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Job Searching Out Loud: A Fundraiser’s Honest Journey
37 Plays22 days ago
In this candid conversation, Brianna Quinn, VP of Development at Let’s Get Ready, shares what it was like to conduct a public job search after leaving a role that wasn’t the right fit. She talks about how to spot red flags in job descriptions, how she thought about values alignment, and the challenges of vetting organizational culture from the outside. Whether you're hiring or job hunting, Brianna’s insights are refreshingly honest and deeply practical.
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to the Abundant Vision Fundraising Podcast. Whether you are a seasoned professional or a first-time fundraiser, we have the advice you need to take your next step toward major gift mastery.
00:00:18
Speaker
I'm your host, Tom Dauber, President of Abundant Vision Philanthropic Consulting.
Meet the Guest: Brianna Quinn
00:00:26
Speaker
Well, this is Tom Dauber. I am here with Brianna Quinn. She is the vice president of development for Let's Get Ready. Well, welcome to the show, Brianna.
00:00:38
Speaker
Thank you. Happy to be here.
About Let's Get Ready
00:00:40
Speaker
Goodness. Well, you know, I've got a number of questions for you and I know we've got limited time, but I would love to hear just a little bit about Let's Get Ready. Tell us about what you're doing there.
00:00:50
Speaker
Yeah. So Let's Get Ready is the most prominent near peer college access, near peer mentoring college access organization. And we are, we have roughly a hundred college coaches that mentor first generation and low income college students through both the access and the success. So we want, not only do we want first generation college students to enter college, but we want them to graduate, persist and graduate through college. And so we have mentors, near-peer mentors that, you know, can answer those questions that maybe a student wouldn't want to ask an adult.
00:01:26
Speaker
That's really great. That's exciting.
Transparency in Job Search
00:01:29
Speaker
Well, now getting into this role took you some time and you did it very publicly, if I recall correctly. And that's kind of why I wanted to have you on the show today.
00:01:40
Speaker
You were very brave. If our listeners don't know much about you, Brianna kind of journaled about her journey, looking for a job on LinkedIn for the whole world to see.
00:01:52
Speaker
That was really, really cool. And so I'd love to hear a little bit about what inspired you to take such a transparent approach and how it affected your experience. Yeah. So this job search, like it started all the way back in September of 2023.
00:02:08
Speaker
So it has been like, I've actually been through two job searches in that time frame. And I, when I lost my job in September of 2023, really didn't know what I was going to do because I'd always identified as a fundraiser. I had been in the field for 25 years. Like my job was, was my job. Like it was my life.
00:02:27
Speaker
And so I felt like, what am I going to do? I need to find my voice. I don't want to lose my voice. So I started just like on LinkedIn, sharing my experience, sharing what I think about fundraising, what I think about the philanthropy sector at large.
00:02:43
Speaker
And then as I went along in the job search process, I realized not to sound like an old lady, but this is not your mother's job search anymore. Like this is totally different ballgame.
00:02:56
Speaker
Like I can remember interviewing for a job over like a week or two and getting the offer. Like now it's not like that. And so there was one specific instance where I was a finalist for a role and I received an email on Christmas Eve that that it was a failed search on Christmas Eve.
00:03:17
Speaker
And I posted about it. And was like, listen, like, here's what's happening in the job search. Like, this is crazy. It's Christmas Eve, people. I was a finalist and they told me it was a failed search. Like, this is awful.
00:03:29
Speaker
That post went viral. And that's when people started messaging me and being like, this is the same thing I'm experiencing. This is the same thing I'm experiencing. And I thought, you know what?
00:03:39
Speaker
I admit that I come from a place of privilege. I knew that I had the finances to cover me for a while. and knew I had family that would support me if things got really dire. And so like, I'm going to start posting about this more and just all the crazy things that happened.
00:03:55
Speaker
And through that, more and more people started messaging me and was like, please keep talking about this. This is this is what is happening. Like, please keep talking about it. And so I did.
Navigating Job Search Challenges
00:04:04
Speaker
And then in April of 2024, I found a role that I thought was the dream job.
00:04:08
Speaker
I was super excited about it. Within two months of that role, I knew was a big mistake and thought, oh my gosh, what am I going to do? Well, that organization actually offered a buyout to every single person in the organization.
00:04:21
Speaker
i took it. Like I was one of the people that took it. And so I was only there for like six months. And I thought, how in the heck am I going to like share this on LinkedIn? Like I've been so transparent, so authentic, so vulnerable.
00:04:34
Speaker
I thought, well, here we go. This is, this is part of the process. Like you think you have this perfect job and it's not. And so got back on and started talking about it again in October 2024.
00:04:45
Speaker
And um was hired, was offered in January. it wasn't too long of a break and then started here in February. But it was quite the journey, quite the journey.
00:04:58
Speaker
Brianna, obviously you weren't expecting on Christmas Eve to be told that you were part of a failed search as a finalist. What were some of the other most surprising things you learned about yourself as a fundraiser and dealing with employers during your job search?
Values in Fundraising
00:05:14
Speaker
Yeah, so I think for me, I really learned that I was going to have to lean into my values and that the transactional historical way of fundraising was not how I viewed fundraising.
00:05:25
Speaker
And, you know, I went to the Lilly Family School Philanthropy and got my master's, but that was 25 years ago. And so, yes, they taught us. fundraising 101, but those things aren't necessarily relevant anymore.
00:05:38
Speaker
And so I really leaned into what am I looking for, that authenticity, that vulnerability, building relationships, and looked at values. And if a job description said, bring your portfolio of donors or raise 6 million in six months, I didn't even apply.
00:05:54
Speaker
um was like, I'm not going to put myself in a position where that's expected. And that's some really helpful information for, especially for young fundraisers who are just maybe in their first or second search.
00:06:06
Speaker
There really are organizations out there that are thinking that they're going to hire, you know, some type of rainmaker who's just going to bring a Rolodex full of of names with them.
00:06:18
Speaker
Yeah. And it's out there. And think it's interesting because I, you know, when I would see these organizations, I would kind of just pay attention to see who they hired. And there were people that I'm like, man, I kind of feel sorry for them. I hope this works out because that job description was challenging.
00:06:35
Speaker
Well, kind of a related question.
Evaluating Potential Employers
00:06:38
Speaker
How did you evaluate whether a potential employer truly understood valued the role of a major gift officer during the interview process?
00:06:49
Speaker
Yeah. when they asked me, when the questions focused more on relationship building and collaboration, and not just on tell me about the largest gift you've raised.
00:07:03
Speaker
Because when I was asked that question, which I mean, it's a pretty standard question. Tell about the largest gift you raised. I would always start with, let me be clear. When you hit a certain gift level, it is a collaborative approach and it is the CEO is involved program officers involved.
00:07:22
Speaker
I, at that point, almost become a behind the scenes orchestrator of making sure that the ask goes smooth, that I am not, you know, it's not just me doing the work.
00:07:33
Speaker
And there was one job description for a role that I interviewed for and then withdrew because I accepted this role where the job description said something along the lines of you, like the first sentence is like, you will be building relationships.
00:07:48
Speaker
And I was like, That's perfect. Like that is exactly like you will be building relationships. You will be. And so that to me, I was like, they get it. They get it. And so I think that it's important. It's little word changes, but I think it's important to pay attention to those because words matter.
00:08:05
Speaker
As you had these interviews, were there any recurring red flags that you found in job postings or interviews that you would advise other fundraisers to watch out for?
00:08:18
Speaker
Yeah, I think. For me, red flags would include anything that says like, you're going to be responsible for raising X amount of money in a very short time. And for me, that short time is like less than a year.
00:08:31
Speaker
Because that first year, you're building relationships, you're evaluating your own portfolio, trying to figure out, you know what is what within the organization, understanding how the theory of change works, just understanding the organization. So anything that is within a year, anything that says,
00:08:50
Speaker
fast paced or we're a family or we're looking for somebody who doesn't take no for an answer or like things like that. I'm like, because I wish that there was one I wish I could remember exactly what it said, but it was something along those lines of like, you don't take no for an answer or you figure out a way to make like it was just very interesting. And I was like, yeah, no, that's not.
00:09:13
Speaker
So pay attention to that. And I will also say, look at their values. And when you're interviewing with them, ask how their values show up in their work day to day.
00:09:24
Speaker
Because I think that that's important because I think a lot of times in the nonprofit sector, we can say things like we value inclusivity and diverse thought and compassion. Then when an employee has a different way of thinking a project or a problem, how do you embrace that value that you say you have in the day-to-day work.
00:09:49
Speaker
And think organizations kind of struggle with that sometimes. Tom Dauber here for Abundant Vision Philanthropic Consulting. Fundraising can be hard work and it can be hard to mentally get into the place you need to be in order to see new opportunities.
00:10:05
Speaker
Everyone struggles with it. We are like the fish in the fishbowl who just can't see the water they're swimming in.
Consulting Services Promotion
00:10:12
Speaker
That's when having outside expertise comes in handy. For 25 years, I've been helping nonprofits analyze their challenges, discover new ways forward, and develop clear plans that lead to greater fundraising revenues.
00:10:26
Speaker
Now I am available to help your organization develop the abundant vision it needs to inspire new levels of philanthropy at your nonprofit as well. Check out AbundantVision.net to start your journey toward greater fundraising success today.
00:10:41
Speaker
Now, back to the show.
00:10:44
Speaker
Now, you mentioned earlier that an organization describing itself as a family is a red flag for you. what's What's the problem with that? um I have a family and I know that my family would never fire me.
00:11:02
Speaker
I know they would never fire me if I didn't do something right or if I did something wrong, they would not fire me. They do not. me for my day-to-day existence. And like, I understand like you want to have a good working environment, but to say that you are a family is overstretching. And I do think it is important. You can have close relationships with those people that you work with, but you also need to set boundaries. And let me tell you, like, so when I lost my job in 2023, didn't reach out.
00:11:33
Speaker
They were former colleagues. And all of a sudden I became like the pariah. Hmm. And so I'm like, I think my family would have reached out. But you know what i mean? Like if i and they did. so like, I just think you just have to have that understanding when you go through ah job transition that you sort of realize like, OK, these people weren't really my friends. They because they're not reaching out to me now that I'm not a colleague.
00:11:59
Speaker
And that was sad, but it was a good lesson. Right. Yeah. That's especially true. It's especially true if you managed people. Yes. Yes. You have to keep, i mean, you can, I love the person that I manage right now in this role. She's fabulous. She's smart. She's great.
00:12:16
Speaker
But like, I know there's going to be times where I'm going to, she's going to probably not like me because I'm going ask her to do something that she doesn't want to do or that she doesn't agree with. But that's, that's the job. And she may say things that I don't agree with, but I let her go ahead and do it because I'm like, we'll see what happens. Like, let's just do it.
00:12:33
Speaker
Now back to your job search. What were your priorities? What were you looking for in a job? um So the first thing was mission. I have stayed in either higher education or K-12 education, advocacy, and policy work for almost my entire career.
00:12:50
Speaker
mean, I had a few stints in workforce development, which was kind of related, and then like a local community organization. But for the most part, education is, as a first generation college graduate, super important to me.
00:13:03
Speaker
And the second thing that I looked for was values. I wanted to work for a place that aligned with my values. And then i wanted to work for not only my direct boss, but a CEO that had a strong vision and also understood that, you know what, I know I need to be a fundraiser, but it's not my best. It's not my favorite thing to do. You know, like they, they were self-aware enough to know, like, I know I need to fundraise.
00:13:33
Speaker
I also know that's not my subject matter expertise. Like, so think having that vulnerability in that relationship with not only the CEO, but whoever you're directly reporting to. And sometimes it could be that same person was super important to me.
00:13:47
Speaker
And I think I have found that here. i think it's, you know, we can have these conversations and I can share data and be like, this is a challenge or this is what we need to do to address this. And I've been in roles where that was not the case.
00:14:01
Speaker
I think about some of our listening audience, you know, maybe they're getting to the end of their time. at an organization, maybe they're feeling burnt out a bit or undervalued.
00:14:12
Speaker
Well, what advice would you give to people like that, that may be ready to move, but but are feeling hesitant? Start looking. I mean, if you think that you are ready to move, even if you feel hesitant, start looking now and start putting feelers out there with your network because ah job search now can take six months.
00:14:38
Speaker
Easy. Six months easy. It could take a year. Like I know people that have been looking for a job for over a year in this field. And so you are even thinking about it, start, start looking because what you don't want to happen. And I think we've all been there where it's going be fine. I'm going to push through. It's going to be fine. I'm going to push through.
00:15:01
Speaker
and then six months later, you're like, okay, it's not fine. I need to start looking. Then just realize you're going another six months of probably looking. And so, again, it's not your mom's job search anymore. You're going to have to sound ridiculous saying that, but you are going to have to and realize that it's a long game.
00:15:23
Speaker
And there's lots of candidates out there right now, especially with everything going on in the federal space. It's a crowded field. I'm curious, being as public as you were about your search, did it lead to any job leads or job offers that you didn't look, but people just came to you and said, hey, here's something you should consider?
Impact of Public Job Search
00:15:44
Speaker
I definitely had a lot of people reach out to me um and say, hey, I thought of you for this. I thought of you for that. i I don't think, I wouldn't say that anything like came from it.
00:15:56
Speaker
LinkedIn or anything specific, but I will say that I did have a lot of people like reaching out with options, but i admit it was picky. I was so picky.
00:16:07
Speaker
You hear the people who apply for hundreds of jobs. And I was the person that applied for, i think the first time I applied for like over six months, maybe 60 jobs over six months, maybe i can't remember. I have a spreadsheet, but I haven't looked at in a while.
00:16:23
Speaker
And this last time I think I applied for like Like I was very, very picky. And there's of jobs out there, but I just didn't, I was, I did not want to jump into another mess.
00:16:38
Speaker
And so I was very smart. I'm curious, having jumped into a mess, is, are there, were there any learnings that you took away from the jumping into the mess?
00:16:51
Speaker
Yeah, I think I should have asked deeper, more probing questions during the interview process. That's all the time we have today, but be sure to tune in next week to hear the next part of this exciting conversation. Now, if you've enjoyed this podcast, please be sure to subscribe and give us a five-star rating on your podcast provider.
00:17:12
Speaker
I'm your host, Tom Dauber. Thank you for joining me as we journey together towards major gift mastery on the Abundant Vision Fundraising Podcast.