Making the most of today's job market
I hope you had a great April Fool’s Day! For those that know me well, you know April Fools is one of my favorite holidays. This year I told everyone coming to my kids' BMitzvah that I was concerned about food waste, and asked them to fill out a survey confirming how many french fries they plan to eat.
But oftentimes, the job search isn’t as lighthearted. It makes sense – our jobs are our livelihoods. And if job searching feels harder right now, it’s not just you. The New York Times put out an article last week that Young Graduates Face the Grimmest Job Market in Years.
Which brings us to this week’s topic. Unlike April Fool’s Day, networking is not a joke – especially in a competitive hiring market. In fact, your networking strategy may be the most important tool you have right now.
In this week’s newsletter, I’m sharing my take on the movement job market. But, I’m not in the business of inciting fear or hopelessness. I want this to be insightful and actionable. So below are some current hiring trends, plus some of my best tips and resources for networking. Let’s get into it.
Let’s start with the numbers
Movement hiring didn’t collapse after Trump’s election. But it definitely changed. This job data over the past three years shows how.
Every quarter at NRG, we invite our extended networks to share open roles in our newsletter (like the one we sent last week). So, this has given us some data to track for the past three years. It’s not a comprehensive jobs report. It can also be a reflection of my own relationships. But I do think the numbers tell an interesting story.
A few patterns stand out
Advocacy and organizing roles remain the largest category, though they’ve dropped from a peak of 57%to about 33–41%, possibly signaling orgs investing more in infrastructure during uncertain times.
Development roles remain steady and tend to spike during major fundraising cycles, especially in the fall and end of year.
Climate roles in our network have declined somewhat, from about 44% of listings to closer to 29%.
Remote roles have dropped from nearly half of listings to about one-third, reflecting a shift toward hybrid work.
Increased competition
And perhaps most importantly: competition for each role has increased.
Orgs aren’t laying people off en masse, but they are more cautious. Leadership teams are staying put longer. Fewer backfills are happening. The result is what economists call a “low-hire, low-fire” market.
And yet we average about 1,000 applications per opening right now. This is what jobseekers experience as sending out dozens (or hundreds) of applications with little movement.
So, what do we do about it?
Your networking strategy may be the most important tool you have right now. Below are some of my best tips and resources for networking:
Start with your goals. Set a goal for networking meetings per week. When I did my big job search after being at PIRG for 17 years, I met with eight people every week. When my wife began her search, she met with five per week. A friend recently told me she was having two networking convos a week. Everyone’s cadence is different. The important thing is to push yourself.
Build your list. Make a list of all the movers/shakers in your area – both geographical area and your particular area of work. Once you have a strong list of names, start trying to schedule an initial meeting. Keep it simple. Something like, "I'm starting to think about my next move and I've always been impressed with your work. Let me know if you have the bandwidth for a virtual coffee in late May."
Go to your networking meetings. And remember, it’s not asking for a job. The best networking calls are a chance to practice your story, learn from different perspectives, and build a new relationship.
Follow up (short and long term). The people who do this well send a thank you note right after the meeting. Then, six-ish weeks after the first meeting, they send another follow-up. Twelve weeks after the initial meeting, they check in again.
We created the NRG Networking Toolkit to help you break through your fear and resistance to networking and help you execute. This includes sample emails, a guide to setting your goals, LinkedIn tips, follow up automations, and a networking tracker.
I hope this newsletter inspires some hope in your job search this week with a few key takeaways. First, take time to get familiar with the hiring landscape we’re in. Second, make the most of the resources you have – the biggest being your relationships.
Chief Development Officer @ Roosevelt Institute | NYC or DC | $230K-$270K
Multiple Roles @ Name Withheld - Counter the Influence of Big AI | Remote | $92K-$168K
Executive Director @ Summer Search | Boston | $180K
Sr Program Officer @ Freedom Together Foundation | NYC | $183K-$203K
Executive Coordinator, Strategic Partnerships @ Freedom Together Foundation | NYC | $120K
VP of People & Culture @ Active Minds | DC or Remote | $130.2K-$151.9K
Sr Manager, Digital Media & Communications @ Active Minds | DC | $77K-$87.3K
Director, Marketing & Communications @ Active Minds | DC | $100K-$114K
Director, Operations & Special Projects @ Active Minds | DC | $100K-$114K
Co Director @ Midwest Academy | Remote | $172,242
That’s not all! We’re hiring for additional jobs and you can see all of them on the NRG website.
UPCOMING Coaching & EVENTS
NRG Networking Hour
Thursday 4/9 | 1-2pm ET | Pay-What-You-Can
Spring Job Search Cohorts
Starting on 4/22 | Wednesdays at 1:30-3pm ET | $600 for 4 Weeks
📢 Follow NRG on LinkedIn to stay up to date on the roles we’re hiring for.
📬 Not a member of the NRG Talent Network yet? Take 3 minutes to fill out a quick form and let us know you're thinking about your next role.
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.
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.