5 tips to minimise risk during your job search

A lot has changed during COVID-19 and it can make searching for a fundraising job even more daunting. We pride ourselves on supporting the sector and we genuinely care about the fundraisers and charities we work with, so I wanted to put together a post to help any fundraisers currently looking for a new job.

I would advise you take the following steps before you apply to any roles but also please do get in touch with us as we may be able to give you insight into how that charity is coping with the current situation.

1. Check-in with the charity/hiring manager to confirm that recruitment is still going ahead 

A lot of roles have been put on hold or cancelled but may still be advertised due to contracts with job boards (CharityJob have extended their advert time to 90 days). Contact the hiring manager before preparing an application.

2. Check any news that has been released by the charity on how they are dealing with COVID-19

This will give you a feel for what is happening with current employees, are they furloughing staff? Making redundancies? Launching emergency appeals? It could impact your decision so do check first.

3. Ask how committed to the recruitment process the trustees are

These are the key decision-makers and they can restrict recruitment going ahead at any stage so have the charity checked in with the trustees about recruitment already.

4. Check the reserves

This will give you an indication of how financially secure the charity is, most organisations should have six-months reserves. If they have less, it’s worth asking their financial planning around COVID-19.

5. Reach out to an employee of the charity to get an insiders perspective

Most people are on LinkedIn, it’s worth checking in with your network to get a feel for how the SLT is responding to the situation, are they communicating well with staff? Do people feel safe?