How to get unstuck?
September 28, 2010 6:40 PM Subscribe
Like many people in association management, I kind of fell into the position almost 10 years later. (I'm 35.) Fortunately/unfortunately, I'm still in the same position. How do I frame this as I job hunt?
I've worked for the same association for almost 10 years. I started there at the coordinator level shortly after I earned my undergrad and was promoted to director level within the year (small org, only one seat position than mine). I've been in that same staff director position for about 9 years. I have gone on to earn a credential, a Master's degree in a related field and a couple of awards within the past couple of years. I've been loading up on volunteer work to help flesh out my resume a bit, but I still feel like I need to apologize for/explain being in one position for so long.
How do I frame this so I can move on up the ladder elsewhere?
I've worked for the same association for almost 10 years. I started there at the coordinator level shortly after I earned my undergrad and was promoted to director level within the year (small org, only one seat position than mine). I've been in that same staff director position for about 9 years. I have gone on to earn a credential, a Master's degree in a related field and a couple of awards within the past couple of years. I've been loading up on volunteer work to help flesh out my resume a bit, but I still feel like I need to apologize for/explain being in one position for so long.
How do I frame this so I can move on up the ladder elsewhere?
I know nothing about association management and I'm not totally sure exactly what your question is (but I'll assume I do and continue).
I don't think spending 10 years in the same job (and same position, in a small organization) is really a negative, especially as this looks like it was your first job out of school. If you added credentials and awards along the way I think you've probably build a fairly reasonable resume showing increasing skill and responsibility. Frankly I generally discount resumes at the other extreme, where people have job hopped in search of better things. To me it shows a lack of persistence and commitment.
posted by Long Way To Go at 7:48 PM on September 28, 2010
I don't think spending 10 years in the same job (and same position, in a small organization) is really a negative, especially as this looks like it was your first job out of school. If you added credentials and awards along the way I think you've probably build a fairly reasonable resume showing increasing skill and responsibility. Frankly I generally discount resumes at the other extreme, where people have job hopped in search of better things. To me it shows a lack of persistence and commitment.
posted by Long Way To Go at 7:48 PM on September 28, 2010
Are you trying to transition entirely out of association management, or perhaps transfer your skills to another association?
I just left the association world after 4 years, because I felt a little trapped in a strange little industry and was sort of jealous of seeing all the cool work the people who belonged to our association were doing but felt constricted and confined with the ladder of my own little association. I'm not sure if that is how you are feeling, but if you are interested in perhaps still staying involved in association management, get involved with ASAE (you likely already are).
I am now pursuing a master's degree in a totally unrelated field, but if I had more options regarding moving to a different part of the country, I probably would have pursued a management position with a different association more closely tied to my interests. I definitely fell into my other job by accident and acquired a bunch of very specific, very non-transferable skills by working for my association; however, I also gained a ton of insight into how associations in general work and I do think that's a valuable skill set which you should be able to leverage as well.
A lot of associations are built on the Assistant - Coordinator - Manager - Director structure, and I think it's fine that you've been a Director for 9 years.
posted by DuckGirl at 8:02 PM on September 28, 2010
I just left the association world after 4 years, because I felt a little trapped in a strange little industry and was sort of jealous of seeing all the cool work the people who belonged to our association were doing but felt constricted and confined with the ladder of my own little association. I'm not sure if that is how you are feeling, but if you are interested in perhaps still staying involved in association management, get involved with ASAE (you likely already are).
I am now pursuing a master's degree in a totally unrelated field, but if I had more options regarding moving to a different part of the country, I probably would have pursued a management position with a different association more closely tied to my interests. I definitely fell into my other job by accident and acquired a bunch of very specific, very non-transferable skills by working for my association; however, I also gained a ton of insight into how associations in general work and I do think that's a valuable skill set which you should be able to leverage as well.
A lot of associations are built on the Assistant - Coordinator - Manager - Director structure, and I think it's fine that you've been a Director for 9 years.
posted by DuckGirl at 8:02 PM on September 28, 2010
Best answer: What or who on earth is making you feel insecure -- and so much so that you think you would need to apologize for ten years with one organization? Banish the thought.
I just left an association after over 11 years. In interviews, people were uniformly impressed that I had stayed with one organization for so long; it wasn't regarded negatively at all.
posted by desuetude at 8:48 PM on September 28, 2010
I just left an association after over 11 years. In interviews, people were uniformly impressed that I had stayed with one organization for so long; it wasn't regarded negatively at all.
posted by desuetude at 8:48 PM on September 28, 2010
501(c)(6) here.
Relax. Your resume sounds terrific.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 5:05 AM on September 29, 2010
Relax. Your resume sounds terrific.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 5:05 AM on September 29, 2010
Best answer: Another association management pro here (surprised how many of us are hiding in the woodwork at MeFi). Now and then I've looked for opportunities outside of the association world and have had no problems landing interviews at regular, for-profit companies. Focus on your skills - is it project management, strategic planning, marketing, sales, education, budgeting? Your profile says you're a do-gooder; do you want to go into charitable nonprofit work? Your skills will *totally* translate (working with volunteers, possibly grant/foundation/donation solicitation stuff, project management, etc.)
The fact that you were director level at a small org means you probably did everything - and who doesn't want an employee with that kind of breadth of experience? I understand feeling in association management that you're a jack of all trades, master of none compared to all the specialists in the for-profit world. But I guarantee you it's a positive to have been basically running the place for 9 years. Combined with the Masters degree, awards, etc. and it sounds like your resume is fantastic!
I think people in association management do tend to stick around longer than in other jobs. Not sure why - maybe it's the decent benefits, the fact we all just fell into this, the variety in our day-to-day work - but we've got several people in my org that have been here their entire working career, like 20-30+ years.
posted by misskaz at 7:28 AM on September 29, 2010
The fact that you were director level at a small org means you probably did everything - and who doesn't want an employee with that kind of breadth of experience? I understand feeling in association management that you're a jack of all trades, master of none compared to all the specialists in the for-profit world. But I guarantee you it's a positive to have been basically running the place for 9 years. Combined with the Masters degree, awards, etc. and it sounds like your resume is fantastic!
I think people in association management do tend to stick around longer than in other jobs. Not sure why - maybe it's the decent benefits, the fact we all just fell into this, the variety in our day-to-day work - but we've got several people in my org that have been here their entire working career, like 20-30+ years.
posted by misskaz at 7:28 AM on September 29, 2010
Response by poster: Many thanks for the props and the feedback, everyone. :)
posted by meindee at 7:19 PM on October 12, 2010
posted by meindee at 7:19 PM on October 12, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by meindee at 6:44 PM on September 28, 2010