Connecting for a Cause: Katie Barberis’ Job Search Success Story
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Meet Katie Barberis, a Fundraising Associate at Our Just Future. With a passion for community and service, Katie found a fulfilling career in nonprofit fundraising by networking and volunteering. Learn more about their career path in this job search success story.
What do you do for a career? Who do you work for?
I am the Fundraising Associate at Our Just Future. I support our team’s efforts to raise critically needed unrestricted funding. I manage the donor database, I send out acknowledgment letters, and I support our team with data and donor research.
What do you like best about your career?
I have a passion for service. What lights my heart on fire is relating to donors and volunteers who share that passion. Nonprofit work is all about building community and making connections to make a greater impact.
What resources have helped you in your career and your job searches? Are there specific tools or tactics that have contributed to your success?
The resource with the greatest impact has been my network and my ability to connect with them. I heard about my job at Our Just Future from a former supervisor who had already taken a job there as well. After reviewing the job description on Mac’s List, I knew it was going to be a great fit.
Before Our Just Future, I got a job after volunteering with another nonprofit organization. The people I met there remembered me from months before and reached out about possible work. Life is truly about building a community and being open to opportunities.
Throughout your career, what obstacles have you encountered when doing a job search, and how did you overcome them?
The biggest obstacle in my job search has been knowing where to look. Until I started building my network, I was looking in all the wrong locations. Mac’s List was the key I was missing. I had friends in the industry who told me the best places to look and how to stay connected.
What piece of advice would you give to job seekers or professionals trying to advance in their careers?
Don’t give up, and don’t ever think you have missed an opportunity. While volunteering, I connected with the Volunteer Coordinator for another nonprofit. Months after that conversation, I was asked to volunteer with them in their development department. That then led to a full-time contract position and now to full-time employment at Our Just Future. Keep showing up and keep saying hi!
Everyone’s job search story is different, but each individual story can inspire and empower others who are on their own unique path. We love to hear how our readers have found rewarding careers in Portland, and we want to share these stories with you to inspire you in your job search and to help us all better understand the local job market.