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