Are You Prepared for an Unexpected Career Change
When Change Finds You, Ready or Not
Everyday there is a news story about someone who was unexpectedly laid off, especially in the civil service sector. And then there are the vanishing government grants leading to terminations in the academic sector. What a chaotic time!
I was an executive director/senior pastor for faith-based nonprofits (read: churches) for 23 years. But when I found myself suddenly unemployed last year, I needed to start a new career. I knew I wanted to find another leadership role in the nonprofit sector, but not necessarily as a pastor.
It was like losing a piece of myself. My religious ministry was a vocation (from the Greek voca, meaning “call”). It was all I’d trained for and all I’d ever done as a vocation. Not to mention the stigma that was attached to losing a job, especially ministry. I needed others who could help me!
Key Questions to Ask Yourself
That got me thinking: What should we in the nonprofit community be doing to prepare for a possible career change? Maybe you don’t want to make a change. But with the recent upheavals in grant funding and public service layoffs, we should all be making back-up plans just in case!
I recommend asking yourself…
❓“Do I want to return to nonprofit service?”
There is no one way to approach this question. But you can familiarize yourself with useful and trustworthy tools. My Duke alumni association uses Mission Collaborative. I just started the program but it looks great!
There are modules you would expect like strength-finding. But there are also opportunities for self-discovery in examining things like my limiting-beliefs. And I’m already making very helpful connections with the other participants.
↪️ “How do I get ready for change?”
When change came for me, I went to my first Hive Chat with The Nonprofit Hive and met my incomparable coach: Claire Waiksnoris. I also earned the Duke Certificate in Nonprofit Management to equip me with the latest in best practices.
The Hive Chats were both practical and personal. They led to helpful connections tailored to my exact experience. But they were also encouraging experiences that helped me see where I could fit in the nonprofit community with my skills and experience.
👣 “What steps should I take?”
Yes, I jumped into LinkedIn. But I also joined the local chapters of the nonprofit professional associations and started going to their events. And I signed up for more Hive Chats!
Tools That Helped Me Pivot with Confidence
🧰“What tools do I need?”
Some are obvious: email, word processor, etc. But I didn’t realize how much I would use Canva and a good AI, mainly in “branding” myself for employers. No, I don’t have AI write my cover letters or resumes for me. But I do ask it for ideas of things to include in them based on each job description and I take it from there.
For example, you can feed a good AI chatbot a job description and ask it to identify key words. Or have it look for anything unusual or unique that you might want to consider mentioning later. If a job is in a location with which you are not familiar, you can ask about the location and the need that the nonprofit is addressing there.
Building Emotional Resilience for Career Shifts
Navigating a career change is already difficult when it is planned. But when it comes unexpectedly, it brings not just logistics—but grief, fear, and identity shifts.
The Nonprofit Hive came alongside other resources that continue to help me today: counseling, spiritual direction, journaling, and making sure to exercise in between lots of resume-writing.
Finding Community During Uncertainty
However career change might come your way, expected or unexpected, this is a good time to think about what you would need and do. What have you found helpful in a time of career change? What tools do you already have? What do you need to have?
The words of the late author Reynolds Price wrote, “What I still ask for daily-for life as long as I have work to do, and work as long as I have life.” People talk about a work/life balance but usually in the context of self-care. When you are unemployed the imbalance comes with not having as much work as you have life.
Take the First Step—Even If It’s Small
Your experience and skills are valuable. The nonprofit community has already taught you resilience and adaptability. Who knows? You might go through an unexpected change and discover that it was serendipitous!
If you find yourself unexpectedly unemployed:
- Explore certificate and coaching opportunities,
- See what your alumni association might offer, and
- Network with people who are doing what you see yourself doing.
Join The Nonprofit Hive community for insightful discussions and valuable connections. Share your own experiences and insights or sign up for an upcoming Hive Chat to connect with others. Together, we can be stronger and prepared for anything! Join today 🐝
Taylor W. Mills is seeking to bring his 23 years of nonprofit leadership experience to a new opportunity to make a difference. He has a degree in communication, a master’s in Divinity from Duke, a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke, and certificates in data analytics, business intelligence, and project management from Google.
He’s the author of 3 books and numerous articles. He occasionally disappears down fascinating Wikipedia rabbit holes. linktr.ee/taylorwmills