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Accelerate Your Social Impact Career

8.4

(9 ratings)

·

4 Weeks

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Cohort-based Course

Turn stressful job searching into a career roadmap that will help you become a master at the game of landing jobs in the Impact sector.

Hosted by

Craig Zelizer, PhD and Catalina Rojas, PhD.

5 decades combined experience 2 PhDs, global roster of career clients; founders

Course overview

Because getting a job is so last year

Don't think about your career in terms of just landing a job, as it is so much more.


This cohort-based course is focused on giving you the tools for a successful career expedition.


By understanding the market realities of the social impact space; organizing and optimizing your job search process; re-thinking the way you do application materials and leveraging your personal branding and networking skills this will radically improve the chances of landing the right next job and sustaining your career for the long-term.


We know that is possible to change the world while making a living.


Join us as we share everything we know about building a thriving career in the social impact space.

Who is this course for

01

You identify as a mission-driven professional & care about making a positive difference in the world but also paying rent.

02

Been there done that. You have worked hard & made money. But, now you want to leverage your skills to pivot to a impact career.

03

If you aren't hearing back from impact organizations; or landing interviews but getting an offer or not at the level you want.

What you’ll get out of this course

Self-exploration

We start by finding our IKIGAI. You will dive into an exploration of what you love, what you are good at, what you can get paid doing (and who is hiring), & what is needed in this world that is in deep crisis.

Understanding the Market Realities

Reality check. We can't look into a dark room. We turn on the lights to unravel who is funding what, areas of expansion and contraction in the social impact space and what employers seek in the impact sector.

Preparation is everything

Students will walk away with templates to organize and optimize their job search process. Equally important is you will learn where to find the jobs.

Personal narrative & branding

We share our combined 5 decades of expertise of what makes a social impact resume more likely to be selected for the Yes pile. We will also help you build an awesome cover letter and LinkedIn profile. Finally, you will learn why purpose driven networking is key.

The Nuts and Bolts

How to excel at job interviews in the impact sector; when and how to negotiate effectively for salary and benefits and tips on how to vet organizations to ensure you land in a health working environment.

Winning at the game.

Participants will walk away with more than just tips to land jobs but a whole plan to grow their own social impact careers.

Access to a Global Community

Participants in the course will also receive a one year membership to the PCDN Career Campus. Members received over 350 curated job & fellowship, funding & social entrepreneur opps monthly + ongoing support.

8.4

(9 ratings)

What people are saying

        Social capital and social networks are critical in any career but possibly much more so in the social impact space. Craig and Catalina and PCDN have truly understood the power and potential of networking and the key place it has in building true collaborations for social change, and are some of the best at facilitating conversations around this.
Satyam Vyas

Satyam Vyas

Founder, Arthan & Climate Asia
        As a social entrepreneur, I found PCDN so insightful and inspiring to continue the journey in this sector. It always has great resources and information about current trends and amazing opportunities from all over the world. As a plus, Dr. Zelizer is an upstanding leader and connector of people and causes.
Diana Suarez

Diana Suarez

Founder & CEO, GLOT
        I have struggled in the past to find access to quality, real impact opportunities. While I am happily in a high-impact job now, I still review PCDN's content daily because I am so inspired by the opportunities I find on there! I've found the platform and newsletter a place to dream about all the possible next steps in my impact career.
Kara Johnson

Kara Johnson

Chief of Staff, Latin American Leadership Academy
        I came to PCDN's Career Services at a pivotal moment in my life. The coaching, quite simply, transformed my life. I received powerful advice, a great rewrite of my resume, and thoughtful help building my network. But beyond all this support, Craig really listened. I felt like I had someone in my corner.
Spencer Campbell

Spencer Campbell

Founder, spencercampbelltalent.com and VP, Talent NewGlobe Schools
        PCDN is a game changer for social impact job seekers. Craig is a quick study, connecting your aspirations to concrete actions and giving your job search (and confidence) a boost. With help from PCDN, I got 2 stellar job offers, both with salaries significantly over what I had expected. I’m a huge fan and highly recommend PCDN
Recent PCDN Carer Client

Recent PCDN Carer Client

Landed a Job in the Social Impact Sector
        PCDN is my go-to resource for anything and everything related to career development. Working comprehensively with our faculty and administrators to maximize our efforts and resources, while providing individual guidance, Craig Zelizer and PCDN have made all the difference in growing our career development programming.
Kajsa Hendrickson

Kajsa Hendrickson

Director, Future 500, Previously at Coordinator of Student Success and Career Services, Kroc School, University of San Diego
        PCDN has been an amazing lifeline in my job transition into a new industry. The Campus' network, curated job opportunities, and tips for navigating various job circumstances made my job search much more fruitful and less painful.
Kristen Weymouth

Kristen Weymouth

Senior Program Manager - Events
        I'm forever grateful to Craig and his team and all PCDN members. It is a family of professionals which I'm proud to be a member. I have been referring people to it and can't recommend it enough.
Helen Mayelle

Helen Mayelle

Communication, Evaluation and Innovation Specialist, UN

Meet your instructor

Craig Zelizer, PhD

Craig Zelizer, PhD

Changemaker, Angel Investor, Professor, Founder with 30+ Years Experience in the Social Impact Sector

Dr. Craig Zelizer is the Founder of http://PCDN.global, which connects a global community of changemakers to the tools, opportunities and inspiration to build careers of impact and scale change.  


He has strong tri-sectoral experience in social entrepreneurship, higher education and the nonprofit sector.


A central focus of his career has been how to support others in landing careers that help change the world while helping professionals make a living. He has published and conducted original research on impact careers in academic journals, book chapters, and for clients such as the United States Institute of Peace. He has edited/coedited two books.


He has supported thousands of students and professionals around the world in advancing impact careers.


He has coached over 200 social impact professionals to help them upskill, land their next career opp and for many explore their relationship to money.


He is a serial fellowship holder including receiving a Fulbright Junior Fellowship (two years in Hungary), Boren Fellowship (in Bosnia-Herzegovina), a tuition fellowship to attend Central European University, a former Boehm Media Fellow at Opportunity Collaboration and he/PCDN received the Luxbembourg Peace Prize for best Platform in 2018.


He regularly reviews fellowship applications for many leading programs and has mentored hundreds in landing impact fellowships.




From 2006 to 2016 he served as a professor in the Conflict Resolution program at Georgetown University (where he still serves as an Adjunct Faculty teaching on impact careers). He is also an occasional adjunct faculty at the American University of Paris.


He has led trainings, workshops and consultancies in over 25 countries organizations including with USAID, Rotary International, Partners Global, University for Peace, University of San Diego, Rotary International and others.


Craig is a recognized leader in the social sector field. He has received several awards including George Mason’s School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution’s alumni of the year award and an alumni career achievement award from Central European University.


Dr. Zelizer spent two years in Hungary as Fulbright Scholar and was a Boren Fellow in Bosnia. 

Catalina Rojas, PhD.

Catalina Rojas, PhD.

Originally from Bogota, Colombia, she received her Doctoral degree at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. She has been a consultant for international organizations and worked in many social impact sectors including gender, international development and peacebuilding. She has published academic articles, trained and taught around the world and enjoyed working directly with women’s organizations in advocacy issues. She has been a recipient of a number of scholarships, gotten professional awards, but she has also quit jobs and never got her dissertation funding. She is currently Director at PCDN.global where is delighted to support the next generation of troublemakers for good.

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Course syllabus

01

Basecamp. Mapping your skills to fit the market.

Link your purpose, passion with impact as you map your career goals. Understand where the jobs are and how your skills fit the social impact marketplace.

02

Equip yourself. Build Incredible Application Materials.

Create your job tracking system; understand what employers look for in a resume; build a winning resume based on PCDN's five-part framework.

Discover what makes a compelling cover letter.

03

Venturing Out. Build a Network for Good

Your materials are ready, it's time to engage with employers, peers and colleagues. Why relational networking is the key to succeeding in the Impact world.

04

Peak. Its the journey not the destination

Your career portfolio consists of an improved resume, a compelling cover letter and a much engaging LinkedIn profile.


You will practice interviewing for success; how to be your own advocate in the process (salary, benefits, work arrangements). Lastly, how to vett the organizations and its culture.

Course schedule

4-6 hours per week
  • Wednesday

    12 pm - 2pm EST

    We will meet for four course sessions each Wednesday starting March 1-March 22, 2023.

  • Office Hours

    2 hours per week

    We will have two open office hours sessions on Thursday March 9 & March 23 from 12:00pm to 1 pm to provide support and review your materials.

Learning is better with cohorts

Learning is better with cohorts

Active hands-on learning

This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects

Interactive and project-based

You’ll be interacting with other learners through breakout rooms and project teams

Learn with a cohort of peers

Join a community of like-minded people who want to learn and grow alongside you

Frequently Asked Questions

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Accelerate Your Social Impact Career