My Christmas season isn’t complete without at least one viewing of Christmas Vacation. Clark taking a chainsaw to the newel post is a perfect metaphor for most of my holiday misadventures.
And it turns out that my favorite scenes provide some good lessons for job seekers. Just trust me on this.
- Do some planning before you start your job search.
I love the classic scene of the Griswolds kicking off the fun, old-fashioned family Christmas by heading out into the country in the front wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select the most important of Christmas symbols: the Griswold Family Christmas tree.Road trip? Check. Singing Christmas carols? Check. Trading obscene gestures with good ol’ boys and nearly colliding with a log truck? Check and check! Saw to cut down the Christmas tree? Of course not.
This reminds me of a call I got the other day from a candidate who was eager to talk about his next career move before he got too distracted with holidays.
Me: Let’s start with the basics. What type of role are you looking for?
Candidate: I dunno. I haven’t thought about that.For the love of non-nutritive cereal varnish…how can your network help you find your next great job if you haven’t put any thought into it yourself? I’ll spare you the play-by-play of the rest of the call, but suffice it to say, he hadn’t thought about much beyond sipping eggnog from a reindeer-shaped mug.
Before you start tapping into your network and applying for jobs, be ready to answer these basic questions:
- What is your ideal next job?
- What are the skills you want to put to use in your next role?
- Why are you looking to make a move?
- When are you looking to make a move?
- When could you start a new job?
- What is your desired salary range?
- Can you relocate?
- What percentage of travel are you comfortable with?
- Who are your references?
- Be patient.
There’s nothing better than Cousin Eddie showing up for the holidays (unannounced!) in his tenement on wheels. Whether it’s his dog Snots rifling through the garbage or Eddie emptying his RV’s black water tank into the public sewage, it’s more than enough to test everyone’s patience. Yet, somehow, Clark handles it with grace.And if you’re job searching, you’re going to need Clark-level fortitude.
Job hunting can take months. After you submit an application, it’s likely going to take at least a couple of weeks, if not several, for the organization to make a decision about which candidates they want to pursue. And once the interview process commences, it can take several more weeks (or months!) for decisions to be made. And this doesn’t take into account unexpected delays, board meetings, organization events, holidays, hiring manager vacations, staff illnesses, etc.
But don’t get frustrated. Just because you haven’t heard from the organization within 48 hours after you hit send on your application doesn’t mean you’re destined to be a pixie-dust spreader on the Tilt-O-Whirl. These things take time.
- Get it in writing.
Remember when Clark tells his family that he put a down payment on a pool before his holiday bonus came in…only to learn his bonus was a one-year membership to the Jelly of the Month Club instead of the big wad of cash he was expecting? Oopsy.Well, I worked with a candidate once who was one of two finalists for a senior-level job with a nonprofit. Shortly before the organization made its decision, she withdrew because she had received a tantalizing verbal offer from the executive of a private sector company. Days later, the executive presented her with the written offer: a full $30k below what he said in the verbal offer.
Now, one might think that this executive is a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, *******, hopeless, heartless, ***-***** bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed, sack of monkey***. And one would be correct.
Unfortunately, by the time this mess unfolded, the nonprofit had already filled its executive opening with another candidate.
Be sure you have what you need in writing before making a leap.
- Appreciate what you have.
I’m not gonna lie to you: I get a little choked up when Clark gets trapped in the attic and watches those old reel-to-reel movies from his childhood. It’s such a good reminder of the blessings we have, even if it doesn’t always feel that way.A couple of years ago, a friend of mine in the liberty space called to say she was frustrated with her job and was on the verge of leaving. I asked her a lot of questions about why she was feeling that way and made a few suggestions about things she might want to consider before jumping ship.
Months later, she called to tell me that our conversation had changed her perspective. She told me she had several key discussions with her boss and that a lot of things had improved — including her outlook. In short, she thanked me for helping her realize she was in an amazing place.
I know it’s really easy to get burned out in the nonprofit sector. And, of course, no job is perfect. But before you make a leap, don a (faux) fur coat, crank up a little Ray Charles, and think about the good stuff.
Happy job hunting, happy holidays, and Merry Christmas!
