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The Wall Street Journal’s online Career Journal  has continued its series of articles called “90 days,” presumably based on Michael Watkins’ bestseller, The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels.  Each WSJ column addresses the most critical things to remember in the first days following a major career transition.

There’s lots of terrific cross-pollination here, so if you’re in transition, go ahead and read them all!

• 90 Days: Working Productively As a Telecommuter
• 90 Days: Relocating Overseas? Do Your Homework And Ease Your Way
• 90 Days: Acing Your First Post-College Job
• 90 Days: Working for Yourself Can Have Its Challenges
• 90 Days: Easing Back From Maternity Leave
• 90 Days: Dealing With a PR Crisis Takes Planning and Truth
• 90 Days: Joining a Nonprofit Board Is More Than a Labor of Love

~ For more WSJ “90 Days” articles ~

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Related Post:

The First 90 Days: Strategic Career Transitions

I received an email today from an AmeriCorps VISTA leader in Oregon, asking if I was available to work in Portland’s Native American Youth and Family Center. Unfortunately, that’s several thousand miles away! 

AmeriCorps  is not just for 17-24 year olds. Members of AmeriCorps VISTA program are expected to have a college degree or some working experience, and commit to serving full-time for a year. In exchange, VISTA workers receive training, moving assistance, health care, and a $4725 education award. Members also receive a modest living allowance.

VISTA members commit to a nonprofit organization or local government agency, working to fight illiteracy, improve health services, create businesses, strengthen community groups, and much more.   Just think:  You could work in Portland, too.

1. Nonprofit Communications
Written by a nonprofit consultant, this active site is a particularly rich one with tip sheets, a wonderful archive, and a terrific blogroll. Not to be missed.

2. Nonprofit online news
Every new executive needs to invest time in keeping up with her new industry. This site provides the latest news from and about the online nonprofit community.

3. Technology for the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sector
Keep up with the times or get left behind! With nonprofit giving remaining fairly steady while the number of NP organizations continues to grow, it’s getting pretty competitive out there. Smart NPs know they need to pursue new audiences and new approaches (social networking, e-philanthropy, push technology.)

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Quick lesson: build a feed reader

Actions have consequences. Including, for instance, those times one impetuously signs on to something at the last minute, thinking (hoping?) that it might not pan out.

Ha!

My job today is to clear the calendar and find cheap hotel/plane reservations, because guess what? We’re on!

The reason I’ve not been blogging is that, besides being in major house-rearranging frenzy, getting kids back into various school routines, and celebrating a 21st wedding anniversary (Yay, us!) I seem to have landed myself a job. I will be directing a non-profit “quality of life” organization with a large donor base and a history of visionary projects, several of which will come into fruition under my watch this coming year. It’s very exciting.

It’s also scary as heck. I know a little of what I’m in for, delving into the non-profit world, having worked for a large non-profit organization once before. Hours can be endless, results can be hard to measure, and working with a large number of volunteers and board members (who are also volunteers) is often like herding cats, or trying to stuff an octopus into a plastic grocery bag. One needs a fair tolerance for chaos, in other words!

Moreover, I’ve never supervised a paid staff before, let alone run a meeting using parliamentary procedure. What if I really do pick my nose?

And, speaking of blogging, where do I go from here with this one? How to (almost) survive working for a non-profit? How to (almost) get your working groove back after staying home with children for several years?

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*COMING MONDAY* Recipe for Daring Do-over, Double-Baked Biscotti