What to consider as a…
Organizer who is considering a new job
Thinking about a new organizing job? This page is here to help you take stock of what you need, what you deserve, and what to ask for. From questions to bring into interviews to tools for evaluating offers, this is designed to support you in advocating for yourself as powerfully as you advocate for others.
What to look for in a job description
Not all organizing jobs are created equal. The size, budget, location, and issue-focus of an organization impact the job responsibilities, structure, and compensation made available. In New York City, many organizing roles require travel, extended hours, coalition work, and engaging with different types of communities. While it is impossible to know exactly what a job will feel like until you’re doing it, look out for the following to make sure an organizing role is a good fit for you and will meet your expectations:
Transparency
- Salary range with criteria for where someone will fall in the range
- Concise breakdown of benefits (including healthcare breakdown, retirement, PTO, and fringe benefits)
- Hours expected to work and whether or not travel is required
- Expectation of tenure (how long an organizer is desired to stay in the role or organization)
Responsibilities and qualifications
- Job description should have a detailed overview of responsibilities, ideally broken down into percentages
- Examples of tasks specific to responsibilities: what will an ideal day or week look like?
- Experience level and skills needed to succeed in the role, with added values or nice-to-haves included
- Goals for this position as they relate to the overall mission of the organization and/or specific campaigns.
Organizational culture
- How is this job description written? Does it include any elements of the organization’s personality or priorities?
- Does this job posting mention any kind of information on or connection to the community where this organization is located or the community it serves?
- Does the job description mention the structure of the team and who the position will report to?
What to ask hiring managers
When looking for an organizing job, remember you are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you. In order to get a proper assessment of what working at an organization will look like, you can ask questions at every stage of the interview process in order to determine if this is the right place for you to work.
Expectations and reciprocity
What does accountability look like, and what type of management style does your potential supervisor adhere to?
What are the time commitments expected of this role? Are there evening or weekend hours and if so, how often? When are campaign seasons the
heaviest, and are there any opportunities for comp time during heavy work seasons?
Opportunities for growth or advancement within the organization
How many people on staff have held multiple
positions or received promotions?
What does this role look like after two years of work?
Are there any gaps on the team that can eventually be filled with experience and leadership?
What is the process for pay and performance reviews?
Vision of success
What does a successful year look like for someone holding this role?
What does success look like outside of campaign wins?
How is success acknowledged and celebrated at this organization?
Team and managerial culture
How is work divided on this team?
What does decision-making look like at a departmental and organizational level?
Have there been any recent turnover or any major organizational changes?
Are there any systems in place to mitigate burnout or encourage wellness of organizers?
Hiring Process:
things to watch out for
- Unclear expectations
- High staff turnover and organizational transitions
- Minimal communication or lack of clarity in
interview process - Rushed and/or extensive interview processes
- No mention of benefits or paid time off
- Vague description of role and responsibilities, and an inability to elaborate when asked
- No introduction to members of team or direct supervisor after being hired
- Short tenure of organizers that may reflect a lack of stability and growth pipeline
- Discouraging the sharing of wage information
- Lack of diversity among identities within organizational leadership
- Grant-funded or temporary positions that are listed without a timeline for re-evaluation