Judy left an executive role in the not-for-profit sector to become a mission-driven entrepreneur. She and her co-founder of EvolveMe built a gap-filling, job search program for women in midlife.

Listen in to hear these keys to search that apply to everyone:

1. Ditch the career ladder and the “shoulds.” Your first step is about checking in with you. Check out their free SWOT** tool in the show notes.

**Strengths, Wishes, Opportunities and Truths

2. Don’t go it alone. Judy shares the power of community. Job seekers from a variety of industries and experience gain confidence faster and see new paths when they are on the search together.

3. A compelling “elevator pitch” is about your future, the impact you want to have, and your values.

4. Defining and managing your personal brand puts you in the drivers seat. This articulation helps your network make the best connections for you.

5. Try it on. Strategic volunteering (even one day) or project-based work will give you the exposure to the not-for-profit sector you need to see if it’s a right match for you at this moment.

For women in midlife, this is a can’t miss episode. Judy shares most common stumbling blocks and how to clear them. (Hint: growth mindset, self-reflection, career reframing, it’s not too late). She noticed that women tend to focus on doing a great job in their current role and neglect to think about their career.

If you don’t know where to begin or are feeling rudderless, this episode is for you. Judy distills the job search and will help you move your bias toward action.

Show Notes:

EvolveMe Website

EvolveMe SWOT resource

EvolveMe's Reinvention Collective training

Schedule your EvolveMe complimentary 1:1 call here

About the Guest:

Judy Schoenberg is co-founder of Evolve Me where she works with groups of women in midlife looking to relaunch, reinvent or level up their careers. She also works with companies invested in building and sustaining top female talent.

She honed her skills at national organizations like Girl Scouts of the USA and the Ms. Foundation for Women as well as locally at Pace University’s women’s leadership initiative and has also worked for community-based and start-up ventures. Her work has been featured at the White House, MAKERS, npr.com, Forbes.com, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune and The Washington Post.

Additionally, she brings her background as a wellness coach to promote an integrated approach for women exploring meaning and work. She holds leadership roles at several nonprofit educational institutions and a Master's of Education in human development and psychology from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

#careercoach #nonprofit #careertransition #jobsearch #philanthropy #midlife #thirdsector

Tired of feeling like a passenger in your own career? Join us as we chat with Christa Stelzmuller, a seasoned tech pro who traded the hustle of e-commerce for world-changing work. Christa made a bold leap into the not-for-profit world, landing the coveted role of Chief Technology Officer at charity:water.

Learn how she navigated the transition, filled in knowledge gaps, and found a mission and culture that truly resonated.

Whether you're considering a similar switch or simply want to take more control of your professional path, this episode offers valuable insights and inspiration.

Listen in and take some pointers from her process:

• Take control: Don't let your career happen to you. Own your path and make intentional decisions.

• Take the time: A major career change may be several months in the making, start today.

• Skill up: Identify your knowledge and skills gaps and actively seek out opportunities to learn.

• Find your fit: Use the interview process to discover if the organization's mission and culture align with your values.

• Go with who you are: Make a clear statement in your application about the skills you have to offer and how you plan to use these transferable skills in the role.

Christa digs into tech in the not-for-profit sector. Two essential transferable skills for moving from the for-profit to not-for-profit sector are change management and database/CRM management. She shares examples of transferable skills from sales funnels to fundraising and using data for storytelling. She shares that success comes when you can drive data through to the human experience.

A year into her sector-switching role, she’s very happy she made the shift. She encourages you to go for the career switch of your dreams.

A common thread throughout Christa Stelzmuller’s career has been a multidisciplinary approach to leveraging data and technology for better decisions, better products, and better delivery. She is focused on building innovative and useful digital experiences and is deeply motivated by mission. She has a demonstrated ability to translate a vision to a strategy and then connect that strategy to execution. Key to that are her strengths in communication and team leadership. She easily pivots between conversations with investors and board members, fellow leadership team members, and more junior team members and fosters high levels of productivity through a service-oriented, participative approach to leading her teams.

Dreaming of a career change with purpose? You're not alone! In this episode, career development coach Emily Lamia shares practical advice on how to design your ideal not-for-profit job and make it a reality. Discover how to:

• Identify your ideal role: Learn to pinpoint what you truly want in your next career move and how to start making small changes today.
• Plan ahead: Learn why starting to think about your next move 6 months in advance is key, even when your current job is great.
• Take small steps: Find out how to build skills and gain experience without quitting your day job.
• Assess potential employers: Uncover hidden insights about organizations through behavioral interviews and IRS Form 990.
• Start exploring: Get inspired to take low-stakes actions like following industry leaders and joining professional associations.

Emily's expert advice will inspire you to take control of your career and create a fulfilling path in the nonprofit world. Don't wait any longer – start planning your pivot today!

Ready to turn your passion into a fulfilling career? Hit play and start your journey towards a more meaningful job!

About the guest:

Emily Lamia founded Pivot Journeys in 2016 to provide professionals with the strategies and support they need to find meaningful work and to empower them to be inspired, engaged, and effective on the job.

As a career development coach, she has been helping people grow and develop in their careers for over a decade. She has supported countless people to network more effectively, interview more confidently, and think more strategically about how to get where they want to go. But, before that, she had to navigate my own career journey.

She knows what it’s like to feel stuck and be unsure of how to find the right kind of work for you, and how to land the job you want. She also knows what it’s like to work on a dysfunctional team with bad management. And I know a bad manager can be the reason you leave your job.

Her goal is to make it less painful for you to identify what you love doing and for you to get the opportunity to do it.

As a Gallup-certified Strengths Coach, certified Designing Your Life Coach, and certified administrator of an Enneagram assessment, Emily has completed 100+ hours of training and regularly participate in ongoing education to become the best coach she can be for her clients.

Dr. Lisa Orbe-Austin, a licensed psychologist and career coach, joins us to discuss how Imposter Syndrome can hold people back in their careers and how to overcome it specifically in the context of a non-profit job search.

You’ll learn:

• Why 70% of people experience Imposter Syndrome, and it’s not just women
• How to identify the two cycles of Imposter Syndrome that lead to burnout and self sabotage (and how self-care can help you break free from them)
• How to recognize a toxic work environment during the interview process (and what to do if you’re already in one)
• Techniques to manage Imposter Syndrome throughout your job search, including:

Imposter Syndrome is a common issue, but it doesn’t have to hold you back. This episode will equip you with the tools you need to launch your non-profit career with confidence.

Resources Referenced:

Own Your Greatness: Overcome Impostor Syndrome, Beat Self-Doubt, and Succeed in Life

Your Unstoppable Greatness: Break Free of Impostor Syndrome, Cultivate Your Agency, and Achieve Your Ultimate Career Goals

Dr. Lisa Orbe-Austin provides career advice on NBC LX

Career Transitions

Instagram

Pomodoro Technique

The Impostor Phenomenon: Psychological Research, Theory, and Interventions

Dr. Valerie Young

Feeling stuck in your job search? Emily Christakis, NCRW, tells us how to gain all-access to the hidden job market through networking. This episode is packed with actionable advice to help you build your confidence, expand your network and move forward.

Here are the key takeaways:

Weak Ties Theory

• Weak ties refer to infrequent contacts in your network, like old colleagues or acquaintances.

• These connections are valuable because they expose you to new job opportunities you might not otherwise find through your close network.

• A LinkedIn study confirmed that weak ties lead to a higher likelihood of job mobility compared to strong ties.

• Actionable Tip: Expand your network beyond close friends and family. Reach out to old colleagues or acquaintances in person, via text and email, or on LinkedIn and let them know you're looking for new opportunities.

Imposter Syndrome

• Imposter syndrome is the feeling of doubt and inadequacy despite your accomplishments.

• It can manifest as negative self-talk, perfectionism, and downplaying your achievements.

• Actionable Tip: When experiencing imposter syndrome, challenge your automatic negative thoughts (ANTs) and replace them with evidence of your skills and experience.

Does it feel like you’re sending your resume into a black hole?

Learn the resume secrets that get you noticed!

This episode of Asking for Good is packed with tips from Nationally Certified Resume Writer, Emily Christakis. She reveals the FIVE AND A HALF biggest resume mistakes that sabotage your chances of landing the interview and teaches you how to craft a resume that passes initial screening and is an irresistible magnet for hiring managers.

Listen in to learn this and more:

• The secret layout trick that makes your resume visually appealing and easy to read (recruiters only spend SECONDS scanning resumes!)

• How to ditch outdated email addresses and phrases that scream "old-fashioned" (and potentially bias recruiters against you!)

• The way to use AI tools to your advantage without your resume sounding like a robot wrote it.

• Why a "one-size-fits-all" resume won't work and how to target your resume for the specific job you want.

• The bonus tip that is essential for resumes in the not-for-profit world.

Stop getting passed over! Tune in to finally write a resume that gets you interviews!

Drained by poor response to your generic resumes and uninspired job applications? There's a better way!

Join career coach Emily Christakis and discover the secrets to a targeted job search that gets you noticed.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• The power of your North Star: Find your purpose and craft a resume that shines.

• Beat the AI: Craft resumes and cover letters that sail through applicant tracking systems.

• Modern Job Search Landscape: a review of screening tools, how to learn industry jargon and tips for interviews

• Stay Motivated: how to stay productive even after setbacks.

Plus, get answers to burning questions:

• How many applications should I submit?

• Career break blues? We've got you covered.

• Should you hire a career coach?

• How to unlock the power of LinkedIn for your job search.

This is just Part 1! Stay tuned for more insights from Emily on launching your successful not-for-profit career.

About the Guest: Connecting people to work they love has been the hallmark of Emily Christakis’ career in human resources and career coaching.

She is a Nationally Certified Résumé Writer, one of only <75 writers to hold this distinction and an “Ask the Experts” contributor to pressing job search questions on behalf of The National Résumé Writers’ Association. She is a LinkedIn “Top Job Search Strategies” voice. Emily brings 15 years of experience spearheading organizational and talent development initiatives in global organizations spanning the mobile solutions, financial services and non-profit sectors.

A first-generation college graduate, she holds a Master in Counseling degree in Education from Fordham University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from St. John’s University. Her graduate work focused on career counseling theory and putting it into practice, including interpreting career and personality assessments.

When she’s not chasing after her two children at a NYC public playground, you will find Emily tinkering in the kitchen with her husband.

Episode 7 is the final episode of the STAKEHOLDERS SERIES and we’re talking about the tangential and necessary third-party players that support not-for-profit work. In this episode, we delve into the fascinating role of government relations and its impact on the nonprofit sector.

Our guest, Larisa Wick, JD, a seasoned government relations professional at The Wright Group. The Wright Group is the only government relations firm whose practice focuses exclusively on not-for-profit clients. Ms. Wick shares her insights on:

• How government relations firms support nonprofits: Learn how Larisa and her team help secure public funding, advance legislative policies, and ultimately, deepen the impact of nonprofit organizations.

• Different paths to a government relations career: Discover that there's no one-size-fits-all approach! From internships to legal backgrounds, Larisa shares various entry points and highlights the value of hands-on experience.

• Why a government relations career is fulfilling: Hear firsthand from Larisa about the unique rewards of working with nonprofits and making a difference in communities.

Whether you're a recent graduate, a career changer, or simply curious about the not-for-profit sector and the government relations field, this episode is packed with valuable information and inspiration.

Tune in and:

• Gain insights into a unique career path in the nonprofit sector.

• Discover how your skills and passion can contribute to meaningful change.

• Get motivated to pursue your dream job in the world of good.

Remember to subscribe and leave a review! We're here to help you find your perfect fit in the not-for-profit world.