. My second interview was scheduled for Friday, but 24 hours before, I received an assignment that seemed overwhelming. In order to test my fundraising acumen, I was told to imagine that I had 24 hours to prepare for an opportunity to meet two high-level CEOs who represented funding prospects. I had to deliver a 10-minute pitch and prepare supporting documents that spoke to the agency, its mission and its case for support. I also had to generate a complete budget. These tasks would be difficult enough had I enjoyed a long employment tenure and a full understanding of the agency, but I had to rely on the (mis)information on the agency’s website. Fourteen hours of prep work later, I completed my assignment, got a few hours sleep, then met with the executive director and a Board Member. I may not get the job, but it’s hard for me to imagine any other candidate spent more time or produced better results on his or her assignment.

Prospect #2 – the north shore community museum at which I had an interview two weeks ago. Less than an hour after returning from my second interview with the New York agency, the museum director called to set up a second interview too. I am to meet with one of their Board Members later this week.

Prospect #3 – the local private school. Maybe I’m putting the cart before the horse, but I killed it in my phone interview with the “Development Director Search Task Force” and am optimistically expecting an invitation to interview in person next week.

Prospect #4 – the new contender. As I was preparing today’s lunch, I received a call from a national health foundation who wants someone to oversee their comprehensive development portfolio. Interestingly enough, the job title is only “Associate,” but the required experience and attached salary are firmly in line with what I expect.

That’s just four contenders, but the crazy thing is that I applied to all four of these jobs in early February. What if, contrary to my fears, my resume actually does resonate with prospective employers and I start to get calls based on the jobs I applied to in late February and all of March? I mean, there are potential red flags associated with all of the prospects above; does an almost unrealistic interview assignment mean working at prospect #1 would be a sea of unrealistic expectations? Is there enough of a scope for prospect #2’s mission that I could actually succeed and grow in the role? Am I being blinded by the idea of free tuition for children years away from conception that I’m placing too lofty a status on prospect #3? If I choose to accept the position, does prospect #4’s entry-level title set me back career-wise?

It’s funny how far I’ve come in eight weeks and I wouldn’t wish the highs and lows of the job search process on anyone. Well, maybe the highs…but you know what I mean. Any advice, people? Am I making things too complicated? Should I just be happy if/when one acceptable offer comes in?

Interview Blues

I just wrapped up with the “Development Director Search Task Force,” which, despite the overly bureaucratic name, ran an organized and efficient telephone interview. The job is with a local private and progressive school, a workplace where collaboration and enthusiasm seem to be ideals held on par with experience and valued far more than individuality. I’d like to think they responded extremely favorably to my answers, but as always, there’s a distinct possibility that I totally misread the situation and the Task Force hung up the phone and collectively said, “Well that was a huge waste of time.”

You know, because I get that a lot.

The only negative about today’s interview was the speed of their hiring process. The director talked about in-person interviews not starting until mid-April, with the Development Director to “begin in the summer.” At best that means June 11 – the last day of the school year. But what if they mean July or August? Ugh. Things could get ugly at home (and in my bank account) if my search takes that long.

I still have Friday’s second interview to think about…even though I don’t yet have a confirmed time, location or even city. But hey, a second interview is a second interview…right?

I applied to even more jobs today – a task I’m finding more and more mind-numbing and depressing. But every time I feel like I’ve sent off as many resumes as humanly possible, I remember that I like fancy things and a job is the best way to ensure I can continue living the lifestyle to which I’ve grown accustomed. If only I were more bohemian…

Madness Intrudes

You likely have been wondering what happened to the blog. Either that, or you forgot about me and my narcissistic musings. But I’m going to go with wonder…and now I’ll fill you in on the past week.

Last Tuesday I took advantage of the brilliant early Spring weather and played nine holes of golf – one of the rare conveniences afforded to a man with an abundance of free time like myself. Thursday and Friday I did something I hadn’t done since college – I spent two straight days inside bars watching the NCAA tournament, drinking, gambling, eating horribly and, in general, being a buffoon. It was awesome.

But now that all but 16 teams have been eliminated and the rest of the western world is back at work, I find myself back here blogging. This week is shaping up to be a busy one; I have a phone interview tomorrow (with a nearby progressive and independent K-12 school), a second interview on Friday (that may or may not be out of town) and I hope to hear back from the agency with which I had a great first interview last week. Oh, and there are plenty of new jobs to apply to as well.

I will, of course, keep you updated on any developments and promise to avoid all college basketball. Well…at least until Thursday.

Could this be Good News or Did I Stumble Across the Wrong Blog?

Distance Traveled to Date: 3.10 Miles

Today’s post was meant to be titled “Back to Work” -- a tease for the seven hours of manual labor I did on Saturday helping the Future Missus execute an office event, and earning me $70 more than I had earned the previous six weeks. Then…something happened. More accurately, multiple things happened…but something good happened. In fact, TWO good somethings happened!

I should have asked if you were sitting down. Sorry for any coronaries caused and/or liquid spit out.

At the end of last week I was called by the director of a North Shore community museum. I had applied for their vacancy in the first week of February, but she told me they had just started interviewing candidates and asked me to come in Monday (today). From the job description, I inferred a large part of the role would be to launch a capital campaign, so I spent the weekend researching a type of fundraising I had read about but never directly managed.

Sure enough, the capital campaign questions came at me from all angles…and I was prepared for each and every one of them! I even prepared an answer for my nemesis question – “What would be the first thing you do on the job (to launch our capital campaign)?” And, if I may modestly say, I effing nailed it. Not just the question, but the entire interview. Maybe I’m getting better at these things the more interviews I’m on – or maybe it was just a desperation Hail Mary – but I was “on” like I’ve never been before.

Smug and satisfied, I treated myself to Chipotle on the way home. And while that was awesome, it was not the second good thing I teased above. No, the second good thing was a first: my first second interview!

That agency that rescheduled our interview several times? The executive director flying in from New York? The meeting, as explained above, in which I feared my answers were too general and not specific enough? They want to meet with me next week – an interview I think will be in New York!

So yeah, I’m pretty excited right now and struggling for the appropriate words to end this post. That’s why I’ll leave it to one of the masters; as William Butler Yates once simply wrote, “Today was a good day.”

Or was that Ice Cube? I always get them confused…

Procrastination Nation

Distance Traveled to Date: 3.10 Miles

I woke up this morning fully prepared to get back on the elliptical and reinvest myself in personal fitness. That didn’t happen…but I did film a YouTube video this afternoon, so the day’s not a total loss.

Since I researched and applied to so many jobs yesterday, there wasn’t much for me to do today on the employment front, however, I got a call from an agency to which I applied back on February 5. I briefly chatted with the executive director and was invited to interview with her and the Board Development chair on Monday! Now I just have to cram on capital campaigns – a part of fundraising with which I’m familiar, but have never had direct experience.

Tomorrow will be a day occupied with a lot of studying, a good deal of researching, and if I know myself at all, a fair amount of workout procrastinating. Why mess up a good thing, right?

Back to the Grind

Distance Traveled to Date: 3.10 Miles

A night of binge drinking behind me, I’m resolved to get back on track with my employment mission. But what a night of drinking it was…Uncle Pete, you would have been proud: wine, vodka and Chinese food is, as you told me frequently, a recipe for good times.

OK, I confess. I don’t have an Uncle Pete. But I do have a liver that aged two years in a few glorious hours last night, so cut me some slack.

I spent the better part of this afternoon researching job leads, hitting the usual suspects (Career Builder, Monster, Indeed), industry-specific sites (Association of Fundraising Professionals, npo.net) and even stumbling across some I had never heard of before (ParetoCentral.com anyone?). In all, I applied for ten new jobs – a fairly substantial accomplishment when you’re looking for work in this economy…but one that still seems like it should be a modest daily objective if you’re a member of the blissfully ignorant sect of the population I like to call “gainfully employed.”

So I was feeling pretty good about myself…and then I found it. A typo. On my resume. Good lord, is there anything I can’t screw up?

Sure it was just a misplaced apostrophe, but you would have thought that someone (myself, any of the friends or family who have looked it over, the career counselor I met last week, ANYONE) would have brought it to my attention. But alas, they didn’t. And my alleged professional communication skills are now reasonably doubted by any future employer. As if my talents weren’t disputable before…

The misplaced apostrophe has since been put in its proper location. Now I just have to find what’s left of my dignity from where it’s hiding…in a near-empty bottle of Ketel One.

The Ahmadinejad (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Lay a Bomb)

Distance Traveled to Date: 3.10 Miles

As if posting the words “Ahmadinejad” and “bomb” in the same line wasn’t enough to draw scrutiny from the Department of Homeland Security, I have bigger worries: I am still unemployed…and I’m fairly confident I won’t be getting the job for which I interviewed today.

Let’s back up a few steps. Yesterday I wrote about my lunch meeting and asked blog readership about the appropriate attire for a lunchtime job interview at a beer and burger joint. The response (both in blog comments and real life) was overwhelming: go with “The Ahmadinejad” – a nice suit without a tie. I’d love to blame your collectively poor wardrobe recommendation for not getting yet another job, but the truth is that it’s not you…it’s me.

Despite an online job description that seemed perfectly tailored to my fundraising expertise, I learned early in today’s conversation that the executive director was looking for a seasoned event and volunteer management professional to fill the vacancy. While I have some experience in this area, my experience falls far short of what is desired from their new hire. While the executive director didn’t go so far as to say that I’m eliminated as a candidate, she did attempt to gauge my interest for a more junior level position – a position (if my cyber-stalking is accurate) currently filled by 2008 college graduate. Ouch.

It’s not a total loss. I mean, I had great chemistry with the executive director and there’s no real harm in cultivating professional relationships. And, I may know a great person to fill the open position (even if it’s not me). It’s just that none of these silver linings is much consolation to me now. Jobless. Frustrated. Increasingly fearful that my unemployment status may carry on far longer than I had hoped.

Clearly, I’m not giving up…and unlike my post a few weeks ago, I’m not throwing myself a pity party. I still have two prospects for second interviews, as well as another dozen job leads to which I plan to apply. I will get to the top of this mountain…there just may be a long climb ahead of me.

I’ve Got Questions

Distance Traveled to Date: 3.10 Miles

When we last left off, I had teased two topics for my next post…and because I promised an explanation of said topics on Friday, you likely had a restless weekend imagining what bombshells I had in store for you. Or, you completely forgot about me and lived your life.

Nah…

Anyway, the agency I interviewed with on Thursday told me that they were meeting candidates all day (there was one more interview after mine scheduled for 4pm) and hoped to narrow the field to two or three finalists. The next round of interviews would be held in New York, involve select members of their Board of Directors and include a high-level skills test. A test? What does that mean?

No really…I want to know. What does that mean?

My second tease was about a lead I’ve cultivated for a job at an agency at which I had met a couple of key decision makers in the past. Last week, I saw a new job posting for this agency. Back in the Fall of 2007, I had lunch with the executive director and coffee (for two hours) with the chairman of the board. They didn’t hire me at the time, choosing instead to take on a more junior candidate at a much lower salary. There were no hard feelings, and so when I saw the new job (and it’s very attractive salary) I shot off an e-mail to the executive director informing her of my interest and plans to apply formally through their search firm.

Almost immediately, the executive director e-mailed me back, said she did remember me and asked if I was available to meet with her within the next few days! Ironically, later I received an e-mail from the search firm thanking me for my interest and promising to be in touch if my background and experiences matches the specifications of their client. Ha! So I’m having lunch tomorrow with the executive director…and I hope to hear about next steps for the New York job and a separate Chicago job later this week. How’s that for plate spinning?

Besides the questions about a “test,” I have one more query for you knowledgeable and fashionable readers: what does one wear to a meeting/interview at a downtown burger and beer lunch spot? Do I go full suit and tie, suit without a tie (aka the “Ahmadinejad”) or do I dare try something even more casual to better match the setting? Get fierce, friends; I need your advice to ensure there’s no wardrobe malfunction.

Interview Day

Distance Traveled to Date: 3.10 Miles

Today was the big day – my thrice canceled interview was finally happening. The sun was shining and there were no reported arrival delays at Chicago’s airports. Perhaps in shock that the long-delayed meeting was finally happening, my body responded this morning by doing the only thing it could do to combat such anxiety – my bowels worked overtime.

My case of the runs notwithstanding, the interview went fairly-to-very well. During the 90 minutes I sat with the New York-based executive director and the Chicago office director, I answered most questions with a modest amount of elegance and clarity. I aced my response about the agency’s history (has the candidate researched us?), I deftly avoided landmines when asked to critique their website (is the candidate able to offer subtle and constructive criticism?) and I ably identified their chief competitors and offered my take on how I’d frame the mission to a prospective funder (does the candidate understand our industry?). In fact, the only query to which my response was less than ideal (at least, that’s the was I perceived it due to their reactions) was about the specific actions I'd take to build corporate sponsorship efforts at their annual golf event.

Here’s the thing: you can prepare for an interview all you want, but I never like to promise one course of action before I truly understand the company, its past activities and its future goals. I know some people are confident enough to sit down with a stranger and say they will do X, Y and Z (not literally, of course. If you said "I’ll do X, Y and Z," you’re likely to be met with incredulous stares). But I never like to position myself as an expert when talking to actual experts. I tried to be vague and talk about needing to learn the specifics about the agency and all its constituencies before I approach them…but I think they wanted more. Oh well…I can sleep at night if I don’t get this job because I refused to make promises I couldn’t guarantee.

My question to you, dear readers, is what would you have said? This isn’t the first time I’ve faced this question in a job interview and I’m always skeptical about my response. Is it better to talk a big game and propose actions that you may later need to retract? Should confidence outweigh prudence? Does my so-called substantial expertise mean I really know the answers to questions I don’t fully understand?

I’m truly interested in your feedback. Please comment below and/or on this blog’s Facebook page.

Since I’m already running a little long, I’ll tease two tidbits for tomorrow’s post: first, the interesting next steps in the interview/hiring process for this job, as well as a new lead for a position at an agency with which I’ve had some interview experience in the past. Maybe it won’t be compelling reading…but it won’t suck either.

Or it will. Whatever.

‘Happy’ Anniversary to Me

Distance Traveled to Date: 3.10 Miles

Groundhog Day – it’s not just Bill Murray’s third best movie…it’s also the date – one month ago today – of my unfortunate job “consolidation.” Wow, the time flew by, didn’t it? Stupid February…first Black History gets stuck with the shortest month, then me.

As promised, I tried to think of a clever way to celebrate my jobless anniversary…but if you know me well (or have read at least two of my blog posts), you’d know that clever and I don’t often cross paths. I’d assume you would be disappointed…but my (lack of) progress on the elliptical should have prepared you for my inevitable failure to live up to expectations.

Sorry.

In lieu of a grand celebratory gesture, I want to again thank everyone who has reached out to me in the past month to offer their sympathy (many of you), advice (some of you) or cash considerations (none of you). When life throws hurdles at us, it’s always easier to have faith in a better future with the help and support of our friends and families. Despite my unemployment, I don’t know if I’ve ever felt more blessed than I have in the past month. Thank you all.

And now, let us pray…that we’re not all here again to celebrate another anniversary one month from today.

When it Rains, it Snows

Distance Traveled to Date: 3.10 Miles

When I last posted, I was pessimistic that a thrice-rescheduled job interview would actually take place on Friday. Guess what? It didn’t.

Another severe winter storm caused all flights out of New York to be canceled last Thursday evening and Friday morning, so the interviewer had to again postpone. I’ve been told that she is traveling to Seattle today and will fly from there to Chicago on Thursday, with our meeting now set for 2:30 Thursday afternoon. Which I suppose is a long-winded way of saying…my Pacific Northwest friends should expect to be inundated with bad weather and/or a natural disaster in a few days. Sorry, I don’t make the rules…that’s just how it is.

Today I met with a career counselor recommended by my future father-in-law, and despite my skepticism for her industry, I think I got some solid tips. I have updated my resume and LinkedIn page and have a better overall perspective on the inner dynamics of how applicants are sorted and ranked by Human Resources filters within large companies. Overall, it was as worthwhile a use of my time as anything I’ve done since Hands Across America. Or at least, since Fox reality Channel aired a marathon of the original “Paradise Hotel.”

In other news, tomorrow marks the one month anniversary of my inconvenient unemployment. In case you’re looking for a gift, the one month jobless milestone is known as the “cash anniversary;” feel free to send me money…or hire me. You know, whichever is more convenient for you.

I’ll try to devise a fun way to celebrate my depressing anniversary in tomorrow’s post, but your ideas are always appreciated as well. Have I mentioned that you can comment at the bottom of each post? Why are more of you not taking this glorious opportunity to have your words read by my tens and tens of loyal readers?