Talent Tips: All Levels

Talent Tip #133: 10 Reasons Your Cover Letter is Terrible (Part 1)

March 16, 2021

(This month’s newsletter article is the first of a two-part series written by Katelynn Barbosa, who just went on maternity leave.)

I’m feeling extra grumpy and salty because I am 37 weeks pregnant, sick of waddling everywhere, and dying for a stiff cocktail. The good news for you is that my current state has put me in the mood to drop some VERY honest advice about a vital component of every job application – the cover letter.

Talent Tip #132: Seven Things Our Data Tell Us About Hiring in the Liberty Movement

February 17, 2021

This will shock no one to hear, but I’m a bit of a dork – A data dork, if you want to get specific. Give me a glass of red wine and a database and I could be happy for hours. Yes, I am the most fun at parties.

I love digging into the numbers, creating reports, and discovering new things. Specifically, I dork out on understanding what the numbers in Talent Market’s database are telling us and how we…

Talent Tip #131: Six Things the Pandemic Taught Free-Market Nonprofits

December 20, 2020

I don’t know about you, but I won’t be sad to say goodbye to this year when it ends. Much like your in-laws after a week-long visit, 2020 has overstayed its welcome.

It’s a been a grueling year on multiple fronts, and I think we’re all ready for a fresh start.

But despite its glaring flaws, 2020 did teach free-market nonprofits a few valuable lessons:

Talent Tip #129: On Mai Tais, King Beds, and Resumes

October 20, 2020

By Katelynn Barbosa

Imagine you are planning a vacation to Maui (unthinkable in these times, I know) and browsing hotels online to decide where to stay. As you browse you have three predetermined requirements: You absolutely must have a king bed. (Your husband is a broad shouldered guy who splays out during his sleep like someone at the end of an unsuccessful parachute jump.) You also need to be located close to where many of your activities are…

Talent Tip #128: Talent Market Answers Your 10 Biggest Questions About LinkedIn

September 20, 2020

Even the most prolific posters on the ‘book, the most abundant tweeters in the Twittersphere, and the most inexhaustible Insta users (we haven’t gotten any queries from TikTok folks just yet) still come to us with burning questions about one social media outlet: LinkedIn.

After all, it’s the only social media site that should look more like your resume than a complete photo journal of you doing goat yoga or the arugula and beet salad you made for Thursday night’s…

Talent Tip #127: Lessons from an Old Jeep Wrangler: Upgrades for Your Organization’s Hiring Process

August 18, 2020

I drive an old Jeep Wrangler. No, I mean old. It’s adorned with scratches, dents, rust spots, classic bumper stickers, and faded upholstery. Patches cover holes in the seats and the stereo emits a pleasant crackle if you dial it up to 11.

And it has just the technology you’d expect for a relic. Manual windows and locks, a bare bones instrument panel, and keyed ignition (minds under 25 just exploded). Oh, and it hasn’t had a functional roof in…

Talent Tip #125: Dating (and Interviewing and Hiring) During Lockdown

July 14, 2020

Katelynn Barbosa

Back in my 20s, I did my fair share of online dating. I remember those days of sending my favorite Hayek quotes to men that looked interesting and getting excited when they would send the perfect Adam Smith quote back. That response would deem a guy sarcastic enough to warrant further exploration, and if he really seemed worth the effort, I might set up a phone call to talk about how to resolve state budget pensions crises. And…

Talent Tip #124: Advice for Dominating Virtual Interviewing (Especially in the Age of COVID-19)

May 25, 2020

There is no doubt that this is a crazy time to be alive. After all, we are living through a once in a century global pandemic! There is the stress and anxiety of everyday pandemic existence, maintaining six feet of distance from everyone on the planet, and being trapped in your house for an indefinite period of time. And if you’re job searching, there is a whole new layer of stress.

The good news for you, dear Talent…

Talent Tip #123: What Does COVID-19 Mean for Hiring in the Free-Market Nonprofit Sector?

April 21, 2020

As you can imagine, we have gotten a lot of questions over the last few days about how the pandemic has affected hiring in the free-market nonprofit sector.

I thought it might be helpful to share the common questions we are hearing and respond to them here. Please note that things are changing quickly, and that means what we are seeing is also changing. I will try to update you as things evolve.

Bonus Talent Tip: How to Interview in the Age of COVID-19

April 6, 2020

What a time for your organization to be hiring, huh?

Your team members are scattered around, working from home perhaps for the first time ever, and trying to squeeze in interviewing amidst homeschool lessons. Your job applicants are hesitant to make a move to an organization unless they are confident about stability. And you cannot fly your finalists in for an in-person interview for the foreseeable future, but you still need to fill a…