COMMUNITY ORGANIZER: Job Applicant

COMMUNITY ORGANIZER: ROLE-PLAYING SCRIPT FOR JOB APPLICANT, 
MS. Garcia, The University of California- San Diego - Spring 2010

It is Spring, 2010, and you will graduate in June from UCSD with a BA in Political Science and a Minor in Psychology with a GPA of 3.3. You are Bilingual in English and Spanish. You were raised in the Los Angeles area, but would like to remain in the San Diego area after graduation and get a job in the social services field before you go on to law school.

You have been very involved on campus and in the community with programs that address issues of the rural poor, and you especially enjoy working with women and children.

Your participation in UCSD MEChA was very meaningful. There you helped advertise social justice-themed events via social media methods. There you gained experience in recruiting, organizing and managing volunteers which you enjoy very much.

You were Special Events Intern for the Community Law Project from September 2009 to June 2010, where you organized student events, provided office assistance and collaborated with other student organizations to coordinate large community service events.

You have been active in your community. You volunteered at Ronald McDonald House helping children make crafts for their siblings staying at Rady Children’s Hospital, and served as a Resource Advisor for Student Initiated Access Programs and Services (SIAPS) Overnight Program, assisting underprivileged high school students learn about access to higher education.

While attending the school Job Fair last week, you met Ms. Burke, the Executive Director of Coronado Family Services. You were impressed when she told you about a new program they are developing called Shelter Sisters, and that they are seeking a Community Organizer to create and manage this endeavor. Shelter Sisters will work with young girls and children who are living in shelters, either by themselves or with their families. The person who is hired will act as friend and mentor to the girls, while making referrals to the proper resources.

She said many of these children have multiple problems. Their families are often in disarray and economic hardship is common. The Community Organizer will support these children by quickly identifying barriers to their success. Children without adequate health care, nutrition, income, educational services or housing are at increased risk for failure. The person hired must think holistically about the child's needs and/or lack of services.

The person she seeks must have the passion, the education, some community experience and the ability to create meaningful connections with these children. She would like someone with social media skills who is also proficient in Spanish. She told you this is a full time job with some night and weekend work. The person she selects must understand rural poverty. The Community Organizer will also be responsible for recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training, and scheduling of volunteer workers. She or he must have a clear understanding of the issue and the target population and will help develop and coordinate programs designed to promote the organization and its activities to the community.

This sounded like the perfect job for you and a wonderful opportunity to work for an organization that is making change for families in your area. You liked the idea that this position as a Community Organizer combines both your passion for serving the rural poor, especially children, and your leadership and communication skills. It will also give you more experience which will help you when you return to graduate school.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZER: APPLICANT (2)

Ms. Burke told you that she was very impressed with you and your background, and offered you the job as Community Organizer for the Shelter Sisters Program at Coronado Family Services. She asked you to come back today just to settle a couple details like salary, benefits and a starting date and then sign a contract.

You’ve done your homework and know that a Community Organizer in the San Diego area has a salary range of $29,000 to $40,000 with a median salary of $34,000. The benefits for this position should add another $16,000 to the compensation package.

You’ve determined that your target salary is $34,000. You firmly believe your work and volunteer activities, your excellent education and diverse abilities have given you valuable opportunities to fine tune your skills and should make it easy for you to begin immediately with only “on the job training”.

You know that living in San Diego is expensive. You have hefty student loans to pay off. You will need a car, and after working so hard, you would like to have a social life! You’ve done your budget and know the minimum salary you can possibly accept is $31,000 and that would mean living VERY modestly.

You have the last appointment of the day. Ms. Burke must leave in 15 minutes to meet with potential donors.

Can you and Ms. Burke come to an agreement about a starting salary which you can accept? Can you get her to agree to your target salary figure? Will she offer an acceptable benefits package?

Make notes on what you consider your persuasive points. Decide the sequence in which you will present these points. Make notes about the language you will use. Make notes about likely objections she will raise and what you will say.

Use every minute of the time you have to get to your target salary. Remember, this is your chance to start out with the best salary you can get. Also, remember, $34,000 is what you believe you’re worth in that job.