Philanthropy

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Wed 22 Apr 2009

Top 5 Skills: Pursuing a Nonprofit Career

Posted by Jeff under Charity , Non-Profit , Philanthropy , Resume
1 Comment 

The Chronicle of Philanthropy had a live Q&A session this week hosted by career consultant and author Shelly Cryer. I posted a handful of the most pertinent questions and answers here, but the following excellent list includes her initial thoughts for the business professional seeking nonprofit employment:

1. GET NONPROFIT EXPERIENCE. You have to demonstrate your commitment to a specific field of nonprofit work. Regardless of your age or extent of professional experience, you will need to volunteer or intern at a nonprofit.

2. THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT TRANSLATING YOUR BUSINESS SKILLS. If you are in sales, think about fund raising and development. If you have done marketing work, frame your work so it resonates for a nonprofit leader looking to ramp up her communications department. Ask people in your network for feedback on your resume to make sure it “speaks” to the needs of a nonprofit recruiter.

3. BUILD A NETWORK. It is critical for every job seeker – but especially sector switchers – to have a vibrant network of individuals you are communicating with about your job search. Identify experts in the field who can help you. Organize informational meetings all of the time. Stay in touch with the people who seem the most enthusiastic about you. Go to events sponsored by organizations where you would like to work. Network. Network. Network.

It’s the word-of-mouth referral that so often lands you the job. And for someone leaving business for a nonprofit, the word-of-mouth will help you make your case … the person who can say to an executive director colleague, “Jane, you have to meet with Deborah! She has the most interesting experience that is a match for that [grant writing] position you have been trying to fill. She comes out of the for-profit sector, but I have never heard someone speak so passionately about [homelessness in Nashville]. You have to meet her!”

4. CONCENTRATE ON YOUR COVER LETTER. For the sector switcher, your cover letter is vital. It is a key vehicle for “making your case” for how your business skills translate to a given nonprofit position, and it allows you to communicate your passion for the mission of the organization to which you are applying. Ask members of your network to give you feedback on your cover letter.

5. BE PERSUASIVE BUT RESPECTFUL. You want to be a great advocate for yourself. But I often hear nonprofit leaders complain of a certain arrogance that business professionals bring to their interviews at nonprofits. Great nonprofits are very professional organizations. Value your own experience, but don’t de-value that of the nonprofit professional. Be open to hearing about the skills you might not have. Go into the informational meeting or interview having done good research about the group. Ask great questions. Show interest in the point person’s own professional experience. Communicate that you understand the similarities and differences in nonprofit and for-profit work.

Navigate over to the CoP website for the full transcript!

Be free,

Jeff

 

Tue 21 Apr 2009

Q and A for Nonprofit Job Seekers

Posted by Jeff under Charity , Goals , Non-Profit , Philanthropy , Resume
1 Comment 

The Chronicle of Philanthropy had a live Q&A session today titled “Starting and Building a Career in the Nonprofit World”, hosted by career consultant and author Shelly Cryer. The following is an abridged version of the conversation (the full transcript of which is now posted on the CoP site) that I found particularly interesting.

Ms. Cryer’s responses really work for job seekers in every area, not just nonprofits!

Q: Can you please offer your top tips for navigating the nonprofit job search for college grads during these tough economic times?

A: This tough economy means that the job seeker has to be even more professional, more diligent, and more active than ever before. Your cover letter and resume must be perfect. Your network of contacts must be stellar. You need to approach your search AS A JOB and really have a system in place for how you are researching organizations and individuals, tracking your outreach efforts, noting all of the leads you get, following up promptly on everything, and saying thank you at every juncture. Ask for feedback at every step. Test your communication vehicles with leaders in the field. Force yourself to get out there and network constantly. Your weekly planner should be packed with events, informational meetings, conferences, etc. Have business cards printed up that you can hand out. Make a list of your family members, friends, professors, past professional contacts, and reach out to them. You can’t be shy.

Q: How should a [previous industry/career expertise] person present themselves to a nonprofit, if they wish to change their career path?

A: Identify the types of positions you believe you are qualified for and are interested in, and craft a sample cover letter for them. Then, share that cover letter and your resume to individuals in your network who have nonprofit experience, and see how they react to the way in which you have communicated your experience. Also, see if you can position your experience as an added “perk” to your candidacy… leveraging [it] as a bonus for the nonprofit. [For example,] sales experience can often be translated into development and fundraising experience.

Make sure that you can demonstrate commitment to mission. Zero in on a subsector you are interested in, and make sure you get some volunteer experience in it. There’s a lot of competition out there, and you are competing with nonprofit employees who often have a lifetime of demonstrated commitment to mission … something nonprofit employers care a great deal about.

Q: What resources would you suggest new college graduates use to find leads on entry level positions in the non-profit sector?

A: One of my biggest pieces of advice is to get away from the computer, at least part of the time. Despite the extraordinary wealth of information that the Internet provides, it pulls you away from the most effective strategies for job hunting. The best resources are the people in your network — individuals who are leaders in the field that you are interested in, whom you cultivate to help you find a job that matches your skill sets. In addition, research the best print and online resources for your particular sub-sector. If you are interested in the environment, identify the best journals and magazines out there. Familiarize yourself with the organizations doing great work in this field. Attend meetings, conferences, and other special events connected to the issue and targeted organizations. Stay apprised of developments in the field.

There are a number of websites that concentrate on nonprofit jobs – the CoP, Idealist.org, OpportunityNocks.org and other. These can be very helpful. But you want to target your search as much as possible, and find the best resources for the type of work you want to do, the nonprofit subsector you want to be a part of, and the geographic area where you want to live. And I know I keep saying it, but the very best resources for the job seeker are PEOPLE and having a great network of individuals who are supporting you and your search.

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I also posted Shelly’s Top 5 areas of focus when seeking nonprofit employment, whether as a new grad or coming from the commercial industry.

Be free,

Jeff

 

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