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Got faked out by a new job...Now what?!?! — Brooklynian

Got faked out by a new job...Now what?!?!

lnelson
lnelson
edited November -1 in Park Slope
Sucker that I am (don't tell anyone I admitted that), I took a job at a nonprofit that imploded after 6 weeks due to lack of having any clue what they were doing.

But I've been meaning to go freelance (with writing; my background is journalism) for a while, so maybe this is a good thing - or at least it would be if I could find something part-time that was stable and not mind-numbing and without an abusive boss or insulting pay.

I'm not asking for job offers, but I am asking for suggestions. I know a ton of people in this neighborhood have unusual and creative job situations. Where do you look? (Besides Craigslist & JournalismJobs). Is there any magical secret source for people seeking part-time paralegal jobs (once upon a time I was a paralegal) or executive assistant jobs or other stable part-time jobs?

Help me, internet!

Comments

  • bob horan
    bob horan
    Sorry to hear about the implosion.

    Network your ass off! Have no shame in letting anyone and everyone know you are looking for work.

    Here's the trick - you have to tell them HOW they can help you. Be specific. Just saying "do you know anybody who would hire me.....?" or something vague isn't going to do it.

    Target your request along the lines of "I'm looking for work as a paralegal. Do you know anybody who works at a law firm, or who is in this industry? Do you know any recruiters who specialize in placing legal staff? Do you know of any networking groups or associations I can join to find this type of work?".

    That way people know pretty much right away if they can help you or not.

    I work through LinkedIn a lot...but I work in technology and financial services. It's very helpful for me, but not sure how much it would do for you. Worth a look and building your profile. It's free and you can import all of your contacts to see who is already on there. Then you can search for jobs and from there see if you know anybody connected to the hiring firm (six degrees of separation concept).

    Good luck!
  • darla
    darla
    Hey lnelson, sorry to about the gig. Maybe this is a sign that it was never meant to be. Something better will come along.

    Check mediabistro, a lot of media related gigs primarily focused on the creative spectrum - production and creative development. But you can get writing assignments as well.

    Another one to try is the ladders. It is a pay service that focuses on various fields including marketing, finance, tech, sales, etc. It is geared towards execs. A friend recently used it and got tons of interviews. Although he got his new job through an old colleague.

    Do you have contact info for recruiters in any of the fields you are interested in. They can be helpful and know of openings that you may not have access to.

    Best of luck, this is a new beginning rather than a set back.
  • darla
    darla
    Hey lnelson, sorry to about the gig. Maybe this is a sign that it was never meant to be. Something better will come along.

    Check mediabistro, a lot of media related gigs primarily focused on the creative spectrum - production and creative development. But you can get writing assignments as well.

    Another one to try is the ladders. It is a pay service that focuses on various fields including marketing, finance, tech, sales, etc. It is geared towards execs. A friend recently used it and got tons of interviews. Although he got his new job through an old colleague.

    Do you have contact info for recruiters in any of the fields you are interested in. They can be helpful and know of openings that you may not have access to.

    Best of luck, this is a new beginning rather than a set back.
  • livetotravel
    livetotravel
    agree w/media bistro -also check out idealist.org
  • stacey
    stacey
    I can tell you that with legal jobs you might be better with an agency. Some firms post jobs on Careerbuilder.com and law.com. I have been a legaL
    "secretaryparalegalallaroundoffice" gal for 20 years and have a couple agency names if you would like them. Just PM me and I would be more than happy to give them to you.


    Good luck and I hope you find what you are looking for.
  • apollonia666
    apollonia666
    If you're at all interested in doing media relations/p.r./whatnot for nonprofits again, you might want to check out the Progressive P.R. NYC Yahoo group. It's mostly job announcements, and not very high volume.

    Also, a lot of the legal nonprofits have openings for paralegals this time of year, as many of theirs end up going to law school.
  • lnelson
    lnelson
    Re PR/Media Relations/Etc. ... Since I bet a lot of you are also writers, I'll ask you. I graduated not from journalism school not that long ago, and they told us that an PR activities were the journalistic equivalent of selling our souls. I totally understand the logic of never doing PR or "communications" or "outreach" for a place that I'd write about, or where I'd be associating with places that I'd write about, or even on a subject I'd be writing about - but what about totally other places? For instance, about a year ago the Prospect Park Alliance was advertising for someone to do PR part time. I'd have to talk with them to check out the scope of PR there to make sure, and maybe that's a bad example given how patriotic people here tend to get about Prospect Park, but I can imagine something like that, but maybe not so potentially litigious, being totally w/o conflict of interest.

    Any experienced writers here want to weigh in on the soul-selling issue here? (I know the neighborhood is teeming with writers. I've met you. In Prospect Park. With my dog.)
  • ladylibertine
    ladylibertine
    Not sure this will totally answer your question, as I'm coming from the opposite scenario -- a PR person who also does freelance writing (including for respected news outlets, magazine, etc.). But in my experience, it's never been much of a conflict.

    In fact, I think in some ways, wearing those two hats makes you better at both jobs. You can appreciate how the other side thinks, and as much as the journalism folks would probably protest, the work isn't really that different. A very good media relations person thinks and writes more like a reporter than a marketing type.
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