The Young Professional- References

When applying for a job, your references are an endorsement. They endorse who you are, what you've done, what you can do...basically anything and everything about you. It's important to pick your references wisely. References are literally the last factor in you getting a job offer; they potential employer was impressed by your resume and your interview. Your references are the last chance you have to impress and you need to be strategic about who you use as a reference.

• How many references should you list? Most employers will ask for 2-3 references. I usually list 5 and in the order I would like them contacted. Why do I list so many? I had a job offer once that was conditional on my reference check and all 3 of my references happened to be away at the same time. It took over a week for my employer to finally be able to speak to one reference and for them to make a formal offer. Plus, it allows me to list a variety of different types of references and the potential employer can pick and chose who they would like to call.
• What kind of references should you use? It's a good idea to include a variety of references, as they can speak to you and your abilities in different ways:
• Professional references are the most common and are usually former (or in some cases, current) employers. They can speak to what are like as an employee, your skill set, what you are like in a job setting, how you interact with other employees, projects you've worked on, etc...it is very career/job focused.
• Volunteer references are usually overlooked but are important. Who you are in your professional life can differ from who you are as a volunteer. Professionally, you get paid to do a job- you have to do it. Volunteer work is something you decide to do because you want too, not because you have too. Volunteer references are similar to your professional references, but with a twist; it can speak to skills that you have but don"t use in your current job, who you are as a person and your personality. And it shows that you do volunteer work/are involved, which is always a good thing for potential employers to know.
• Personal references can talk about who you are as a person, your personality, your interests. Yes, it's great to know that someone is qualified for the job, but you also want to make sure they will fit in with organizational culture. It's always good to get personal insight into a potential employee. 
• Work related references are my favourite. Professional references would be people you work for, like your supervisor. Work related references are people you work with. For example, I was applying for a job that was focused on community outreach. I used a community partner from my previous job as a reference. She was able to speak about how I cultivated and maintained the relationship. I had a volunteer I worked closely with for 3 years that I have used as a reference. These references are people you have a working relationship with, but aren't necessarily your supervisor or someone you report too.
• Job related references are references related to the job you are applying for. If a job has a supervisory component to it, I'll list summer students (who are the only employees I have ever supervised). Applying for a job at a tennis club? List your high school tennis coach. Does the CEO sit on a volunteer board with a family friend? That family friend would be a great personal reference. These references might not be true 'professional' or 'work related' references, but they can speak specifically to the job you are applying for and/or make a direct connection between you and the job/organization.

• Who should you ask? Your references should know you fairly well and should be able to answer questions about you and your abilities. They should also be someone you're confident will give you a good references, someone you trust. They should be familiar with your most recent role and the work you did. They should be someone that knows you; what's the point of listing your supervisor if she was never in the office when you were? Most importantly, they should be good communicators and comfortable speaking to others.
• Prep your references:
• Tell them you will be using them as a reference. If you can, tell them when they might expect a call and who will be calling (the company, and if you know, a specific person).  Not only does this give them a heads up that they might be getting a call, but they can make sure they take a call. I had a reference who had two days booked full of meetings and she told her assistant to interrupt them if a call came from my potential employer.
• Send the job description so they know what you are applying for and what qualifications the potential employer is looking for. This will help them speak to why you'd be perfect for the job.
• Sent them your resume. It's also a good idea to send them your resume so they know what the potential employer was looking at.
• Share insight from the interview. I had an interview where I was asked a lot about event registration processes. I mentioned this to my reference and asked him to talk about the two different registration management systems we had used, and how I had redone and streamlined an event registration process. If there is an area that a substantial amount of time is spent on, tip your reference off to this and ask them to speak specifically to this. 
• Did you miss something? Have you ever left an interview and realized you should have answered a question differently? Or explained a real life situation you were in? Tell your reference! They might be able to incorporate it into conversation with your potential employer. 
• Tell your references about conversation other references had. I was applying for a part-time position, and my potential employer was concerned I wouldn't be happy working part-time and would look for another job. They mentioned this to Reference A, who told me. I called Reference B and tipped her off. She was able to tell my potential employer that she knew I was looking forward to working part-time so I could focus on writing, doing more volunteer work and participating in a mentorship program- all stuff that I hadn't been able to do when working full time.  

• Say thank you. This is such a basic thing, but make sure you do it. It cane be a thank you email, text, note, or even phone call. It's polite to thank someone when they do something for you. I usually send a handwritten note right after I submit their name to a potential employer and thank them for letting me use them as a reference. If I get a job offer, I call them and let them know I got the job and thank them again.

Case Study- Bad Reference:
I mentioned a few examples of good references in the above points, but I also wanted to share two stories of bad reference examples. Learn from these examples.

1. I used a reference once that was not a good communicator. I applied for a job that wanted to do three reference checks. My first two references went really well, and I knew that the job offer was contingent on my third reference. The potential employer had wanted a specific person for my third reference. I had purposely never used this person as a reference before and I was so hesitant to use her. I knew she would give me a good reference but I wasn't sure she would be a good reference because she hesitates before she speaks. It's just who she is...she always hesitates before answering any question. If you know this about her, you know it's a character trait. If you don't know her, you wonder why she's hesitating. What's she hiding? What's she not saying? A potential employer can see this as a negative and my potential employer must have seen it as a negative. Not only did I not get the job, but when the same job was posted two months later and I applied, I didn't even get an interview. Two months after that, the same job came up again and I was contacted by a recruiter who thought I would be perfect for the position and asked me to apply; I told her about my past experience and didn't want to apply, she insisted I would be perfect and that they would at least give me an interview. I applied, but no interview followed.
2. I was actually hiring someone and doing a reference check. The conversation went like this:
   
   Me: Hi Reference, this is Melissa calling from Company. Do you have a couple of minutes to chat or are you in the middle of something?
   Reference: Depends. Why are you calling and how did you get this number?
   Me: I interviewed Candidate and she has you listed as a reference.
   Reference: Of sure. I have time to talk.
   
   Too late, the damage was done. I was so taken aback by this response and how rude it was, that I didn't make the job offer to the person who was my ideal candidate. Maybe this person is always rude and abrupt, if that's the case, they shouldn't have been used as a reference (see example above). Or, maybe this person thought they were getting an unsolicited call from my company, and that's why they were rude. In which case, the candidate should have prepped their reference; told them they were going to list them as a reference and that they had had an interview with my company and that I had requested references.

References really can make or break your job offer. Like I said before, your references are your last chance to impress a potential employer.

Looking for more in this series? Check out The Young Professional tag.

The Young Professional- Questions To Ask During An Interview

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I had the opportunity to celebrate with one of my oldest friends (I've known her for over 20 years!!) as she married her best friend. It was a lovely and fun event. So happy for her!!

Monday means another Young Professional post! Last week, we talked about how to prepare for an interview, including coming up with questions to ask during an interview. This week, I thought I would share some questions to consider asking during the interview. 

Most interviews end with the interviewer(s) asking "Do you have any questions for me/us?" You should always answer this with yes. Not only is this a chance for you to learn more about the job and the company, but by asking questions, you are showing that you are engaged, and interested, in learning more.

You do not want to ask too many questions during this part of the interview (you should be asking questions throughout the interview process) and a good rule is to ask 2-3 questions. I like to prepare 4-5 questions, so that if my questions gets answered during the interview, I still have more questions to ask.

Here is my 'go to' list of questions that I have asked during an interview:

• How was this position created? In the first 3 months of 2015, I interviewed for 8 different positions and 5 of them were brand new positions. Some of the reasons for how the position was created were great ("We want to be more proactive in our community involvement"), some more standard ("We finally got funding to create this position") and some were red flags ("We had a similar position, but the person is going on maternity leave. Instead of filling her position, we decided to create a new position." What this actually meant was, "You'll be doing the same amount of work as her, but you'll be in a junior position so we don't have to pay you as much.")
• How long has the position been vacant? Generally, the longer a position has been vacant, the harder it will be to transition into; there will likely be a back log of work and usually a number of 'messy' situations. I had once interviewed for a position that had been vacant for almost 2 years; they were struggling to find someone with the right skill set, which told me they were looking for someone very specific.
• Why did the person in this position leave? This can be asked in conjunction with the above question or as a stand alone question. Finding out why a person left can be good ("They moved up in the company") or bad ("The last 3 people in the position didn't make it through probation." I've actually had this said to me and it was a red flag...why weren't they making it through? Were the targets that unrealistic? Are you that difficult to work for?)
• What are the short and long term goals of the team/company/department? Again, this just provides insight into the job and can help you determine if it's the right fit for you. This questions also shows that you are interested in the work they are doing.
• How can I help achieve the goals? This is a follow up question to the one above. This shows you are interested in how you personally- not the position- can contribute to the success of the organization.
• How does this position work with others within the organization? Another insight question. A lot of times during interviews, you learn a lot about the position on a stand alone basis but not how the role plays into a bigger picture. I once interviewed for a coordinator position but when I asked this question, it came out that on top of coordinating my own events, I would essentially be an administrative assistant to other departments.
• Who will I be reporting to? On more than one occasion, I did not met the person I would report to during the interview process. I also had a position where the person I would be reporting to was not in the office a lot and had no interest in me.//not a good situation. Plus, it's important to meet the person you report to prior to accepting a position; it needs to be someone you can see yourself working with.
• Who else will I be working with? Another insight question. In my current job, the interviewer disclosed who my immediate supervisor would be and the four other senior positions-and their teams- I would be working closely with.
• Do you have any concerns that I might not be the right fit for this position? It gives you an opportunity to address something that might not have come across during the interview and to provide clarity on why you are a good fit for the position. Or it can confirm to you that you are actually not a good fit. I once applied for a marketing position and when I asked this question, they were concerned I wouldn't be able to close a sale, which not only lead to me asking about sales quotas (which I felt was too high), but made me realize that "marketing" was code for "sales", which I didn't want to do. Another time, it came up that they were concerned I was too nice and that sales people (who are known to be push) would walk all over me. I was able to talk about how I used to be an insurance broker and can handle my own (I did get offered the job, FYI).
• Would you like me to expand on or provide clarity around any of the questions that I answered? This is a good question to ask, because it allows you the chance to make sure you answered their questions and that they got the information they needed.
• What is the main quality you are looking for in an ideal candidate? A lot of these qualities are listed in the job posting. This is a good question to ask, just to confirm that what is listed in the posting is actually what they are looking for and you can make sure you are qualified.
• What does a typical year look like for this position? A lot of people ask about 'typical day' but asking about what year looks like puts a twist on this predictable (and not a good) question. It also makes it seem like this is an original question and not something you found by googling "what to ask during a job interview. On top of that, a lot of jobs don't have a "typical day" or the answer doesn't provide a lot of insight ("Typical day consists of replying to emails, meeting with clients and completing contracts"). Getting a yearly view provides not only a better picture of what types of tasks the job entails, but also things like high and low times, major events ("We have booths at 4 trade shows a year") and aspects of your job that you might only do once a year (April is spent preparing files for our annual audit, it's all hands on deck so we have a 'black out' policy for employees taking time off during this month and you can expect to work longer days").
• What does success in the first 90 days of this position look like? This is my favourite question to ask and I always ask it. It's not a standard ask, which takes interviewers by surprise. The answer to this question can tell you what will be expected during your probation period and you can judge if it's realistic for you. It also makes them think and it provides great insight into the role (and sometimes company) which can help you decide if you're really interested. I was once interviewed by 4 different people at the same time and they actually had an argument in front of me about the answer; they were all on different pages and one even felt that anothers expectation was not realistic for a 90 day time frame. This not only provided insight into the position and expectations, but I had the opportunity to observe them and how they handled conflict.

There is no such thing as a bad question, but it's a good thing to always ask questions. When I am the interviewer, if I don't have candidates asking me questions, it shows me that they are not fully interested in the position or organization and that they couldn't be bothered to prepare a question or two to ask me, which makes me wonder how serious or committed they are to working with me. 

Next week, will be another post about interviewing, specifically what to bring with you. 

Looking for more? Check out The Young Professional Tag.

The Young Professional- Interview Prep

May ended up being a bit of a crazy month for me, so I took an unplanned blog hiatus. I've been back blogging for a week or two, but I held off on any new The Young Professional posts; I wanted to start fresh in June. So, here we are. 

Recap: The Young Professional is a weekly (every Monday) blog series here on Dreams and Colour. We have covered job searching, resumes and cover letter writing. All posts can be found under The Young Professional tag.

Today, we are talking about interviews and how to prepare for them. 

 

It's so exciting to get a phone call (or email) asking you to come in and interview for a position. All of your hard work and energy spent looking for and applying to jobs is starting to pay off when people want to meet you. It's motivating to get interviews. Interviews can also be daunting. It can be intimidating to go in and meet someone new and have to sell yourself as to why you are perfect for the position. Being prepared can help calm your nerves when you are in the actual interview. 

What should you do pre-interview to prepare?

• Ask who you are meeting with. Get the name of the person interviewing you and look them up on LinkedIn. See if you can find any common ground; mutual friends, same alma mater or former employer. If you can find a connection with someone, it will make you feel more comfortable. Also, don't be afraid to bring up the connection. A few months ago, I interviewed with someone I met almost 3 years ago at Brock Homecoming. I mentioned this and aspects of our meeting to jog his memory. He went from all business to friendly, which helped me relax.
• Know where you are going. Going somewhere you've never been before can be stressful, add this to the already stressful pending interview situation and things have the potential to not be good. Google map your interview location and, if possible, take a drive to the place. It will give you a chance to figure out where you are going, find parking, etc. You might think you don't need to do this because you have GPS, but do it anyway. The morning of an interview, my GPS turned on and then died when I put the address in. Did I start to panic? Of course. But I knew the general area of where the interview was and I also remembered the google map directions, so I got there ok and on time.
• Get a phone number. You never know what might happen to prevent you from getting to your interview. I had my car break down on the way to an interview for my current job (I called a taxi and got there with 3 minutes to spare). If I was going to be late, I would have called to give them a heads up- which is just the considerate thing to do, FYI. Another time, I knew where the interview was, as I had been on that street many time, but I hadn't been in a while. I'm driving down the street, I could see the building, and the train track you used to be able to drive over is now blocked by a fence. Thank goodness I had a phone number! I was able to call them and explain the situation and they were able to give me directions on how to get to their building.
• Watch Dragons Den or Shark Tank. People on these shows are not only there to sell their products or ideas to investors, but also themselves. Watch a few episodes and study how people sell themselves, take note and apply them to yourself and interview skills. The Dragons/Sharks, also ask interview questions; these are great questions for your to practice answering. (I wish I could take credit for thinking of this tip...but it actually came from a friend I had lunch with the day before I had an interview).
• Visit the website of the company you are interviewing with. This is so important. This is your crash course on the company. Take a look at their history/about page and make note of some key information that you can memorize. In my current job, I was able to mention who founded the organization and why. In a previous interview, I was able to mention that the company I was applying to had been bought out by a different company less than a year ago. Other times, I was able to comment on awards the company had won, charitable work they do, new products they were getting ready to launch and different divisions of the company. There will be a lot of information on the website, look at it all and pick two or three key things you think you will be able to naturally bring up during your interview.
• Review the job posting. Look it over before you go. Be reminded of the position you are applying for, the skills they are looking for, and how you and your experience would be an added benefit to the company.
• Prepare questions. There is always an opportunity at the end of an interview to ask questions...ASK QUESTIONS!! This shows you are interested in learning about the position and organization, and finding out if both are a good fit for you. I like to prepare four or five questions, knowing that I will only ask two or three of the questions. I always prepare more in case my questions get answered during the interview. Next week, I'll be sharing some questions to ask during an interview, so I'm not going to go into them right now.

 

Preparing for the interview will help you feel more confident and calm. It will help you focus and put your best foot forward. Even though interviews can be scary or intimidating, remember they saw something in you that they liked...they WANT to meet you. You are setting out to impress them, but they need to impress you too.

Hey, It's Ok

To be sad that the New York Rangers playoff run has come to an end. 

That I am loving my new job and co-workers!! It's so refreshing to work for an organization that has their act together, that is so professional and is working towards a bigger picture. 

To have discovered cookies and cream popcorn, from Chapters. It is too delicious. And addicting. I might never buy another container. 

That my baby sister turned 20 on the weekend!! That's so crazy to me! I am so proud of her and all that she has accomplished the past 20 years. She is an amazing, well round person. I couldn't ask for a better sister or best friend. Even thought she's still not allowed in my room...haha. 

To be co-hosting Fun in the Sun Summer Giveaway! The lucky winner will receive $450 cash! You can enter here.

The Young Professional- Cover Letter

I know so many people who dread writing cover letters. I get it...if you don't write a decent cover letter, the hiring manager might not even bother to look at your resume. Your resume, as discussed last week, is a snap shot of who you are professionally. Your cover letter is an introduction to you, it's the first impression.

 

As with everything, there so many idea about what makes or breaks a cover letter. I'm going to share what has worked for me and what I look for in cover letters. 

• Contact information- Just like my resume, I have a header that includes my full name, address, phone number, email and LinkedIn profile. Make it easy for them to contact you.
• Address the letter- Sometimes job postings will say who to submit your resume too (example, Jane Doe, Company Owner), so this is who your cover letter should be addressed too. Other times, they won't include a name but will say something like 'submit resume to mediarelations@company.com.  In this case, address your letter to 'Media Relations Manager'. As a last resort, 'Human Resource Manager' will work. 
• Opening Paragraph- I always include the phrase 'from my attached resume' somewhere in the opening paragraph. I also mention my education and that I have 'several years experience' in whatever type of job I'm applying for. For example, if I'm applying for an event job, I say 'I have several years experience in managing events'.
• Current/Most Recent Employment- Next I mention my most recent employment and briefly mention what I was responsible for. For example, I say what type of events I managed (educational conferences, Annual General Meetings, fundraising campaigns). Keep this brief, as your responsibilities should be extensively listed on your resume. There is no need to repeat them here.
• Customize- With the exception of the 'Qualification' section of my resume, I do not customize my resume to the job I'm applying for. Instead, I do that in my cover letter. For example, if the job talks about making presentations in the community- which is something I have done but not a regular part of my job- in my cover letter, I would talk about how I made presentations about the company to Group A, B & C, with audiences ranging from 20-100 people.
• Highlight- Building on the point above, aim to highlight 3-5 qualifications that make you right for the job. Try and provide solid examples of what you have done based on what they are looking for. For example, I was applying for a job with a municipality, and while I have never worked for one, I have years of volunteering with them. I mention specifics (where, what, how long) of this volunteer work in my cover letter (and have it listed on my resume). Also, use keywords from the job description.
• Standout- Last year, I was nominated for several Chamber Awards, including Employee of the Year. I always mention this in my cover letter. I mean, how many Employee of the Year nominees are applying for this position? Not many. Mention something, anything, that will make you standout from others.
• Additional Information- Sometimes job postings will say to provide specific information, such as salary expectations. Your cover letter is a good place to provide that information. A cover letter is also a good place to mention if you are able to relocate, if you are applying for a position outside your geographical location.
• Wrap It Up- I always close with the same format; mention the job you are applying for and the company. I also provide a 'call to action', which is 'I look forward to hearing from you and discussion my experience and qualifications further.'
• Proof Read- This isn't part of the template, but is something you should do. Check your spelling and grammar. Also double check who the letter is addressed too (don't address it Jane Doe, when it should be Joe Smith) and that the position and company stated in your letter are correct.

Remember, your cover letter is an introduction to you, it's your first impression. Tell a little bit about yourself. Showcase what makes you unique and perfect for the position.

Next week, we'll be talking about interviews.

Looking for more on this series? Checkout The Young Professionals tag.

The Young Professional- Resume

Another Monday, another start to a (hopefully) great week and another edition of The Young Professional! So, last week we talked about job searching and today we are talking about resume writing. I will be sharing how I set up my resume and what I look for in the resume of others. 

We all know that a resume is essentially a list of your experiences and qualifications; your resume is a a snapshot of who you are as a professional.

 

What should you include on your resume?

• Contact information- On the top of my resume (and top of my cover letter) I include my contact information. This includes my first and last name, street address, phone number, email and my LinkedIn profile. Make it easy for the person doing the hiring to contact you.
• Cover Letter- Next weeks post will be dedicated to cover letters, so I'm not going to go into details in this post, but it's always a good idea to include a cover letter with your resume.
• Qualifications- Highlight why you're qualified for the job. This are general qualifications, such as 'strong written and oral communications skills' or 'proven success rate with special events'. Not sure what to include? Look at the job description. For example, if the job description lists 'fast paced environment' your qualification can be 'comfortable working in fast paced environments and under tight deadlines.' This is a great place to customize your resume to the position. I also include the social media outlets I'm experienced using and any certifications I have, for example, First Aid.
• Education- Pretty self explanatory...included where you went to school, what your major was and your graduation year.
• Work History- This should be listed in order, with the most recent on the top. Include the name of the company, your title and how long you worked there. Underneath, list what you did. For example, at my last job, I was an Event & Fundraising Coordinator, so I listed things like 'oversaw 14 major events a year', 'responsible for maintaining community partnerships' and 'build and maintain event budgets'. 
• Volunteer and Work Related Experience- This is the place to list your volunteer work and related experiences that are not quite 'work history' but more than 'volunteer experience'. An example of this would be pro bono work. I cannot stress enough how important it is to list your volunteer experience. I have actually not hired someone-who was an ideal candidate- because she didn't have any volunteer experience. Employers want to see people who are involved in their community and who have things going on outside of work. Volunteer experience shows time management, leadership and it's a good way to explain gaps in employment. Volunteering IS working, it does count for something.
• References- I include this section on my resume and then underneath it put 'available upon request' unless the job posting says to apply with references, then I include them.

Now that you have the content of your resume, what about the layout?

• Length- try and keep your resume 2-3 pages.
• Point form- people do not have time to read blocks of text, and blocks of text can be hard to read; people will skim and have a good chance of skipping over key points of your resume. Keep it to the point and concise. Remember, this is a snapshot. 
• Proof read- This is so important. Make sure words are spelled correctly and that your grammar is correct (example, consistently using past tense). I have passed on interviewing people because of spelling mistakes.
• Name & Contact info- Make sure you include your contact info in an easy to find spot, like the header on the first page. It's also a good idea to include your name at the top of any subsequent pages; if pages get separated, they know which ones belong with your resume.
• Font- make sure it's easy to read. Arial, Helvetica and Verdana are good choices. For my name and contact info, I use a 'fancier' font, like Lucinda Handwriting to make it stand out. Since it's just a small piece of text, it's not too hard to read.
• Colour/Uniqueness- You want to be professional, but you also want to stand out and make your resume memorable. To make my resume unique, instead of using a standard bullet point, I use a red star. A pop of colour is refreshing, without being overpowering, and it makes your resume stand out while still being professional. 

There are so many theories and ideas as to what makes a resume a good resume. I format my resume the same way every time and 9 times out of 10, I get a call for an interview. Every employer will look for different things in a resume. Just remember, your resume is a snapshot of you...keep this in mind when putting together your resume and you're sure to have a great one!


Next Monday...Cover letters.

Looking for more on this series? Checkout The Young Professional Tag.

An Open Letter To My Critics

Dear Critics,

 

I want to thank you. But before I do, I want you to know that I can take criticism. I really can. I see criticism as a way to grow and improve. It also helps build character and, at times, can be a different way to look at or approach a situation. I also have thick skin, so thick that I no longer feel the knife being stabbed into my back. More than one of you Critics, have stabbed me in the back. Some on multiple occasions. I didn't flinch, but I was aware.

 

You Critics are an opinionated bunch, lots to say and you have no problem expressing your point of view. I can appreciate your opinions and passion, even if I disagree with you. But they are YOUR opinions and YOU are entitled to them- I can respect that.

 

You might not know this about me, but I am an observer. I observe, process and then move on. I've noticed that you are more than happy to share your thoughts, but no interest in hearing what I have to say. In fact, more than one of you have flat out said "I'm not interested in what you have to say." Message received loud and clear. I've also noticed that you speak at me-that's a nice way of saying attack- without knowing the whole story.

 

For example, you tell me it's my fault something didn't get done even though I wasn't the one who was supposed to do it. You were forthcoming with your words, not interested in what I had to say, and you were unaware of what happened. I agree with you, even though it wasn't my job to send something out, I do have some responsibility. Do you realize I did my part? That I spent two months asking for something to be sent? That I came up with a back up plan and spent a month trying to get that plan in motion? And that I also sent it out to a condensed list, because the full mailing list wasn't made available to me? I did my part, but you're too busy speaking at me to realize that.

 

Critics, a lot of you like to push me around, some have even gone as far as bullying me. While your behaviour is not ok, I have decided not to take it personally- even if you made it personal. Some of you are petty and attack me for dumb things, like not adding you to Facebook. Facebook is for my friends, not business contacts. BTW, I'm more than happy to connect with you on LinkedIn.

 

You have told me that 'busy' is a buzz word and it means nothing. You've told me that it's like pulling teeth to get me started on anything. You've told me that I'm not good at my job, I don't know what I'm doing, I don't know the first thing about fundraising, that I don't understand all the work that goes into making an event great, that I don't...you've had a lot to say.

 

I get it. You don't think I'm good at my job or that maybe I'm in over my head or that I have no clue about what I'm doing.

 

Maybe you're right.

 

But there is someone- multiple someones, I'm told- that disagree with you. Like you, they did go behind my back. But instead of trashing me and saying how horrible I am, they did something nice.

 

You see, sweet Critics, these "someones" felt I deserve to be recognized for my work; they put my name forward for Chamber of Commerce Awards. The Chamber Board agreed with these "someones" and accepted my nomination. Not once, not twice, but five times.

 

Best Marketing Campaign.

Best Fundraiser
Best Corporate/Non Profit Partnership- Community Partner A
Best Corporate/Non Profit Partnership- Community Partner B

 

I was told by the Chamber, that I was nominated by multiple people and received more nominations than anyone else.

 

Submissions were anonymous. Thank you to these "someones" who believe in me and think I do a great job. To the "someones" who recognized my hard work, dedication...my highs and even my lows...and felt the need to go out of their way to make sure others were aware. 

 

I also want to thank you, Critics. You made me a better person, you helped me learn and grow in ways that I wouldn't have had the chance to do without you. And, who knows, maybe "someone" saw the way you treated me and where impressed with the way I handled the situation. You could be responsible for these nominations, for my recognition at being good at something.

 

Oh, and that 5th Award Nomination?

 

Employee of the Year.

 

Thanks,

Suggestion Box

Summer has come and gone, which means the Suggestion Box has also come to an end. This was something that was started for my Summer Students, but since they've gone back to school...there is no one to make suggestions.

 

L finished a week before N, so all of these suggestions came from N:

 

Use your "love" folder whenever & update as needed. When I was on vacation the two of them cleaned my desk and created a file folder 'For When You Need Some Love'. They filled it with funny things I had housed on my desk and added their own items. I haven't gone through the folder entire folder yet.

 

Have Timbits at Monday Meetings. We had weekly team meetings Monday morning and I always brought Timbits (donut holes, for my American friends). With the two of them leaving and me going back to a team of 1, there was no point for weekly meetings or Timbits.

 

Text N & meet up for Thai food or pizza sometimes.  L went a few hours away for school but N still lives in the area. I fully intent on texting her and meeting up once I have a bit more free time.

 

Find another bowling location and plan another outing. Bowling party was suggested weeks earlier. We went and had fun, but the service was horrible.

 

Try to crush less of your own dreams. This is a reference to an earlier suggestion- which was a joke- but this was a sincere reminder. I needed to hear that. I needed to be reminded that my dreams count too and are just as important. It was very sweet.

 

 

 

They both been gone for about a month and I miss them like crazy. I miss the fun and the laughter and the energy they brought to the office. Of course, I also miss all the work they did, which was a HUGE help to me.

 

Interested in previous weeks' suggestions?

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Week 5

 

 

Suggestion Box Week 1

I am so incredibly lucky to have two really great students working with me this summer. They are both hard workers, super productive and really nice and really funny girls. There is a lot of laughing in our office, they keep me entertained. 

 

Over the years, I have had a few great supervisors and a lot of not great supervisors. I am taking what I learned from all my supervisors- the good and the bad- and applying it to my own role as supervisor. I want the students to have a great experience and enjoy their time working for our organization. I also want them to feel valued, appreciated and heard. The students are aware of this.

Last week, they, jokingly, asked if they could have a suggestion box when they could anonymously leave suggestion on how I can do my job better. Of course, I agreed and told them that we will read the suggestions at our weekly team meeting. 

 

Here are this weeks suggestions:

 

Drip. Drip. Drip. How's the water shut off? The day of our meeting, the City turned our water off due to construction. 

 

More espresso beans. Someone gave me chocolate covered espresso beans as a thank you gift and I left them for the students.

 

Don't crush dreams. This is actually something that was said jokingly and with laughter. And I'm the one who wrote it down and put it in the suggestion box.  

Keep a list of funny things that are said in the office.  The students say hilarious things on an hourly basis (ex Student 1 to Student 2: I feel like we're complete opposites. Everything I like, you don't. Everything you like, I've never heard of). Plus, after the summer I can read the list and remember how funny they were. 

Bowling party. No idea why this was suggested, but we are now going bowling after work in August. 

Co-worker should be the supervisor because she brings cupcakes and folds brochures. A co-worker brought in the most amazing cupcakes for the office one day. I only bring Timbits and store bought cookies. Plus she helped them fold brochures while I was in a meeting.

Love the way we have to fold the suggestions to submit. Suggestions are written on the back of a post it note and folded so the sticky part attached to the other end. With everyone submitting suggestions the same way, it helps them stay anonymous.

Paper beside the suggestion box to help with anonymity. Everyone was writing on different kinds of paper, which would help me figure out who suggested what. If we use the same paper, it helps conceal the identity of the suggestion maker. I put a pad of yellow post it notes beside the suggestion box to address this.

Espresso beans. Yup, suggest twice. They REALLY want more espresso beans.

More opportunities for "gold stars". I give out stickers to people who earn them...from doing a good job with a task to surviving a rough morning. There are no set 'rules' for earning stickers but they would like more stickers.

Respond efficiently and effectively in a timely manner. I often have over 100 unread emails- it's a combination of reading select emails from the day before and people just emailing me a lot. It does take me a couple of days to respond to stuff. I'm sure this was a semi-serious suggestion, but the students are in my office and usually say "I'm emailing you a draft of a poster, can you look at it and let me know what you think?" so I look at it and give them verbal feedback. It's not like I'm ignoring them.

Co-workers in our office, but not on our team, were surprised (as was I) that no one suggested I clean my desk/workspace, which is a disaster. Both students love to organize and have been counting down the days until I was on vacation so that they can organize my desk, workspace (the floor around my desk), my filing cabinets and my business cards.

The suggestion box was a really fun activity and a great way to start our meeting.I can't wait to see what suggestions they have next week!!

So, You Want To Work For A Non-Profit...Part Deux

I have worked for a non-profit (NPO) for about 5 years and get asked all the time what it's like. I'm happy to share my experience and try and give a balanced answer- sharing both the pros and cons- but also pointing out that everyone's experience is different and that not all NPO's are run the same.

 

Thanks to contract work, I've had the opportunity to work for 3 different NPO's. There were the aspects of the job I loved and aspects of the job I didn't love so much- or at all.

 

Last week I shared 6 things about working for an NPO that I had never told anyone. So, this week, I thought I'd share 6 of my favourite things about working for an NPO.

 

1. Work doesn't always seem like work. In the past month, "work" has included going to the park, museum and butterfly conservatory (scouting event site locations); shopping (thank you gifts for speakers, event guests and auction items); going out for lunch with people (building relationships) and reading magazines (creating a prospect list of people we can ask to donate auction items to our event). On of my favourite work experiences was when I worked on a commercial.

 

2. You get invited to a lot of places. Some of the invites make sense, like when I was invited to LeaderCast, and some are 'really? that counts as work?' invites I get invited to Strawberry Socials, spa grand openings, concerts, theatre performances (including opening nights), horse races, casino bus trips and tv stations. I don't go to everything I'm invited too, but I do get a lot of fun invites.

 

3. Event leftovers. This is probably one of the best parts of my job. Whenever I have an event for work, the caterer sends me home with the leftover food. I can usually get three or four meals out of the leftovers and the food is usually pretty good.

 

4. Free stuff. It's mostly pens, notebooks and post it notes. But, I've also gotten energy drinks, magazines, mugs, DVDs, gloves, food vouchers, hand sanitizer, Bailey's, books, chocolate...a variety of stuff. People give me stuff as a thank you for working with them or free samples so I can see what they offer and use their company in the future.

 

5. Summer Students. People have mixed ideas on summer students. I personally like them. It's kind of fun (and stressful) finding the right fit for our organization. If you hire the right student, it can be a really great experience. They bring different skills and ideas to the table, assisting with different aspects of the job. I try to make the experience a fun, memorable and educational opportunity for the students I work with. I like to provide them with cupcakes, road trips to site venues, stickers and a suggestion box where they can provide feedback on how I can do my job better- like to provide more flavours of cupcakes. There are lots of laughs while being productive.

 

6. Feedback. This is hands down the most rewarding and best part of my job. I am in charge of fundraising, which means I am responsible for bringing money so we can offer our programs and services to our clients (no pressure there). When I hear clients say how much they gain from our services, how they don't feel so alone, how they don't know what they would have done without us, how we have made the process easier on them...this makes everything that I do and have to put up with, worth it. I know the work I am doing, all of my sacrifices, headaches, frustrations and even the fun stuff as listed above, is making a difference in someone's life.

 

 

Like everything NPO's offer good and bad. Every experience is different. Within the same organization I have had the best experience of my life and the worst experience of my life. It is all about who you interact with and work with. It also has to do with your personality and how invest you are in your organization. I'm ok with being underpaid because the feedback from our clients more than makes up for it.

 

I repeatedly say that you have to really love what you do to work for an NPO, and I stand by that statement. Like all jobs, there are a number of pros and cons, and the industry isn't for everyone.

 

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my magazine reading at the park...kidding. We went to the park on Wednesday.

Sunday Social- Job

Weekend's go too quickly and I know I'm not the only one who thinks that. I had a surprisingly low key weekend...I met with my Mark Kay consultant on Friday and I went to a friend's birthday party last night. I go every year to the party and it is always a lot of fun. I have another busy week ahead of me, but I have a couple of fun things lined up too. It should be a good week. 

     

1. What is your dream job?

I am luck to have my dream job! Since high school, I've wanted to work in non-profit fundraising. Not only am I in non-profit, but I work for an organization (Alzheimer's) which is very near and dear to my family. It was a loooong and sometimes complicated, what-are-you-doing road, but I did it.  

 
2. If you had just won the lottery and didn't need to work for money, what would you do with your time?

I think I would still work, but on a part time basis. I really do enjoy my job. I would maybe volunteer with other organizations on a fundraising/event basis. I currently have my own scholarship, but if I won the lottery, I think I'd establish my own foundation. And, of course, I'd travel!

 
3. What piece of career advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field?

You have to REALLY love what you do. You will not make a lot of money, you will be unappreciated, you won't be supported by your boss, co-workers or the board, you will have to work nights and weekends, even though the office isn't open. You'll have to make a lot of sacrifices in your personal life, work under pressure and constantly be proving yourself. But if you REALLY LOVE what you do and are REALLY passionate about the organization, none of the above will matter. 

Also, take a post grad related program (PR, Events, non-profit management) as it will give you hands on practical experience. And always follow your gut...if you think something's a good idea, no matter how out of the box it is, push to make it happen. You have to take risks in this industry.  

 
4. What would be your ideal "just for fun" job?

I know it's a lot of work...but travel editor...with a focus on spas and 5 star resorts. I think it would be a lot of fun to travel to really cool and interesting places, staying in luxury hotels and get pampered. While writing the reviews and meeting deadlines have the potential to be stressful, I still think this would be a fun job. 

 
5. What was your first "real" job?

Working at my dad's company. I would fill in when his secretary was on vacation.

LOL & Sunday Social

1. What is your dream job?
I am luck to have my dream job! Since high school, I've wanted to work in non-profit fundraising. Not only am I in non-profit, but I work for an organization (Alzheimer's) which is very near and dear to my family. It was a loooong and sometimes complicated, what-are-you-doing road, but I did it.

2. If you had just won the lottery and didn't need to work for money, what would you do with your time?
I think I would still work, but on a part time basis. I really do enjoy my job. I would maybe volunteer with other organizations on a fundraising/event basis. I currently have my own scholarship, but if I won the lottery, I think I'd establish my own foundation. And, of course, I'd travel!

3. When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
It changed all the time...Princess, ballerina, teacher, mom, lawyer/judge, politician, corporate something and marketing.

4. What piece career advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field?You have to REALLY love what you do. You will not make a lot of money, you will be unappreciated, you won't be supported by your boss, co-workers or the board, you will have to work nights and weekends, even though the office isn't open. You'll have to make a lot of sacrifices in your personal life, work under pressure and constantly be proving yourself. But if you REALLY LOVE what you do and are REALLY passionate about the organization, none of the above will matter.
Also, take a post grad related program (PR, Events, non-profit management) as it will give you hands on practical experience. And always full your gut...if you think something's a good idea, no matter how out of the box it is, push to make it happen. You have to take risks in this industry.
5. Biggest Pet Peeves either in life or in blogging or at work
Negative people...where all they do is rant, rave and complain. People who jump to conclusions and cut you off without giving you a chance to explain. People who don't signal when they drive and people who cut you off when you're driving- especially when no one's behind you- and drive under the speed limit. At work, co-workers who don't support what I do- yes, it's my job to do the fundraising but when I ask you to bring a poster to the place you are going, please do it. I know you say no because you think that fundraising has nothing to do with you, but remember it's the money I bring in that funds your job...so please, help a girl out every once and awhile. 
6. Biggest Fears
Fear itself- being so fearful that I miss out on opportunities. I never want to miss out.
And mice.
And ghosts.
And the pitch black, you can't see anything dark.

Hey! It's Ok

Idea taken from Amber at Airing My Dirty Laundry One Sock At A Time

To be disgusted that there is a Luka Magnotta Fan Club. Don't know who he is? Google. Also, it's ok to think that the woman who said she had a "school crush" on him should follow her husbands advice and see a psychiatrist.

To consult a medium when faced with choices. A friend of mine is a medium (and a good one). I've found myself at a crossroad in my life and needed some direction. Without telling her before hand what I was dealing with, she was able to shed some light on the situation and see the path I am meant to take.

To feel overwhelmed when looking for a place to live. I have always either lived at home/in a house my parents own, on campus or off campus with roommates. When it came time to find a place to live, I always let my roommates go check the places out and pick the place we were going to live. Now that I have to actually do it on my own...it's a bit daunting. 

To hate the thought of moving. It's a hassle to find a place to live, pack your stuff, buy new stuff, actually move and unpack. It's a lot of work. Not going to lie...I'm dreading the thought of moving and I am not looking forward to the apartment decorating. I need to win the lottery so I can hire a decorator.

That I worked at a place for about a month and didn't tell anyone. While it was a job with a respectable non-profit, I knew I wasn't going to be there long so didn't see the point in telling people about it.