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I am burnt out with contract work.

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Anonymous

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I am burnt out with contract work.

Since July I have been interviewing for permanent employment. It is extremely hard in this market. I have 10 years of consultancy experience as a Branding Marketer and Communications Lead with a client roster including organizations, schools, non-profits and professionals. With the help of an Interview Coach, I have received several emails from TA and HR leads, plus a referral that landed me a 5 round interview (in February) with a Fortune 100 company. That cycle lasted 6 weeks. Later in March, I interviewed with a reputable, Fortune 500 company, with 4 rounds of interviews. Both roles were within my wheelhouse of branding, marketing, and communications (I also have an MFA in Creative Writing with agency copywriting experience), but neither landed me an offer. Bummer!

My client roster as a consultant is 2/3 non-profit. I am seriously thinking of completely moving into the non-profit space and seeking permanent employment in this sector. The private sector feels overly saturated, and I'm hearing the best way to land a job in this market is to either a) wait it out because the interview to job offer cycle is 18 months; b) have someone on the inside be your champion to "pull you in".

January 2025 will be 18 months for my permanent job search. I am burnt out from contracting, but I am also getting interview burn out, and wondering if I need to open up my options and create a non-profit resume.

With having transferable skills, do I switch sectors? Or do I stay the course ? P.S. I am permanently relocating from Chicago to Philadelphia (on my own dime).

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  1. Anonymous

    Why cut your options? Why one or the other?

  2. Anonymous

    Good question. I feel like there may be more viable options in the non-profit sector. But certainly open to both sectors as I'm skilled in both.

  3. Anonymous

    Why are you relocating to Philly ? I hope not for a temp/contract job. That would not be wise.

  4. Anonymous

    No, not going to Philly for temp or contract work. It's a family move, so for personal reasons. What's your insight into Philly's job market?

  5. Anonymous

    Glad it was a family move. If you stay in education, you should get a job quickly. If you are looking for a new career outside of education, then you will have the same obstacles as you did in Chicago.

  6. Anonymous

    Good to know. Feels like the non-profit section in Philly is stronger particularly in DC and DE. Chicago in corporate is overly saturated, but I feel strongly about creating a non-profit resume. Thanks for your insight!

  7. Anonymous

    Create several resume versions each highlighting your different areas of interest - and use them to go after the roles you really want. Keep contracting to stay employed & engaged until you land that ideal role...Good Luck!

  8. Anonymous

    Good advice. Thanks!

  9. Anonymous

    Definitely have different resumes. I went though a but different scenario but came from the business world ( pre covid) then transferred my skills into nonprofit. I too have different resumes but for some reason have had many more interviews I. The nonprofit space. I unfortunately been looking for a little over a year but it’s definitely doable.

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