Job Interview Chronicles, Part I

I woke up this morning to feel the painful thud of a metaphorical clop to my head. Why am I so quiet about searching for a new position? Was there a reason beyond discretion? Sitting bolt upright, I reflected. No reason, really. I realized that unlike my pursuits on other social media and blogging platforms, LinkedIn offers a unique opportunity to review the peaks and the troughs of my search thus far. The ground rules would be critically important: I won't reveal the identities of any interviewers or companies (discretion! discretion!) that I've met with. But in this post and in the next few posts to come, I ask for your comments, suggestions, war stories, insights and collegial commiseration as I continue to beat the bushes toward my goal. Let's brainstorm, let's learn from one another. Let's be stronger for the process.

Let's start, then, with the "why" before the "what." Twelve months ago, I decided the time was right for a professional change. I'll cover the "why" presently, but I make note that in interview settings, when asked why I aim to leave public service, the tone is one of astonishment and perplexity. People are, in short, baffled.

I believe there comes a time in the career of all public servants, especially as we grow seasoned, when we must choose one of two paths. We can, in the first path, become a "lifer," or, in the second path, having refined our skills and compiled a track record, recognize professional wunderlust for the righteous feeling that it is. Twelve months ago I conducted an honest and rigorous internal assessment of myself and reached three conclusions. In my workplace:

1. There are no and/or insufficient opportunities for meaningful and fulfilling professional development and/or advancement;
2. There are greater financial opportunities in the private sector, with a higher likelihood of earning public and private acknowledgement;
3. There are soul-nourishing talents, aspirations, ambitions and dreams that will remain neglected if I stay rooted in my current environment.

Now for the "what." As you'll note from my LinkedIn resume, I have an extensive background in the arts, but not as a practitioner. Indeed, my accomplishments are in journalism, editorial, content management, publishing and communications -- and now, too, in cultural policy and government. Ultimately I have three possible paths to take:

1. To return to journalism and editorial and content management and publishing and communications;
2. To identify a nonprofit organization or institution -- ideally cultural, but perhaps as well in education or social service -- where I could serve as a deputy director or a director of communications, or in an appropriate position with key touch-points in marketing, development, messaging and overall strategy.
3. To consult -- or preferably to identify a consulting firm where all of my skill sets may be utilized to benefit clients seeking vision and brand development, organizational analysis and similar services.

In my next post, I will briefly review five interview opportunities I have had during the past 12 months -- including at least one representing every path on the above list. I'll be curious what you think.