CAREERS
A “HAPPY ACCIDENT”
A “happy accident.” That’s how I describe the events that led me into this field in which I have now worked for 20+ years. At the time of this “accident,” I was a junior attorney at a law firm in Atlanta and had been a U.S. Army Military Intelligence officer prior to attending law school at UGA.
From the very beginning at the law firm, I knew that the sit-behind-a-desk most of the day work style and the research / writing / client advising work substance was not a good every day fit for me. I have always enjoyed a medium to high operations tempo – I like being on the move and making things happen. And I really liked the public service aspect of my time in the military. As I sat behind that law firm desk thinking of other paths I might pursue, I was a bit at a loss – short of making a radical career departure (to pursue some kind of “first responder”-type job or other) – because the reality was – I also needed to earn enough to pay off my law school loan, etc. Enter my happy accident.
While speaking with a recruiter about a job opening at a local university, she said, “Sean, I’ve gotten to know you a bit, question – do you know anything about nonprofits and fundraising?” My response was to the negative, but she pushed through, told me more, and arranged an interview with a capital campaign management firm in Atlanta. The firm ultimately made me a job offer, and I accepted.
After working at that firm for seven years, I decided to start POWER 10 in 2010. POWER 10 is now a leading national planning and fundraising firm specializing in strategic initiative development and capital campaigns to fund economic and community development programs and projects at the city, county, region, and state levels.
BUT FOR my restlessness and that conversation with a recruiter who just happened to have in her portfolio the job opening with a campaign management firm, I’m sure my professional path would have led elsewhere.
Perhaps today – you reading this short story of mine – will be YOUR happy accident. After all – this industry – nonprofit fundraising and strategic planning and other organization development services – is FULL of professionals from other fields. And this is certainly the case for POWER 10. We are growing and we are interested to add talented team members who align well with our values.
If you are feeling restless in your current career and think you might be interested in a dynamic job / career and company that offers you the opportunity to make a difference (and make a buck!), we’d love to hear from you. See below for some “nuts and bolts” content and how to contact me and POWER 10 President Amity Farrar – who entered and stayed in this industry for many of the same reasons as me. We also highlight a few professions that have served as strong background experience to move into our company and industry.
OPEN POSITIONS
- CAMPAIGN DIRECTORS. We are primarily seeking to fill campaign director positions (“Directors of Campaign Operations” / “DCO’s”); if you meet the Qualifications below, you could be a strong candidate for a DCO position (regardless of whether you have campaign director experience).
- OTHER POSITIONS. We may also have openings in administration, marketing / communications, business development, strategic planning and other organizational development services, and more, so PLEASE DO inquire with us.
Notable Features of the Director of Campaign Operations Position
- Competitive compensation and benefits package
- Meaningful opportunities for professional development and advancement
- 60% travel each month on average (applies to DCO’s / DCO candidates) (Some projects may be close to home, some may require travel to the client community / office; Atlanta-based DCO’s are more likely to have projects near home than DCO’s who live elsewhere)
Select Qualifications of Strong Candidates
- Shares and models POWER 10’s corporate values: service, integrity, leadership, and initiative
- Strong and demonstrable project management and organization skills
- Strong, precise communication skills – both verbal and written
- Comfortable with frequent social / business interaction
- Adept at using common business technology
A Day in the Life of a Campaign Director
- Morning:
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- Attend the Chamber Board breakfast meeting and update them on progress toward the $5 million Campaign goal
- Send thank you emails to recent Campaign investors and update campaign database
- Lead meeting with client staff to plan upcoming Campaign Public Kickoff event
- Call campaign co-chair (local business leader) to discuss campaign strategy
- Afternoon:
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- Join client CEO at Rotary lunch – catch up with client volunteer leaders you’ve been working with for months and meet a few new prospects
- Together with the client CEO and a volunteer business leader, meet with and make a $250,000 “Ask” of a local hospital CEO
- Draft talking points for State Economic Development Commissioner, guest speaker at Campaign Public Kickoff
— Caroline Holmes
Director of Campaign Operations