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01/10/2022

What the C-Suite Job Hunt Looks Like Now

Looking for executive roles has become more challenging during COVID

In October 2020, Jamie Beaulieu, CAE, received the bad news that her association job was being eliminated due to pandemic-era budget cutbacks. She allowed herself a "day of mourning," she said, then dove into her job search, "just picking myself back up the next day, activating my networks and rolling my sleeves up and getting started."

COVID-19 has changed much of what job-hunting looks like for association executives like Beaulieu—virtual interviewing, new skill sets, different forms of networking. For Beaulieu, adjusting to that new environment paid off: Last July she landed a position at the American Bankers Association as senior vice president, executive education and CEO programs. She shared a few of her lessons learned about what the job hunt looks like now.

Network, but don’t always be job-hunting. While looking for work in a tight job market, Beaulieu did what candidates are always told to do: connect with groups of people to hear about potential opportunities. But she made a point to pursue connections that were as much about maintaining a sense of community as chasing down job leads. “It was really to keep my mind fresh,” she said. “You can only spend so much time updating your resume and writing cover letters.” She took advantage of Coffee Chat, a standing half-hour morning Zoom meeting for association professionals that launched during the pandemic, to talk shop and casually connect. (It’s still running: Contact its founder, Nicole Araujo, CAE, for more information by emailing her at naraujo@mightycitizen.com.)

Please select this link to read the complete article from Associations Now.

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