Dear Anna,
I am ready for something new. I currently work at a nonprofit that is geographically located away from where I live, and so I don’t know the people around me. I’m interested in finding something closer to home. Where do I start?
– Feeling Isolated
Dear Feeling Isolated,
Let’s start with the core issue of a feeling of isolation. With that in mind, you might want to start with some strategies to expand your network before changing your work situation. That is, unless you are ready for a change at work no matter what. Regardless of if you ultimately decide to stay or go, here are some considerations for expanding your network of work colleagues:
1. Connect with your local Chamber of Commerce. Through it, you can learn about the businesses in your geographic area. Many host or sponsor programs, including meet-ups, collaboratives, and alliances. Through your local Chamber of Commerce you can start to get to know the wide range of businesses in your geographic region, including local nonprofits.
2. Connect with the nonprofit organizations that serve your state’s nonprofits. For example, The New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits provides support to nonprofits in New Hampshire, and Common Good Vermont provides support to nonprofits in Vermont. Both send out regular job announcements.
3. Connect with mission-driven organizations that are meaningful to you. To me, all nonprofits are mission-driven organizations. In addition, some for-profit businesses are mission-driven as well – as in, they prioritize helpful goals beyond simply making a profit. Think about what causes or initiatives are meaningful to you, and use those interests to help you to get to know some mission-driven organizations in your geographic area. For example, if your state has a Business for Social Responsibility nonprofit, you can learn about the socially responsible businesses that are active in your state. New Hampshire has New Hampshire Businesses for Social Responsibility (NHBSR), and Vermont has Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR). As another example, if you are interested in learning about businesses that are active environmental partners to the planet, One Percent (1%) for the Planet has a directory of Business Members and Environmental Partners where you can search by location.
To be sure, finding your people can take time and can feel demoralizing. Take incremental steps. Before you judge how well the process of changing jobs or expanding your network in general is going, get clear on the type of people you want to meet, the kinds of things that you want to do, and what geographic area is of interest. You can also start to build your network on LinkedIn. What I like about its job search feature is that you can select a geographic area and key words. It will email you alerts that match your preferences.
As you start to get to know the businesses in your area, add your contact information to their mailing lists. Specific to nonprofits, consider attending their annual meetings, and/or becoming involved in nonprofit board service. The more that you connect with people at a range of organizations tied to your specific interests, the more you will start to see what might be a good fit for you in the future!
Good luck, and keep the questions coming!
—
Disclaimer: These tips are meant to be a helpful starting point of ideas. Proceed at your own risk. Each person and organization is different, and this information may or may not help you. Try what resonates with you, keeping in mind common sense and circumstances. Seek professional advice that is tailored to your specific situation.
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