How Not to Get a Job in Youth Ministry
I'm a youth pastor at a local church. I'm favored and blessed to the degree that I'm able to increase my staff. As a result, I have the privilege of hunting for someone to hire, rather than looking for a job myself. As I've been fielding résumés and applications, I've been reminded of a few things. So if you don't want to get a job in youth ministry, please, follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Don't read and follow the instructions.
If you don't want the job, please...don't read the details of the job description. If the church requests you send a resumé first, by all means, call and leave a jovial voicemail! If the job listing asks that you send over a picture or profile first, by all means, just send an email saying you're interested. If your goal is to not get the job, the best way to ensure this result is to disregard the instructions.
Step 2: Don't care about fitting the bill.
If you don't want the job, please... don't give any thought to whether or not you would be an appropriate fit for the position. If the position is for a "Youth Worship Leader," give no thought to the fact that you can neither sing in tune nor read music-after all, God is leading you! If the position is for "Missions Outreach Pastor", give no thought to the fact you've never traveled more than 5 miles from home. Just send the application and "seek God's will."
Step 3: Don't research the job you're seeking.
If you don't want the job, please...don't do any research about the church or ministry from which you're seeking employment. Just send off shotgun blasts of résumés and emails without any consideration about who you're talking to, or their perspective, or context. If their job description asks for Spanish-speaking ability, scoff and press send anyway! If their job description asks for experience in volunteer coordinating, laugh it off and schedule an interview!
Bottom line, if you don't want to land a youth ministry job, simply launch a "hail Mary" pass over to the ministry of your choice, then cross your fingers for the results. If, however, you do want to land a job, do the opposite of every step you read above.
Yours truly,
Hiring
Conversation
First, I must ask why
First, I must ask why wouldn’t anyone want a job in Youth Ministry. However, I found this to be a funny article. I remember when I first started sending out floods of resumes along with everything else the host church requested. Some churches wanted a youth vision statement. Some wanted a possible one year event calendar. Some even wanted philosophy of ministry. Nonetheless, I followed everything to a tee. The waiting portion of the process is the worst. Then you get the call which could be one of two responses. The first is, “Well, we have decided to go in a different direction.” This means you didn’t make the cut. Then there is the second, “We would like to have you come out and speak for us.” This means you are in the final four or two or something. Nonetheless, you are on your way to being a youth pastor.
But if for some reason you are simply trying to run from the call or just have no interest in playing the role, then follow these well articulated steps and you will surely hear the words, “Well, we have decided to go in a different direction.” You will not get a second look or call. You will be put at the bottom of the pile or even filed in the circular file (wastebasket). You will not have to travel across the country for some nerveracking 2 hour interview by a youth board of 20 strangers. However, what if for some reason God decides to play a joke on you? Then pack up your stuff and move to Beverly, Hills that is, swimming pools and movie stars. LOL!
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