How to get your fundraising “Mojo” back through finding your ideal development position

Not satisfied with where you are currently in your field?  Feeling like you have lost your “Mojo?”

I know the feeling, I have “been there done that” as they say.

What often happens next, is that we begin to apply for job after job with the hopes of landing the next thing that will save us from our misery.  Or you listen to your peers who tell you what they think is the next best move for your career.

And, misery it can be. Fundraising is not easy, it is hard and compound that with other factors such as unrealistic expectations and bad bosses and it is a recipe for being just plain miserable.

So if that process is not the answer, then what is?

You too can have the  “life of your dreams” if you so dare to want to follow the steps below.

Here is what I recommend to get your fundraising “Mojo” back:

• Before you even start applying for positions, stop and envision what your life looks like a year or two or more from now.  What are you doing?  Who are you working for?  What sort of mission?  What type of boss?  What are the things that you are doing?  Do you have staff and if so how many and what are their responsibilities?  Where are you working?  What are your hours?  What is your salary?
• Once you have a clear vision of your “Future Self” now you must craft a mission and vision statement.  Take that mission and vision and place it somewhere that you see it often.  It will serve as a reminder of where you are headed.
• Based on your mission and vision, develop some searchable words that will focus your career search towards the specific locale, salary range, type of job, type of organisational mission, etc.
• Once you have key search terms, then begin searching.  Don’t limit yourself to one search engine.  Search and determine all of the relevant job boards that may have listings you would not otherwise identify on your own.
• Begin to meet with your peers and network with others to seek their input and to identify potential leads in the field not posted on job boards.
• Develop a list of your top ten organisations that you would like to work. Identify how the leadership is within those organisations and schedule informational interviews to learn more about the workplace, mission, etc.
• From these informational interviews, develop a top organisation prospect list. And, just as you would with major donors, continue to engage with and build relationships with the key contacts there.  You never know when a position may become open and available.
• Update, enhance, and use your social networks such as LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. to showcase your work in ways that resumes cannot and to supercharge your job search effort.
• These are some ways that you can quickly work to get your fundraising “Mojo” back by finding your next best move that fits the ideal life that you want to live.  Don’t surrender to mediocrity in your professional career.  As professionals, we must define the life that we want to live and the next best career move that will get us to our “ideal self.”

For a free, 30-minute consultation, or to learn more about our “Survive and Thrive” professional coaching services, visit us here at www.developmentconsultingsolutions.com or book your fundraising coaching session at http://calendly.com/developmentconsultingsolutions/30min.

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