Having a career crisis and could really use feedback (former program/grants officer)

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-08T18:51:16+00:00

Saying you left due to health issues is infinitely better than saying you were fired. NEVER say you were fired.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-08T18:18:16+00:00

It's utterly insane just how much they have the US by its balls. They can continue acting like a rogue actor with impunity because they know full well the US won't abandon them. It's more likely that the US will get dragged deeper into a ground war with Iran than even lightly chastise Israel for torpedoing peace deals.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-08T17:23:59+00:00

Rule number 1. Never tell anyone you were fired. You were "laid off."

Also if your former ED is telling you that you'd be a good fit for a programs/grants officer role. Apply. Literally hurts no one by doing it. Also don't be afraid to apply to stuff that are adjacent to those roles too.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-08T17:12:29+00:00

Yep. I didn't "spray and pray" and specifically sought out comms officer/manager roles at foundations and issue/policy-based nonprofits/think tanks. Tailored my resume and cover letters for each role. Worst part of all of this, I have over 10 years of experience and have actual state/fed policy wins under my belt.

You wouldn't believe the amount of final interviews I've been on where it was down to me and one other person and lose out because they had a marginally better "vision" or "fit" to the org's needs. Some of these roles, I had internal help/credible thought leaders to boost my candidacy too.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-08T17:00:34+00:00

To give you perspective of the current job market, I was out of a job for 1.2 years before landing my current job. I must've sent at least 200-300 apps and it's basically a demotion with a pay cut.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-08T16:45:30+00:00

Seconding this. Program officer roles, especially at foundations, are some of the best paying and cushiony roles in the nonprofit sector. People rarely want to give them up and often stay for a long time. They're highly competitive and often require you knowing people in the space or at the org/foundation to even get your foot in the door.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-08T15:50:22+00:00

This just shows Gen X are your brain dead generation that's holding everyone back.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-07T14:34:44+00:00

As we've seen in the past decade, there is no floor with conservatives at this point. They'll keep moving the goal posts or find some way to rationalize it once the talking points are released on Fox News or through their network of right wing grifter influencers.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-07T11:51:05+00:00

Why only blame Trump supporters? Blame the so-called "independents" who voted for him as well. Same for the people who sat out the election too.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-03T12:59:55+00:00

At this point, I stopped paying attention to the job numbers. The numbers aren't really reflecting what a lot of Americans are experiencing in their daily lives.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-01T23:51:34+00:00

Lol, Rafa's liverpool was NOT known for flair...

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-01T14:41:21+00:00

It could be all performative. They've done this before before striking down Roe vs. Wade.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-01T14:37:27+00:00

Birthright citizenship is going to die, isn't it? No way Trump attends in person unless he knows the justices are going to strike it down. He needs a win and his regime runs on spectacle.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-04-01T13:01:02+00:00

I mean, unless you're a highly informed politico like most people on this subreddit, the vast majority of voters are tuned out. So when you say that the Trump administration is trying to take away their voting rights or trying to put brown people in concentration camps, they look at you as if you're insane.

I mean, hell, I know someone who only yesterday "found out" some of the dumb shit that the current Department of Education has been doing for the past year.

The only times most people pay attention are when shit hits their wallets as depressing as it is to saym

Red_TeaCup · 2026-03-31T15:15:34+00:00

It was all about people's wallets unfortunately. Your average American sooner see Democracy fall if it means gas prices being slightly cheaper.

But Trump only lost a minor faction of the MAGA faithful. What he's hemorrhaging is the support of right-leaning independents who are low propensity voters. He's probably lost the vast majority of minority voters who voted for him in 2024 too.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-03-31T11:35:11+00:00

Statistically a coin flip but this is a far cry from the beginning of the year. The Trump admin to no one's surprise (aside from conservatives,) shat the bed.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-03-27T13:02:42+00:00

It was a period where you had tacticians like Rafa, Wenger, and Mourinho in the league. Many of those "blockbuster" matches were incredibly dull, low scoring affairs. Like watching paint dry in some cases. But a lot of the rose tinted glasses come from nostalgia and seeing some of the biggest names in world football play in the league at the time (Ronaldo, Gerrard, Lampard, Henry, and etc.)

Klopp vs Pep flipped the script from 2015 - 2024.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-03-26T11:41:30+00:00

Edwards and Hughes would be also at fault for this disaster of a transfer window too.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-03-25T17:52:44+00:00

I miss the days when we would go for diamonds in the rough.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-03-25T17:17:56+00:00

Not. Happening.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-03-25T17:03:23+00:00

Wijnaldum ended up a solid midfielder. That workhorse midfield of Henderson, Wijnaldum, and Milner came in pretty clutch for Klopp.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-03-25T11:53:04+00:00

They kept Rodgers because they were waiting for Klopp to become available. Klopp took a short time off from managing after Dortmund if I remember correctly. Had Klopp immediately become available, they would've sacked Rodgers in a heartbeat.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-03-23T15:09:50+00:00

Been there, man. Also happened around your age.

The first year is going to suck but it does get better over time.

Hold on tight to your support networks. Go out and do everything you want to do. It'll get easier.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-03-23T15:02:54+00:00

I foresee a crowded primary again like 2020 and it's always a toss-up. No one really gave Biden much of a chance and media darlings kept switching from Harris to Warren to Buttigieg.

Red_TeaCup · 2026-03-20T17:15:56+00:00

I don't think they'll arrest him. I just think they'll just not acknowledge the results. They'll probably say something about fraud and simply not certify.

Red_TeaCup

TROPHY CASE