How 15 People Found A Job This Year

Job search tipsNetworkingJob opportunities
Written By Naomi Roth-Gaudette
 
 
 

One of the hardest parts of job searching is not knowing what's “normal”. You submit an application and hear nothing. You make it to a final round and don't get the offer. You spend months searching and start wondering if you're doing something wrong.

A few weeks ago, we asked recent hires to tell us what their job search actually looked like: how long it took, what helped, what was hard, and what they wish they'd known earlier.

The responses were honest, vulnerable, and incredibly validating. So this week, I'm stepping back and letting their stories speak for themselves.

The Real Timeline To Get Hired

"I moved across the country and knew almost nobody in my new city. The biggest thing that helped was networking and asking for warm introductions. I also started volunteering with organizations in the space I wanted to work in. It expanded my network and helped me understand the local landscape much faster."

5-month search • Landed role March 2026

— Kat

"My search happened in phases. My first search lasted over a year. After accepting a temporary role, I realized it wasn't the right long-term fit and started over. My second search took another six months. I almost didn't apply for the job I ultimately got because LinkedIn showed more than 200 applicants. Apply anyway."

~18 months total across two searches • Landed role April 2026

— Layla

"Networking was the hardest part for me because I always worried people wouldn't respond. What surprised me was how many people were willing to help once I reached out."

5-month search • Landed role December 2025

— Jose

"I searched for 16 months. I customized resumes and cover letters, applied through multiple job boards, and often heard nothing back. The hardest part was the silence. The thing I'd tell other candidates is that persistence matters more than perfection."

16-month search • Landed role May 2025

— Anonymous

"At the senior level, there simply aren't that many opportunities. My search took 15 months. Consulting work helped bridge the gap financially while I waited for the right mission-aligned role."

15-month search • Landed role April 2026

— Anonymous

"The biggest factors in getting my offer were having connections advocate for me early and preparing examples for every qualification in the job description. Interview preparation made all the difference."

4-month search • Landed role October 2025

— Caroline

"I have more than twenty years of experience, which created an unexpected challenge. I was often considered overqualified for some roles and underqualified for others. The search lasted 18 months and required a lot of patience."

18-month search • Landed role March 2026

— Lee

"I hadn't been in the job market in more than a decade. I applied for 27 jobs, interviewed with 13 organizations, completed 34 interviews, made it through five final-round processes, and received one offer. One offer was all I needed."

8-month search • Landed role April 2026

— Nancy

Twice I made it to the final two candidates. One role ultimately hired an internal candidate. That was frustrating, but it's part of the process. Looking back, I wish I had known how often strong candidates get close without getting the offer."

6-month search • Landed role January 2026

— JB

"Getting noticed through online application systems is genuinely hard. Most of my executive-level interviews came through recruiters or relationships, not cold applications."

9-month search and ongoing • Executive candidate

— Al

"What surprised me most was the lack of communication. Not rejections. Not interviews. Just silence. The waiting and uncertainty can be incredibly draining."

1.5-year search • Landed role March 2026

— Brittan

"The search really impacted my self-confidence. There were moments when I questioned whether I still belonged in the nonprofit sector. Networking and community support helped me keep going."

8-month search • Landed role March 2026

— Javier

"I've changed jobs several times in my career, but this was the hardest search I've experienced. The market is different, the competition is tougher, and timelines are longer than they used to be."

7-month search • Landed role March 2026

— Winston

"The role I landed was with a partner organization. Existing relationships mattered. I'm not sure the timeline would have been this short otherwise."

3-month search • Landed role December 2025

— Grace

"People told me senior-level searches could take a year. When mine passed the one-year mark, I started wondering if I would ever find something. The process is exhausting. Ghosting is real. But eventually the right opportunity came along."

14-month search • Landed role March 2026

— Beth

A few things stood out to me after reading all of these:

  • Most searches took much longer than candidates expected.

  • Networking showed up in almost every story.

  • Many people experienced self-doubt, frustration, or burnout.

  • Several candidates reached final rounds multiple times before receiving an offer.

  • Nearly everyone emphasized persistence.

If your search is taking longer than you'd hoped, you're not alone.

And if you've been questioning your value because of how difficult this market feels, these stories are a reminder that many highly qualified professionals are navigating the exact same thing.


That’s not all! We’re hiring for additional jobs and you can see all of them on the NRG website.

See All Open Roles

The Mission-Driven LinkedIn Guide

We’re building a public, crowd-sourced Mission-Driven LinkedIn Guide — a resource for organizers, nonprofit professionals, advocates, campaign staff, and movement jobseekers looking to build stronger networks and discover opportunities. Movement hiring is often relationship-driven, and we hope this guide makes the ecosystem a little easier to navigate.

Simply put, we want your recommendations for pages and people that mission-driven jobseekers should follow on LinkedIn. Submit them below. 

SUBMIT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS

📢 Follow NRG on LinkedIn to stay up to date on the roles we’re hiring for. If you find this newsletter helpful, forward it to your friends and help us build our network! If you received this from a friend, sign up here to receive future “Get Hired'' newsletters.

Let’s move,

Naomi

P.S.  If you’d like a partner to help you with your job search strategy, learn how NRG’s coaching programs can help you.

 
Naomi Roth-Gaudette
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