Disclaimer: this is not my cat. If I had party hats at home, I would post a picture of my own cat wearing a party hat. Why? I got a job offer!

I was in the middle of writing a blog post about how my original timeline was naively optimistic. Back in March, I hoped I’d move from applications to a job offer in three months or less (patience is not my strong suit). As of a week ago, my few promising opportunities seemed to be fizzling and it began to look like I would need to start my search over from scratch.

Then, one magical day, I received a reference request. And a few days later, I got the job offer.

Things to consider before you accept

As relieved as I was, I took some time to think carefully about the offer before giving a response. If you find yourself in a similar situation (congrats!), here are some factors that you may want to consider:

• Salary offered (specifically if, like me, you’re new to a city – how does the cost of living add up now?)
• Whether the benefits package suits your life situation
• Whether the position offered is in line with your chosen career path
• The organizational culture; after your interviews, can you really see yourself working successfully with your potential colleagues?
• Day to day details such as the work itself, the commute, the schedule, etc.

Only you can decide whether the offer truly fits your needs and your circumstances – and whether you want to join the organization at all. If you feel that any part of your offer warrants discussion, speak up! I’m not a negotiation expert, so if you need tips, take a look at the Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers for First-time Job Seekers, specifically the chapter entitled Closing the deal: Understanding benefits and the art of negotiation.

If you end up accepting (like I eventually did), congratulations!

Still searching?

I know a lot of you out there are still searching Idealist and other job boards daily and trying hard to find work. Thank you to everyone who’s followed along with this series – your cheers, constructive criticism, and honest advice were invaluable.

I received 52 comments and emails in response to this series. Of those, 17 of you mentioned the emotional toll of the job search (“frustrating,” “burnt out,” “discouraging,” etc.), and 24 of you shared words of encouragement (with me or with fellow commenters). So if you’re struggling through the job search, I hope you’ll consider that as evidence that you’re not alone! Find people to talk to; find a group to volunteer with; heck, maybe start writing a blog. I wish you the best of luck.

Signing off for now

As for me, I’m on to my next professional adventure. My first day is in two weeks! I’d like to offer a heartfelt thank you to the team at Idealist for letting my share my journey here. Here’s the whole series:

The job search begins

The applications continue…

The first job interview

Learn from my job search mistakes

Hi, everyone. I’m Julia Smith and I’ve been lucky to edit this blog over the past few years, working with our team to shed light on everything from idea-sharing potlucks to New Year’s resolutions for job seekers to tips for making the most of any conference you attend. Now it’s time for me to hand over the reins, and I’m thrilled to welcome Allison Jones,  a longtime member of our community and one of the newest members of our staff. Read on to meet the communications champ who will be bringing you all kinds of blog goodness from now on!

Q. When did you first know you wanted to have a career with social impact? Is there a moment in your life you can pinpoint?

A. In high school I lived in a poor part of Brooklyn but attended school in a wealthy part of Brooklyn. The differences were shocking and upsetting; who knew the impact a zip code could have on someone’s opportunities? I loved my time in school yet always thought, “Why can’t my brothers and sisters at home have this too?” And so began my commitment to education equality.

Q. Almost all of your jobs have been at nonprofits, right? What have you found most challenging and most rewarding about working in the nonprofit sector?

A. Yep (aside from an after-school gig I had in high school where I worked in the home office of a retired investment banker!). I have been a nonprofiteer for much of my career. I arrived at the sector by cause: I have always been passionate about education equality and this passion somewhat naturally led me to the nonprofit sector. I stayed in the sector because of community: nothing beats having a network of nonprofit geeks and folks audacious enough to think they can change the world.

I am also excited by the changes in the sector. There is so much movement and conversation around what change looks like, what role nonprofits play in facilitating that change, and the potential of cross-sector work to bring that change to life.

Q. Do you remember when you first set up your old blog, Entry Level Living? What prompted that and how did it feel to click “publish” on your first post?

A. I started Entry Level Living because I wanted to write about my experiences as a nonprofit newbie.  It was exciting but I honestly didn’t think anyone would read it. I had been blogging on LiveJournal and Yahoo!360 (service was shut down a few years ago – am I dating myself?) and the communities I built there were mainly of classmates and other casual/personal bloggers. I assumed my current blog would be the same thing; to be honest I was (and still am!) surprised by its growth since I started in 2007.

Q. Your blog has morphed over the years and is no longer quite so “entry level.” Can you share a little about how and when you decided to rebrand?

A. When Rosetta Thurman and Trista Harris were writing their book How to be a Nonprofit Rockstar they wanted to include my blog and a post I had written. When they checked in to confirm how my blog and name should be credited, it dawned on me that while I was sharing advice on starting a career, I wanted my blog to reflect my professional growth; I wasn’t entry level anymore and had a growing network of peers which lead to a variety of experiences in what it means to make a difference. I didn’t want a huge departure from my original approach but I did want to tighten up my writing and vision, hence my tagline “Helping Millennials put their passions into practice.” Although simple, it acts as a launching pad when producing content. Some of the most popular posts since then have covered the role of college in your career, social entrepreneurship, and nitty gritty job searching tips.

Q. In this new role at Idealist you’re going to be eating and breathing a lot of online networking. Can you share one of your social media “lightbulb moments”?

A. I have had many lightbulb moments, most of them offline, in particular working with parents and students in schools. My work in education has taught me the importance of the phrase “meet people where they are.” Though the phrase is often used to encourage people to adopt social media to connect with new staff, donors, allies, and organizations, it is really reminding us to put people first and to communicate with them on their terms, online and offline.

Q. What made you decide to apply for this job? What are you most excited about now that orientation is underway?

A. [Idealist's Executive Director] Ami once called me an “accidental techie”: I kind of fell into social media and technology through my love of blogging and the excitement I feel from connecting with people and learning about the world around me. But there is something amazing about being able to focus intently on how social media and tech are being used to make the world a better place and being able to throw myself into that conversation. And I just love Idealist.org. Seriously – the service it provides, the message it sends, and its plan for world domination really appeal to me. Plus, I truly believe that writing and editing are art forms. You can make magic happen with words.

—

See why we feel lucky to have Allison on board? Leave a comment below to welcome her! She’ll also be the human behind our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest accounts, so feel free to introduce yourself.

A member of the Idealist team offers a personal reflection for Mother’s Day.

I’m a new mom to a daughter named Hattie who has the most irresistible cheeks. During my three months of parental leave—yes, Idealist is an awesome place to work—I got to kiss, nibble, and lightly squeeze those cheeks all day long. As our twelve weeks drew to a close, I grappled with the internal conflict so many professional moms experience: How would my relationship with Hattie change once I returned to the office? Did I have it in me to not look at the pictures on her Facebook page (yes, we’re those parents) every second? How was I going to balance working, taking care of a baby, and maintaining a sense of self?

So I did what most people do these days when they need guidance: I Googled. The stories of working moms ran the gamut, but guilt was a central theme, as was the expectation that I was going to do neither job well. I had to shut my computer off. Ultimately, my manager and I agreed that it would make sense for me to return to work part-time. I figured I’d slip right back in and pick up where I’d left off a few months earlier.

Not so much. I’ve of course encountered challenges since returning:

• I spend a lot of my day in a room by myself pumping breast milk. Just saying the word “pump” makes me cringe.
• I get anxious knowing I need to rush home and relieve Hattie’s caregivers. This makes scheduling meetings difficult and Friday happy hour not-so-happy.
• I’m not quite a stay-at-home mom or a full-time employee. At times, I feel alienated in both worlds. I don’t get all the inside jokes at the office, nor can I fully commiserate with parents at the playground.
• I continually play hide and seek with sleep, and I’m spacy when I’ve spent the night pleading with Hattie to go back to bed. Thank goodness Portland is a coffee town.
• I find myself checking my inbox from the rocking chair on my days off. Not fair to my coworkers, who receive half-baked emails, or to Hattie.

It’s not easy.

But there are lots of benefits.  Here’s why I think being a mom has made me a better employee:

• New perspective. A few months away was just the thing I needed for clarity on a huge project I’ve been working on. The distance allowed my ideas to simmer without other distractions, and I came back renewed and more enthusiastic than before.

• More patience. I’ve learned to take calm breaths when Hattie fights her naps, when we’re out the door and she needs a diaper change, and when she’s uncomfortable in her car seat on a long ride. I notice I’m less antsy in the office now; so what if that person hasn’t emailed me back yet?

• Time management mastery. Because I only have a few days a week to answer emails, write blog posts, and brainstorm a new website feature, I make sure every minute counts. This means limiting my time talking about weird celebrity trends at the lunch table and not allowing myself to read every single article, blog, tweet, etc. Some things I just don’t need to know about.

• Ability to juggle roles. At home I’m a mom, wife, event planner, baby entertainer, (lousy) cook, and writer. At any moment I have a million different things to think about and do. So you need me to prepare an internship description and give colleagues their bus passes and choose blinds for our new office? You got it.

• Deeper appreciation. Maybe it’s the hormones, but having a baby has made me more receptive to the world. I’m grateful for managers who are empathetic and gracious, for co-workers who are kind and witty, and for the understanding Idealist community on days when I’m not at my best.

All in all, it’s a daily balancing act. Some days Chaos and I bring out the best in each other; other days we’re enemies who can’t seem to find a compromise. I’m learning to make peace with the fact that there is no such thing as true balance, to accept that things shift all the time.

What about you? Has parenting changed the way you approach your work? How do you balance everything? Leave a comment below to share your story.

In the beginning of November I gave birth to my daughter Hattie. For the past three months, I’ve been knee deep in miniature clothing, parenting blogs, and really, really bad TV that helps me get through those long nights.

Now I’m back at Idealist. And while I miss talking in a high-pitched voice on a daily basis, I’m excited to again have adult conversations, think about social innovation, and revive the Idea File.

From our first Idea File post in April 2010:

I’ve missed you, dear Idealists, and all of your good ideas that make this world we live in better. After all, it’s ideas like Question Box and Failfaire and Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls that will impact Hattie as she grows up.

So tell me: What ideas of late have inspired you to Facebook, tweet, pin to Pinterest, tell everyone you know about them, and more? We’d love to help spread them on our blog.

Our founder, Ami Dar, recently gave a commencement address to the 2011 graduates of the City University of New York’s School of Professional Studies.

It was a special day for Ami – his first graduation of any kind. From the time he was three, Ami says, “my mother had to fight me every day to get me to go to school (or in the direction of school).” Since he knew his mom would have loved seeing him up onstage, he decided to pay tribute to her and to the lessons she taught him. You can watch the video here.

Thanks again to the CUNY School of Professional Studies for inviting Ami to speak. And congratulations to everyone who graduated this year!

 

 

 

This Wednesday, June 22, is a big one for our team in New York City. Come hang out!

• Idealist Grad Fair, 5:00-8:00pm: Thinking about going to graduate school? Join us at Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus for this free event! Meet recruiters from 60+ grad degree programs from nonprofit management to education to urban planning. From 6:00-7:00 youcan also sit in on a Q&A session and learn more about admissions and financial aid. Learn more, sign up, and help us spread the word: http://bit.ly/SummerFairNY

• Focus group for people who think Idealist should be more mobile phone-friendly, 4:00-5:00pm: Do you have a smartphone? Do you wish you could browse Idealist more easily via your phone? Do you like snacks? If so, join us just before the Grad Fair for some treats and idea-sharing. Learn more and sign up here: http://svy.mk/mobilefg

   

  

  Last year the fair was the night of the NYC tornados! Hopefully this Wednesday will be calmer...but mingling with admissions recruiters in a huge, strong building is a pretty great way to wait out a storm. (Photo: Anthony Quintano.)

Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals, a new book edited by Darian Rodriguez Heyman, features a foreword by our founder and executive director, Ami Dar. With Darian’s blessing, we are sharing that foreword below.

Want to learn more? NTEN is hosting a “Meet the Author” webinar (free for members) with Darian on May 12. It’s a chance to learn more about the Social Media for Nonprofits project, plus Darian’s new www.Nonprofits101.org website and his Advancing Social Impact blog for the Skoll Foundation.

Without further ado, here’s your sneak peek:

When Darian told me about this book and asked me to write a Foreword, two thoughts immediately came to mind. The first was, “Really? Another introduction to the sector? Do we really need this?” But then I saw the list of authors that Darian had assembled – many of whom I’ve known for years – and it was clear that he couldn’t have found a better group of people to write this.

The second thought was more of a wish: the wish that when I started Idealist.org in 1995 I could have had this amazing group of people whispering in my ear, and stopping me from making some of the bigger mistakes I’ve made over the years.

So in thinking about this Foreword I decided that the most useful thing I could do was share some of those mistakes with you, and then encourage you to read this book in the hope that you can avoid repeating them.

Learn more at nonprofits101.org

Here then are my Top Ten Lessons from the past fifteen years.

1. Focus. Focus! Mission creep is Enemy #1. Once you know what you want to do, do that and nothing else. Resist temptations, especially from funders who have their own agendas and who can blow you off course with a sweet-sounding grant. If the grant is not for something you want to do, the money is not worth it.

2. Build a good board, but first decide what “good” means for you. More or less engaged? More or less supportive? More or less meddlesome? The key here is that serious people who take on a task usually also want the authority to do it well. And so you need to decide: Do you want a board that does a lot but then also wants a say in how the work is done? Or do you want a board that is more hands-off, but gives you and your staff more freedom? What you should avoid at all costs is the worst of both words: a board that meddles but doesn’t help.

3. Hire good people. Skilled and smart, of course, but what I really mean is people you like. You’ll spend long days with this group, so hire kind and interesting people who make you laugh.

4. When you make a hiring mistake, and you probably will, try to fix it as soon as possible. There is one test that usually works well. Think about your entire team once in a while, and ask yourself, “if that person resigned, would I be upset or would I be relieved?” If the answer is that you’d be relieved, you should probably not wait for them to resign.

5. Learn some accounting. Money is the fuel on which your organization will run, and you should always know your numbers. Some people start nonprofit organizations as a way of avoiding what they see as the money-centeredness of the corporate world. But the truth is that money is at least as important in our sector as in any other, and you should know enough accounting to always know how your organization is doing.

6. Use free stuff; there is so much of it now. Blogs, Google Apps, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, Salesforce licenses, and much much more. We run our whole organization on Google Apps, for example, which means that all our email and office software is free, and there is no reason why you should pay for it, either.

7. Build your network. And I don’t mean by “networking,” going to conferences, and exchanging business cards or Facebook connections. What I really mean is to try, wherever possible, to treat people the way you like to be treated. If you do this, over time you’ll have a real network of people who will be there when you need them most.

8. Collaborations, coalitions, alliances, mergers… Before jumping in, can you imagine a way out? Working closely with other organizations can be both good and necessary, but exactly at the point when the collaboration seems most tempting, stop for a moment and see if you can imagine a way out in case things go wrong. If you can’t, and the thought makes you queasy, it might be worth looking at the whole thing again.

9. Be careful with your time. Fight hyperbolic discounting! “Hyperbolic discounting” is a fancy term for a tendency that many of us have to make choices today that our future self would prefer not to make. For example, someone invites you to attend a conference across the country five months from now. It sounds good, and it’s easy to say “yes” at that moment, but when the day arrives and you have to take the trip, you find yourself regretting that quick “yes.” Most of us do this with all kinds of commitments, but these days, having regretted a “yes” once too often, I make a conscious effort not to commit to doing anything in the future without trying to imagine myself then.

10. Think big! Having said all this, what’s the worst thing that could happen if you fail? Think big, and go for it! Some days will be challenging and frustrating, but if you are doing what you want, they will never be boring. What more can we ask for?

Good luck!

Ami Dar

Idealist.org

–

Thanks for reading. Want a copy of the book? It’s available now on Amazon.

Last week, our own Celeste Hamilton Dennis was interviewed for a feature on GO! Overseas, “a community driven website of like minded people who are all passionate about teaching, studying and volunteering abroad.” Here’s the interview, cross-posted as it appeared there.

GO!: Let’s start with a brief introduction. Who are you, where are you, and what are you doing?

Celeste: I’m a Community Outreach Coordinator for Idealist.org, a nonprofit that in its most simplest definition, helps people help. I work on building a global network of idealists, spreading good ideas and storytelling projects involving blogging and podcasting. After living in Argentina for 2 ½ years, I just recently moved to Portland, OR.

GO!: How did you get involved in the volunteer industry?

Celeste: I went to Boston College, where international service is huge. If you didn’t volunteer abroad somewhere, you were kind of considered a weirdo. A lot of people from BC went on to do the Peace Corps, and from hearing their stories, I knew it was something I wanted to do. So from 2003-2005 I served in Guyana as a reading teacher and HIV/AIDS educator. After living in an impoverished community and seeing its effects firsthand, it was hard to ignore suffering both back home and in other places around the world.

I’ve volunteered at numerous organizations since the Peace Corps, from the Youth Pride Center in Chicago where I worked as an Anti-Violence advocate for minority gay youth, to being a Band Manager at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for girls in Portland this summer. I’ve found most, if not all, of my opportunities through this wonderful website called Idealist.org.

GO!: Tell us about La Vida Idealist and your role within the organization.

Celeste: I’m the editor of La Vida Idealist, a community powered blog written by idealistic expats and travelers in Latin America. The overall goal of the blog is to share stories and resources about volunteering, nonprofits, and innovative ideas in the region. Specifically, we’re trying to fill in the gap of information for free opportunities, as much of the volunteering landscape in Latin America is dominated by the voluntourism industry. Some people just can’t afford to pay, or won’t pay out of of principle. And what’s unfortunate is that there are a lot of people living down there who have free time on their hands and want to get involved. By including varied voices and perspectives from bloggers who are on the ground, engaging with their adopted communities, we hope to make access to non-fee volunteering easier.

GO!: What attracts volunteers to Latin America?

Celeste: Latin America is in an interesting period of history. For the first time, nearly all its leaders have traded dictatorships for democracy, and they look like the people they govern. It’s a fertile breeding ground for change right now.

But while that may be fascinating for a nonprofit nerd such as myself, I think the real attraction of Latin America is the diversity of culture. The food, music, history, language, humor, and more across the region is just so rich, so interesting. Within Argentina, for example, there is so much to explore. Fast-paced, tango-infused Buenos Aires is worlds apart from its neighbor up north, Jujuy, where folk dancing and gauchos abound. And beyond Argentina, there’s Bolivia, where indigenous culture permeates every aspect of society. And so on, and so on. From the Panama Canal to the Amazon to Machu Picchu and everything in-between, Latin America is alluring for all these reasons and more.

And on a practical level, one dollar or euro can go a long way. Travelers and expats can then live reasonably, off very little, and immerse themselves in these amazing cultures with the added benefit of learning Spanish. Spanish is such an asset in the world we live in right now – especially in the U.S., where almost half the population is now Hispanic – and allows you to make much more deeper and meaningful connections with the people around you. I love that I can now walk into a bodega in NYC, for example, and converse with the guy behind the counter in his native tongue.

GO!: How can volunteers stay centered with realistic goals?

Celeste: Ask yourself from the outset: What does “doing good” even mean to me? To the community I’m a part of? Think about what you want to accomplish during your time there. Assess your needs, and those of your community, and be realistic with your expectations. Change is slow; you’re not going cause radical shifts in infrastructure in a short amount of time.

Working together with your host community is also crucial. Outline mutual goals. Make sure to have continual, open dialogue to see if you’re accomplishing them together. If you’re not, don’t be shy to admit mistakes or failures. Being realistic includes the ability to reassess what you’re doing and change direction, or move on if it’s not working out.

Idealist has a great International Volunteerism Resource Center that can help you address this question and more.

GO!: What is the continuing benefit of volunteering abroad after a volunteer returns home?

Celeste: I find that once people experience service in another country, their sense of the interconnectedness of the world around them is heightened, and the rush they feel from opening their mind to different ways of being fades but never really goes away. They’re always looking to recreate it.

But perhaps the most valuable thing about continuing to volunteer abroad is this idea that because you’re (hopefully) going into the experience with your eyes, ears and heart open, you notice more. You see needs, and you see solutions. I’m fascinated by this idea that there is an abundance of local solutions to local problems – like the traveling donkey library in Ethiopia that’s boosting literacy rates, for example – that could work in other similar contexts. But the mechanisms for spreading this information to where it’s needed are limited. Volunteers can play a pivotal role in helping to push and pull these solutions around the world.

GO!: How do you respond to criticism that volunteering abroad does more harm than good?

Celeste: Sometimes the criticisms are founded. Volunteers go into the experience for purely selfish reasons, or the infrastructure for sustainability is flawed, or organizations are only in it for the money and don’t actually need volunteers. There are actually a lot of ways volunteering abroad can go wrong.

Short-term volunteering usually has a greater impact on the individual rather than the community – unless there is a coordinated system in place where the next volunteer coming in can pick up where the other one left off. Or volunteers complete tasks that are small and concrete, or bring needed supplies.

I’m much more inclined toward longer term volunteering whenever possible. The longer you’re in a place, the more you get to know the community and its needs. And the more you can navigate cultural differences, the more likely you are to impact somebody’s life, no matter how small that may be.

GO!: What does the future hold for you?

Celeste: My immediate future consists of my honeymoon in India, where I hope to become an extra in a Bollywood video. My dreams for the longer-term future include living in Africa for a few years, getting a collection of my short stories published, and really helping to poise Idealist as a central place for pushing and pulling sustainable, effective solutions around the world.

GO!: Famous last words?

Celeste: Salami.

Thanks!

–

You can read Celeste’s blog posts here. Thanks again to the folks at GO! Overseas for letting us cross-post this piece!

On the outskirts of Buenos Aires tucked away from the ubiquitous tango clubs and steakhouses lies Hospital Borda, the largest and oldest mental hospital in Argentina. But this isn’t your typical psychiatric ward. In the middle of its courtyard stands a small, bustling building full of recording equipment and unbridled energy, where patients take the mic each Saturday. This is Radio La Colifata, the first radio show in the world to be broadcast out of a mental hospital.

Our latest podcast follows Idealist staff member Celeste Hamilton, a transplanted New Yorker and Ceci Gil Mariño, a native Argentinean, as they give us an intimate glimpse at why everyone from taxi drivers to famous musicians can’t get enough of Radio La Colifata. We hear from staff and patients, or colifatos as they like to be called, about how it all began, why it’s lasted almost two decades — and why this innovative form of public therapy has spawned 40 similar radio stations all over the world.

To listen in English, click here.

To listen in Spanish, click here. This is the first time we have been able to produce our podcast entirely in Spanish; if you listen, please let us know what you think.

Special thanks to Victoria Bembibre, Martín Waserman, C. Andrea Sottosanto, Josefina Murphy, Carolina Villanueva, Martin Celis, Rodrigo Tabernero, and Verónica Carmona Barrenechea for their help with this podcast; to Cheba Massolo, Agri, and Julio y Agosto for sharing their music; and to the Radio La Colifata staff and colifatos for inviting Idealist into their world.

[This blog entry appeared on an older version of Idealist; any broken links are a result of having re-launched our site in Fall 2010.]

Starting this Monday (8/25/08), something like 50,000 Burning Man enthusiasts will assemble in Black Rock City, Nevada, for a week. And then disappear without a trace! Until next year!

There will be art and expression and complicated projects. Of course, the giant construction at the center of Black Rock City will go up in flames. And there will be a clean-up crew that stays around until the last candy-wrapper is picked up, the last post-hole refilled. And, as they say, much much more.

Though I’ve never been myself, I have a special fondness for Burning Man because my son met his wife on the Playa where Black Rock City sprouts. And I feel even more of an affinity when I read through the stories on the website of Burners Without Borders, the year-round, international volunteering extension of the annual Burning Man gathering. What better way to extend the spirit of the gathering than to pitch in to build a school in Peru, repair flood damage in Iowa, or coordinate clean-ups in 10 cities on three continents for “Cinco de Playa?” Or to design all the firepits for Ocean Beach National Park in California? After all, Burning Man got its start in 1986 with a symbolic immolation of a wooden stick figure on a California beach.

Burners Without Borders projects appear when the path of a Burning Man alum crosses some spot on the planet where there’s a need for energy, hard work, creativity and generosity. But there’s no requirement that everyone on a project be a “Burner,” just that everyone join in the work. If you see some dirty sweaty people at such a spot, give ‘em a hand, or a sandwich, or a cheerful wave.

[This blog entry appeared on an older version of Idealist; any broken links are a result of having re-launched our site in Fall 2010.]