Anyone in the job market knows that it’s rough out there right now. Scroll LinkedIn and you’ll find stories of dozens—even hundreds—of applications submitted without a single response, awkward chatbot interviewers, and ghosted offers. It’s enough to make even the most optimistic job seeker’s head spin.
Last summer, human resources pro Andrew Meadows decided to put himself in the market for a new position. As the job search started to gear up, Andrew discovered a secret weapon to build his confidence and make a difference: pro bono service.
Andrew’s experience as a skilled volunteer not only helped insulate him from the toll job searching can take on the psyche—it brought about new connections and insights and allowed Andrew to turn a transitional time in his life into an opportunity to make an impact.
Job Hunt Blues
Andrew spent 20 decades in financial planning, building inclusive leadership and culture in a position he loved. But when circumstances changed, he saw an opportunity to try something new. Andrew took the leap, ready to discover the next step in his career journey.
Andrew envisioned that the time between jobs would allow for more free time to spend with his husband and dog. While that was true, he also discovered that looking for a new position took some soul-searching. “Job hunting is such an eye-opening experience,” Andrew reflected. “I learned that my value isn’t determined by how quickly I get hired. I just needed the right opportunity to shine.”
As he was searching, Andrew was also evaluating what he wanted for the next chapter in his career. Luckily for him, a powerful resource presented itself. “I was thinking, What do I want to do? What’s important to me?” Andrew remembered. “I heard about Taproot from a friend who had volunteered. She thought that it could be a good fit for me and possibly open up opportunities.”
I learned that my value isn’t determined by how quickly I get hired. I just needed the right opportunity to shine.
Seeking Diversity, Finding Commonality
Andrew began volunteering with a few nonprofit clients from a variety of causes, including a theater company, an African American health organization, and a wildlife rehabilitation group. The diverse communities, leaders, and causes were picked intentionally.
“I’d worked in finance before, which is historically known for not being a diverse workforce, so when I was picking Taproot projects, I looked for communities that I would want to support,” Andrew shared. “I wanted to be exposed to different organizations and different backgrounds. The wonderful part about it is that the challenges are still the same.”
A testimonial for Andrew created by the Executive Director of a theater company he worked with on a project.
Welcome Validation
While the organizations varied, for Andrew the results were similar—through volunteering, he discovered a new outlook. “Working on these projects helped me remember the things I’m best at. It gave me opportunities to flex my skills and validation that there are people and organizations out there who would benefit from my experience.”
Andrew found that with skilled volunteering to buoy him, the “abyss of job searching” didn’t feel as overwhelming. “These projects gave me the confidence boost that I needed. They helped me articulate the value that I bring to the world.” For Andrew, pro bono was “a much needed mental break from job searching” as well as providing “rejuvenation to keep going.”
In fact, pro bono service also helped make Andrew’s job applications even more dynamic. Adding his skilled volunteer service to his resume showed that Andrew was still actively working in his field, as well as demonstrating his commitment to the community. He used some of his new connections as references and his volunteer experience even came in handy during job interviews.
“I was asked about experiences I’ve had with company culture, mission, and values,” Andrew remembered. “Every organization I’ve worked for has had those already in place, but I was able to use a real world example from a Taproot project. I shared with the interviewer that, yes, I’ve helped an organization not just augment their mission and their vision, but actually build those things from scratch.”
Making Connections Across Differences
The project Andrew mentioned during that interview was with the African American Diabetes Association (AADA), an organization working to prevent and a cure diabetes, and advocate for African Americans, who are disproportionately affected by the disease. The nonprofit was looking for a partner to help articulate what they hoped to accomplish over the next 10-15 years and use that insight to refine their mission, vision, and values statements.
Though Andrew doesn’t have lived experience with the communities this organization serves, he felt that his skillset would be an asset to the project and leaned into his desire to give back to minority-led organizations. “I love doing work in the DEIB space because I thrive on diversity. I feel privileged just to be an observer and see the amount of work these organizations do and have some part in helping them.”
Leon Rock, AADA Executive Director
Andrew connected with AADA Executive Director Leon Rock and learned about the abundance of work the grassroots organization was already accomplishing, even with limited staff and resources. The two discussed AADA’s current projects and Leon’s vision for the future, with Andrew noting themes that began to emerge.
Reflecting on the process, Leon praised Andrew’s “remarkable empathy and grace” and the “critical, insightful questions [he asked] that prompted deep reflection.”
“Andrew masterfully navigated complex discussions, bridging different life experiences to ensure our authentic voice and goals were captured and clearly expressed,” Leon said. “He empowered AADA with a much clearer understanding of its strategic needs, distinguishing them from mere wants, and provided a roadmap to achieve them.”
“We come from very different backgrounds, and that difference created this really unique collaboration,” Andrew reflected on working with Leon and AADA. “When the right two people get together, it feels really good.”
Scoping and Collaboration
Kai Williams, IWRC Executive Director
Andrew’s work with International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IRWC) was an opportunity to collaborate with the organization, as well as the contribution of another skilled volunteer. When Andrew first met with IWRC Executive Director Kai Williams, the nonprofit was looking to develop a compensation philosophy. “We needed help ensuring we were interpreting a salary and benefits survey correctly, appropriately comparing it with our roles, and proposing recommendations to our salary and benefits plan based on this information,” Kai explained.
In that first meeting, Andrew quickly realized that “there was a step they needed to complete before I could really help them.” That first interview became more of a “scoping and needs assessment consultation,” Kai said. “Andrew had the time and skillset for the second deliverable, but could do a much more thorough job if we provided him with the first deliverable.”
As fate would have it, the organization had another interview after Andrew’s with a volunteer who turned out to have the expertise and interest they needed. Rather than having to pick between the two, Kai was able to “utilize both in the areas in which they truly excelled to obtain our full objective.”
“Two volunteers who had never met each other were able to help create something holistic that ultimately changed their organization for the better,” Andrew reflected, adding, “But Kai is the true hero of the story. She recognized the pieces that were needed and knew how to project manage both of us. You could tell she really cared about scaling the organization responsibly.”
The Power of Showing Up
For Andrew, skilled volunteering was a lesson about the power of presence to tackle tough challenges. “I learned how important it is just to show up. Most nonprofits are just asking for your time.”
In being present and available, he was also struck by how transformative his skills—sometimes ones he took for granted–could be for organizations. “The things that are really easy for me to do can be mountains to the organizations that I was working with, so just showing up and being open goes a long way.”
That idea of presence and openness is something he would encourage nonprofits to lead with as well. “As much like you’re asking a volunteer to show up, nonprofits should come open to the conversation. The volunteer is coming in to make your job easier, but you have to be open and vulnerable about your challenges, even if you don’t know exactly what you’re asking for.”
He was also struck by how transformative his skills—sometimes ones he took for granted–could be for organizations.
New Beginnings
Andrew’s pro bono service provided the opportunity to learn about and give back to causes he cared about, connect with passionate nonprofit leaders, as well as the added benefit of helping him through a difficult year. “My Taproot projects were there at a time when I really needed them, and I think the people that I worked with needed it, too, so it was a really wonderful crossover.”
It took nearly a year of searching, but this spring Andrew landed a role as Senior Director of Human Resources at Scribe Therapeutics, a Bay-area biotech firm. “My company is focused on curing people’s lifetime risk for disease. I’m helping people who are trying to change the world. That feels really cool.” While the biotech sector is new to him, Andrew felt prepared to make the change, thanks in part to the variety of experiences and confidence he gained as a skilled volunteer.
“I think there’s something really special about what Taproot is doing. For me, these projects were exactly what I needed at the right time. Volunteering made all the difference in the world for me, and I know it made a difference for the nonprofits that I partnered with.”