work for a nonprofit

I’ve slaved away for four corporations in my five years in the job market. Man, I am done with it. People are catty and ignorant, the system is consistently flawed, and hard work only puts you under someone else’s thumb. At my current workplace, I’m up to my neck in an HR “investigation” for wanting a work group that doesn’t yell or use brash put-downs. Sigh. So, it’s time to get out there and find some homeless, mental health, or education advocacy group that actually wants that bit of hope and passion. I’m a bit scared, because I know it will be very emotional work (if there’s anything out there right now)... but I want to believe that I have the heart for it.

Its a goal.

I’ve been working for a non-profit for almost 4 years now and it has definitely helped me keep a positive outlook on work. If you have to work, why not do something that is helping the greater good? I have met so many amazing people (co-workers with similar values, volunteers and patients) that I would never have found otherwise. The salary isn’t great, but the flexible schedule, great benefits and warm fuzzies more than make up for it.

sure, i make diddly, but i’m working for the greater good! and it really is just as rewarding as i thought it would be. damn the man!

This podcast rocks. The presenter really knows her stuff. She discusses a ton of topics, including résumé writing, whether degrees/certificates are worthwhile, volunteering as an entry path, compensation, and mistakes to avoid.

http://sic.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail3176.html

Well, fall is here and I finally got in touch again with the IT guy at Center for a New American Dream about working for them.

The good news is that, since I last spoke with them, they got together the budget to create a new position on their technology staff.

The bad news is…they hired someone else for it. On top of that, this more or less wipes out any remaining budget they have for compensating contractors…like myself.

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! That hurts! I’d be lying if I said it didn’t.

That said, it’s still early in the game. I need some time to react and get my new game plan together, but I think I still have a Plan B, C, D, ... up my sleeve. Good thing I’m currently on hiatus from work life and its attendant stresses, and am living a relaxed and happy life at present. Otherwise, I do not think I would be handling this news so well, I’d be probably feeling a lot more rage and heartbreak. Who knows, maybe it will hit me later. But I do find that stress makes me more likely to blow situations out of proportion.

But for now, I will indulge myself just a little bit and jump up and down in anguish for a couple of hours this afternoon. This may also call for Ben and Jerry’s, or Haagen-Daaz. But I think by tomorrow I’ll be ready to move on and plan my next move.

Not knowing whether I was going to get paid week after week was a major drag. So I would have to say that it’s not worth it. It’s too bad that the causes that many non-profits stand for can’t be supported by our taxes through the government.

I’m pushing to get my dream job at the Center for a New American Dream. I’m happy to report that the job hunt is going astonishingly well! I’ve been blogging here about my job hunting strategies, including how I wrote my résumé and how I approached the organization’s staff.

So I packed up my stuff, moved out of my house, quit my job, did three interviews, and was basically looking for the ‘ok’. They couldn’t get enough donations or something, so they eliminated the position. Pshaw. I had to find another job because I forgot about all my credit debt and was outta work for a month. I got a better paying job, but I’ll have to backburner this goal until I pay off my cards and finish school. It looks like I’m here for the long haul. :(

I drove to sunny San Diego on Monday. Problem : not sunny. It was rainy, and the good, cold kind of rainy that doesn’t feel like you’re in that room at 24 hour fitness with the wood benches that old guys are entirely too comfortable being naked on. I had me an interview with the lead architect; and I just wanted to let you all know that I OWNED IT IN THE FACE. Well, for not knowing the language at all or having the slightest bearing on the architecture; I owned.

Now I get to wait for the owners (not me… although I DO own) to get back from their vacation and determine if I’m worthy to be a part of their team. I put in my two weeks at the current job. Moving out of my house and into storage this coming Saturday, so I really hope it turns out allright, and it turns out allright sooner than later.