.:Resource Guides:Organizing-Being a Good Organizer
Organizing
What's It Take to Be A Good Organizer?
What Employers Say They Want
While employers seek different skills and qualities in candidates according to the specific positions they have to fill, a look at several dozen job postings for community organizer positions will show that some strengths are frequently required. These include:
Skills
oral communication
training/teaching
writing
presentation
interpersonal
negotiation
follow-up
time management
organization
collaboration
teamwork
leadership
Qualities
self-starter
creative
enthusiastic
hard working
willing to learn
willing to travel
energetic
personable
can work under pressure
can work with diverse cultures
Bilingual skill is often listed as a desired strength, and many employers prefer people with experience in organizing or knowledge of the issue being addressed. You may have many of the strengths required for a position as a result of volunteer work, internships, summer
jobs, and other experiences. It may be difficult, though, to convince an employer that you are truly interested in working as an organizer if you have never worked in low-income communities or have never been involved with other people in fighting for a cause. Volunteer
positions can make a big difference.
Questions to Ask Yourself
Have I learned enough about this work to know that I would really enjoy it?
Do I have the skills and qualities necessary to succeed?
Would I be willing to relocate and/or travel if necessary?
Am I OK with the relatively modest starting salaries that organizer jobs provide?
Would I enjoy working closely with diverse groups of people?
How would this job fit into my long-term career plans?
Which issues make me angry or reflect my passions for social change?
Which constituencies would I like to work with on a daily basis?
Would I prefer to work with an organization that is mainly issue-oriented or one that is mainly people-oriented?
Quotes from People in The Field
"We venture out to hire and train inexperienced folks every year. In these cases, we are basically looking for two things. First, you must have anger over injustice. Second, you must like working with people. If you have those
two things, you can be trained to do everything else that a good organizer can do."
- Ben MacConnell, Organizer, DART (Direct Action & Research Training Center)
"As far as career paths go, organizing is bursting at the seams with options. In my ten years of organizing, I have been able to raise a family, explore and win on a broad base of justice issues, work with unique and varied
constituencies, and meet extremely fascinating people."
- John Aeschbury, Lead Organizer, BREAD (Building Responsibility, Equality, and Dignity)
"After almost 20 years of organizing in the community and in the labor movement, my experience tells me that the best organizers are invisible. When your constituents embrace your ideas and urgings as their own on the road to
empowerment, you can take pride in your work."
- Dean DeHart, retired organizer
Tip: Talking to organizers is probably the single best way to answer the question, "What Makes A Good Organizer?"
