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.