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Part 1: Let’s take stock of the last six

to 12 months
I know, I know. Sometimes you just want to move forward and I’m right there with you (especially
considering the year so many of us have had).
While many were in the same boat at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, over the course of
the last year, our paths have certainly diverged. Some of us find ourselves reenergized by work
that had grown stale, while others may have lost interest in a “dream career” and are looking
for something new. And of course, many of us find ourselves unemployed, underemployed, or
furloughed. My hope is that wherever you are in your professional journey, you are able to take
this tool and apply it to your unique situation, making it exactly what you need in this moment.
And no matter where you find yourself these days, the best place to begin is with a little reflection,
so let’s jump in.
The questions and exercises below will help you create a complete picture of what you’ve already
mastered, allowing you to pinpoint transferable skills you can use to grow in your current role,
shift into a new role with your current organization, or bring along to your next job. If you’re
unemployed, you can complete each step with your most recent job, internship, volunteer
experience, or group project in mind.

Read through your current job description

Which of the responsibilities listed have been most relevant and critical to your
role over the last six to 12 months? Is there anything in the job description that
you wish you had done more of? Can you think of any new responsibilities you’d
like to add to your job description?

Skills and/or responsibilities I used/performed frequently:

Skills and/or responsibilities I enjoyed using/performing:

Skills and/or responsibilities that I found challenging, or would like to

further develop:

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Take stock of what surprised you

Perhaps after reflecting, you now realize that there were professional skills that
would have been useful over the last six to 12 months.

For example, “I never knew I would need negotiation skills at my job, but after we
had to cancel our in-person event due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I had to oversee
the cancellation of vendor contracts and a number of large refunds. If I had been
more well-versed in negotiation and crisis communication, I could have been
more effective.”

Which skills were you not expecting to use? Where did you fall short?
Jot those down in the space below.

I didn’t realize that my job would require me to:

Revisit your performance review

Most employers implement a quarterly or annual performance review and self-

assessment (or better yet, a 360-degree review). Your review isn’t just a great
reminder of your accomplishments, it also offers an opportunity to outline areas
for improvement and add new accomplishments and skills to your resume.

A performance review usually includes constructive feedback from your

manager as well as a prompt for you to reflect and consider your own areas for
improvement. Your manager may even offer positive feedback on successes and
projects you may have forgotten to include on your list (so be sure to find room
on your resume for measurable accomplishments discussed in this conversation
… more on that in later lessons!).

→ What were the key takeaways from your most recent performance review? And if
you haven’t had a review recently (or ever!), how might you plan for your next one?

Note: Measurable accomplishments are always best.

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My key achievements last year were:

I was able to achieve these things by (what technical skills, soft skills,
professional contacts, and personal knowledge did you tap into to help you reach
those goals?):

I still need to work on (take this space to list and reflect on any constructive
feedback you received at your most recent performance review):

Part 2: Review what happened over the

last six to 12 months in your industry and
in your network
If you have a professional goal in mind (be it a next step, a dream job, or something in between),
consider what skills and knowledge you’ll need as well as what tools from your “professional
toolbox” will come in handy and be most relevant for your professional development as you
work toward your goal. This next exercise will help you develop a roadmap.

What are the hot topics and trends? What are some of the trending topics impacting your work
(or the work you aspire to do)? Which ones may create profound changes to your work in the
future? Which do you want/need to learn more about? How will this new knowledge enhance
your current work, and the work you aspire to do?

A few resources that we like for this type of information are Nonprofit Quarterly,
NTEN, Candid, The Management Center, NonprofitAF, National Council of
Nonprofits, and Nonprofit News Feed.

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Note: The COVID-19 pandemic has been significant across industries and sectors,
and the social-impact space is no exception, and there is a good chance that
the pandemic was a major (or the major) topic in your industry over the last
six-12 months.

I also recommend setting up Idealist Email Alerts so that you receive regular notifications when
organizations of interest are hiring. Open positions can be useful intel when seeking a holistic
view of what’s going on in the sector. For example, if your favorite organization is suddenly
seeking to hire a new cadre of remote employees, you would be right to wonder if they’re
leaving their office space due to COVID restrictions, expanding their services to new regions, or
something else entirely.

List three industry-related topics (news, policy, innovations, etc.) that came
up over the last six to 12 months, and detail how each one is important to your
current or desired field.
1.
2.
3.

Who impressed you this year? Think of co-workers, supervisors, and even public figures who
impressed you with really great work. What did they do that was impressive? How did they do it?
What did you learn from them?

List three people who impressed you over the last year and why.
1.
2.
3.

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In Lesson 2 we’ll help you dig into where you’d like to go next, professionally speaking. Do you
want to grow in your current role, move elsewhere in your organization, find a new gig, or switch
fields entirely? We’ll help you nail down some answers.

You’ll have a bit more homework coming along with Lessons 2 and 3. Before moving forward to
the next lesson, be sure to pop into our Google Spreadsheet template and make a copy so that
you can edit and add your own notes (please note there are six tabs in the spreadsheet).

If you have any questions, feedback, or fantastic professional

updates, please email me at alexis_p@idealist.org!

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