#CareerCurious with Charles Snyder in Ireland

by | May 4, 2021 | #CareerCurious, Learning Edge Blog, News

Jennifer Filla

In the fundraising world, I always want to hear the story about how people landed in this career. Because that’s how it (used to) happen. One “landed” — with every connotation of serenditpity that implies. There were very few serious courses and no college degrees in fundraising, and people were skeptical to even call it a profession. Things have changed!

Charles Snyder is a case in point. His first job out of college was in prospect research. He may have “landed” in that job, but his career demonstrates how professionalism evolves through the quality of the people attracted to the work.

So why was I so surprised when he told me that he was moving to Ireland?

Prospect research and development operations positions are present around the globe, but especially in higher education.

Maybe I was surprised because I know how difficult it is to effect meaningful change in one’s life. I’m a fan of the book Designing Your Life by Stanford University instructors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. I only knew Charles in his role at NOVA Southeastern University in Florida. I didn’t know his ambitions. And maybe Charles wouldn’t have written a book like Designing Your Life, but he certainly has lived by many of its prescriptions!

In this podcast interview you’ll get to hear him talk about some really cool transitions in his life:

• How he decided on the three key items that are present in his definition of a dream job.

• How he decided to change-up his networking and what he did to build his skills to match his dream job.

• How (surprisingly) long it took between when he first started a serious search for his dream job and landed one (you guessed it – in Ireland!).

In this world of Instagram, it can be difficult to remember that change takes time. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth the effort. It means that you need a clear plan to guide you and a mindset to enjoy the journey!

Resources Mentioned

Designing Your Life | book and website by Stanford instructors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

Words from happy Researchers

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I love your Master Class format – small group, clearly defined curriculum, solid professional information and resources and focus on discussion.  But most importantly I was impressed and delighted to see that you incorporated an additional and extremely practical layer of knowledge, through hands on experience with tools (pivot tables) or resources (Candid).  This adds real value to the educational experience you offer.

Betsy Mehlman

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Jen’s course on insider stock and compensation was informative, interesting, and well-thought out. Jen broke down the complicated material into digestible pieces. She showed us resources that I use in my day-to-day research that I wouldn’t have otherwise known about. Jen is always quick to respond and has been helpful even after the class has ended. She answers questions thoroughly and is always pleasant.

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Kim Anthony, San Francisco CA

Insider Stock and Compensation

The Capacity Rating Workshop was really useful. I was new to the prospect research field when I took the workshop, so it helped to demystify capacity ratings for me. The online classroom provided a great forum for interaction with the other participants and for a robust exchange of ideas. Beyond that though, Jen shared a wealth of information and resources about capacity ratings and other important aspects of prospect research. I highly recommend this workshop whether you’re new to the field or have years of experience in our profession.

David Lloyd, Prospect Research Professional, San Francisco, CA

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