Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. How do you define the social impact sector?
The social impact sector refers to organizations and initiatives whose primary goal is to create positive change for society and the planet, rather than focusing solely on profit. It brings together actors from nonprofits, philanthropy, government, and the private sector who are working on complex challenges such as food security, poverty reduction, public health, climate change, equity, education, sustainability, and community development.
Sometimes there are grey areas as to what I personally define as social impact when it comes to for-profit companies – for example, certified B corps that obtain the certification and then participate in greenwashing, but generally I consider the below entities to be part of the social impact sector:
Nonprofits
Philanthropic advising/family wealth management
Foundations
For-profit companies, specifically those with corporate impact/responsibility teams and programs
Civil service/government
2. Why is the U.S. social impact job market so tough in 2025?
When the Trump Administration took office in January 2025, the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cut tens of thousands of federal jobs, dismantled the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and offered remaining federal employees a “Fork in the Road” buyout which it’s estimated more than 150,000 federal workers accepted. And thousands more federal staff voluntarily left due to untenable work environments or fear of future RIFs. It’s estimated by the end of 2025, 300,000 federal employees will have left the federal government. This didn’t just impact federal workers, but the entire ecosystem that supports federal programs and those that receive federal funding including for-profit contractors, health care companies, nonprofits, and foundations. This means hundreds of thousands of people were out of work and looking for jobs between February and October 2025 - with many more still planning to leave (and still searching). DOGE targeted agencies and departments providing social services so the market is now flooded with highly experienced and skilled social impact professionals.
Turning to the U.S. private sector, we’re in a white collar recession as I write this in October 2025, and more corporate responsibility teams are shrinking and merging. Companies are being reserved with additional headcount especially for non-P&L roles as they monitor a shaky economy. Many companies’ DEI, sustainability, and social impact teams have merged under one corporate impact department. Corporations look to hire contractors, consultants, and fractional employees to support their impact programs on a short-term or as-needed basis. And companies typically hire from within for mid and senior level CSR roles making it harder to break in as an outsider.
Social impact professionals are trying to find jobs in other parts of the social impact sector with a majority of job seekers flocking to the well-paid jobs with large nonprofits, family foundations, and corporate responsibility teams.
To say this is a tough job market would be a severe understatement.
Here’s how to approach this challenging job market:
Prepare for a longer job search - If you’re looking for a Director level or higher job, plan for a 6-month to 1-year job search. Do what you can to build up your financial runway, cut costs, and take on part-time or consulting work, if need be. Don’t be shy to ask family or friends for support. Check out FindHelp - a national database of free resources in your area - legal services, health care, housing, education, transportation, etc.
If you have a job, I recommend keeping it while you search, unless you’re in a highly toxic environment where your physical and psychological health are deteriorating fast.
Be flexible and adaptable - Many people coming from the federal government and for-profit federal contractors have taken pay cuts or job title cuts to stay in the social impact sector - anywhere from 5% to 30% cut in pay - especially when going to smaller nonprofits. Everyone is going for the high-paying jobs and employers with the greatest brand recognition. If you’re competitively qualified for jobs at these employers or you have contacts you can leverage then, by all means, apply for those jobs. But also consider small and mid-sized employers that aren’t on everyone’s radar. If you’re in a situation where you or your family can relocate - consider doing so as Washington, DC is the most saturated with social impact job seekers. I’ve seen people in Chicago, Detroit, Raleigh, Charlotte, and Austin fare better with their search than those in Washington, DC or NYC, for example.
Nothing wrong with a layover job - If you need to take a job that you’re not crazy about in another sector just to pay the bills, there’s nothing wrong with that. It can be temporary, if you want it to be. Keep networking with people in the social impact sector and let them know you’re interested in getting back in as soon as an opportunity becomes available.
You WILL find a job. It’s just a matter of time. - Your job search won’t last forever. You WILL find a job. If you’re searching for longer than three months, you will experience peaks and valleys. But remember, this is temporary and your job isn’t your entire identity. Lean on your personal and professional community for support. Take breaks and go on vacation. Identify a therapist. Make time for the things that bring you joy, volunteer, be generous with your support for others in their search, and be sure to congratulate people in your network when they land a job. It will be your turn soon enough.
Special note: If you’re a mid or senior-level professional considering a full career change into the social impact sector in 2025 and you don’t have any transferrable skills, this isn’t the time to do it. I’m not trying to be a gatekeeper. There are hundreds of thousands of highly qualified social impact professionals trying to stay in this sector. It will be like climbing Everest without oxygen. It’s doable, but highly unlikely. I would take this time to learn about the sector - listen to podcasts, subscribe to Substack newsletters, attend webinars and conferences, research different employers, and conduct informational interviews. When the sector opens back up and more jobs become available, it’ll welcome you with open arms and hopefully many more opportunities.
3. Who are your services a good fit for?
My Professional Prime service is designed for senior social impact professionals pursuing full-time jobs in the U.S. and either have never job searched before or haven’t searched in 5+ years and don’t know where to start with all the new tools and resources out there. It’s also for those that have been haphazardly searching for 3+ months with no luck, and aren’t sure what’s missing from their approach.
I also work with professionals that are making a partial pivot within the social impact sector. For example, federal employees transitioning to family foundations or from nonprofit to corporate responsibility.
This service is a good fit if you need help with the tactical aspects of a job search including:
How to structure and organize your job search
Where to find your desired jobs in alignment with your unique value proposition (UVP)
How to determine a competitive vs. reach job
Networking with your target employers even when they don’t have any current openings
Refining your marketing materials (resume, LinkedIn profile, and cover letters)
Interview prep
Compensation negotiations
With Professional Prime, I’ll teach you how to job search. I would love to claim you’ll have a job within the 8 to 11 weeks we work together, but in this job market, that is rare. You will have the skills, strategy, and resources to keep searching after we’re done working together. But please know, our last session isn’t goodbye. I stay in touch with my clients even after our last session.
My Confident Interviewer service is designed for those who want to improve their interviewing skills. This service is for job seekers across all levels, and can be used in anticipation of getting interviews upon just starting your search, or for those who’ve been formally invited to a first or second round interview, and want to prepare for a specific job.
4. Who wouldn’t be a good fit for your services?
My services aren’t a good fit for the following job seekers:
Career exploration and discovery
Those pursuing consulting opportunities or looking to start a consulting practice
Full career changers*
*In many cases, full career changes entail a time and/or financial investment in re-skilling through formal or informal educational/learning environments such as university degree or certificate programs, career accelerators, volunteering/pro-bono, or self-taught skills acquired over a period of time.
In today’s competitive job market, most employers want to hire professionals that have the necessary skills and experience at the time of interviewing. They typically don’t want to invest in a learning curve for senior professionals that don’t have relevant transferrable skills.
I need to see a clear path to the jobs you want with your current skill set as my services are tailored to professionals that have the necessary experience and training to get the jobs they want without needing to re-skill or up-skill. If I can’t see that path during our consult, I’ll let you know. And please know, I’m one perspective. Just because I don’t see a pathway, doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist. I recommend getting multiple opinions from coaches, recruiters, and those in the jobs you’re seeking.
5. Do you offer bespoke services?
Not at this time. I offer two services:
I tested different session outlines and structures over the years and find seven sessions for the Professional Prime service is necessary to cover all aspects of a modern job search and start to see some progress with your search. Three sessions for The Confident Interviewer service are necessary to experience significant improvement in your interviewing skills especially if interviewing for senior leadership roles.
I have some flexibility with the order of sessions and topics for the Professional Prime service, which I’m happy to discuss with you during your consult. For example, if you’re invited to an interview and want to use an upcoming session to prep for that instead of the pre-planned topic we can do a mock interview instead.
OR, if you’re required to give a presentation as part of an interview process then we can do a mock presentation for one of your interview prep sessions rather than a standard questions-based mock interview. That’s one of the many advantages of working 1:1 with a coach.
6. What is your coaching style?
My coaching style is straightforward, practical, and results-focused, with plenty of encouragement along the way. I focus on the tactical side of a job search - things like positioning your experience, crafting a strong resume, and building a networking strategy that actually gets responses.
You can expect direct feedback from me: constructive when needed, and motivating when you’re making progress. While I don’t dive deeply into the psychological side of the job search, I will absolutely help you recognize your strengths, boost your confidence, and push you to go after opportunities you’re well qualified for, and some reach ones too.
Think of me as both a strategist and a cheerleader, making sure you take bold steps like reaching out to senior leaders at your target companies.
7. What makes you different than other job hunt coaches?
My breadth and depth of my experience in the social impact sector and my background serving in various business functional roles.
For 10+ years I was a corporate recruiter with for-profit and nonprofit global international development employers where I specialized in recruiting senior professionals across industries (international agriculture and trade, climate mitigation and adaptation and natural resources management, and public health including maternal and newborn child health, family planning and reproductive health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS prevention, health systems strengthening, and service delivery).
Prior to working in recruitment, I held roles in program management, corporate operations, marketing, new business development, and account management in the professional services/government contracting, and advertising sectors so I have a holistic understanding of business functions within a company or organization. I know what hiring teams look for in successful senior candidates since I’ve been the one developing recruitment strategies and working hand-in-hand with senior hiring managers to find and hire the best talent.
I have a hiring manager’s perspective when it comes to attracting and hiring talent, so you’re getting a coach with an insider’s perspective.
Since I started coaching, I’ve worked with professionals across philanthropy/foundations, nonprofits, corporate responsibility, and federal/civil service sectors – all with a common goal to land jobs that help people and planet.
8. Do you search for active job opportunities on behalf of your Professional Prime clients?
Not on an official basis, but I monitor the job market daily and if I come across jobs that are a good fit for you, I will absolutely send them to you, but since I don’t control the market, I can’t guarantee I’ll send you X number of job postings per week.
Additionally, every Monday, I share a weekly roundup of U.S.-based senior social impact jobs that pay over $140K/year with my LinkedIn network. I personally compile this list, so if I come across a job during this exercise that is a good fit for you, I will send it your way!
9. Do you provide clients with referrals to hiring managers?
Not officially as part of the Professional Prime service. If I know someone in my network who would be willing to have an informational interview with you, then I’m happy to make that introduction, but this varies based on the client and the employer(s).
10. Why invest in 1:1 coaching versus group coaching?
Group coaching is great. It’s more affordable than private coaching, and gives you a larger support network to consult and lean on during your search.
BUT…
Working with a coach one-on-one gives you personalized support to expedite your search. I find my clients understand basic job search tasks, but they benefit from asking an expert specific questions about how to respond to a Hiring Manager, how to respond to certain behavioral questions for a specific job they’re interviewing for, or how to tailor their application materials and tailor networking messages for a specific employer?
Private coaching allows you to receive guidance for your specific situation and feel more secure in your job search.
My clients also have access to me via phone and email in between our sessions which you don’t typically get with group coaching. You have 1:1 support the entire time we work together.
11. How do you conduct consults? What can I expect during the 30 minutes?
You’ll send me your resume, up to 3 job postings, and complete the intake form at least 24 hours before your appointment. I’ll review your items prior to our meeting so I’m familiar with your background.
From the start of the consult, we get right into it:
For the first few minutes you’ll tell me about your job search to-date and the jobs you’re pursuing. Or if you’ve got an interview coming up, you’ll tell me about the job, employer, and interview process. Feel free to expand on the challenges you’re experiencing in your search or what challenges or apprehensions you have with interviews.
Let me know where I can be the most help to you. What questions do you have for me? I’ll give you as much advice and feedback as I can in 30 minutes, so I recommend coming prepared with your questions. If you have more general questions about the job market, or how to approach your job search if you haven’t started yet, I’m happy to answer those too.
At the end, we can chat about my services and how they can help you with your job search or interview prep. If my services aren’t a good fit for you, I’m happy to refer you to other social impact career coaches that may be a better fit.
Please familiarize yourself with my services in advance of your consult as I include quite a bit of information including costs on my services page.
While I don’t do a hard sales pitch during our meeting, I have limited consults per week and need to prioritize those seriously interested in learning more about my services, so please don’t schedule a consult unless seriously interested in learning more about my services. Thank you!
12. Do you offer job search workshops or presentations for companies and professional networking groups?
I do! Shoot me a message (stephanie@smcareercoach.com) and we can schedule a time to chat.