Getting Your Foot in the Door: Opportunities for Recent Grads
While some industries have direct in-roads for recent graduates, entry-level opportunities in the nonprofit sector can be harder to navigate. This article shares the inside scoop about entry-level positions at a few rapidly growing organizations.
Year Up
For young professionals interested in working to close the opportunity divide, Year Up offers some amazing opportunities. Operating a one-year, intensive training program for urban young adults, ages 18-24, Year Up’s mission is to prepare this population for life and work in our technology-driven society while guiding them towards successful and rewarding careers and higher education. In its eighth year of operations, Year Up will serve more than 630 students in 2008 at sites in Boston, Providence, Washington, D.C., New York City, and San Francisco.
According to Heather Tatarski, Manager of People Development, Year Up is a great place to launch a nonprofit career. “Besides offering entry-level positions in almost every department, we are committed to helping our employees create career paths and leverage professional development opportunities,” said Heather about growth opportunities at Year Up.
Year Up regularly hires for the entry-level roles of Fellow and Coordinator. A Fellow is an ideal position for recent college graduates who are interested in pursuing a career path in educational instruction. Fellows work in a Year Up learning community made up of approximately 35 students and 10 staff members, and focus on developing and delivering instructional content. As there are two learning cycles per year, starting in March and September, fellows are typically hired in August and February.
Entry-level coordinator opportunities include roles in almost every functional department. Specifically, Year Up has an ongoing need for Data Coordinators to manage program-related data, Apprenticeship Coordinators to manage the administrative aspects of corporate partners, and Admissions Coordinators to conduct student outreach and recruitment. Similarly, Year Up often has entry-level positions available in its finance and development departments.
For a full list of Year Up’s current positions, visit http://www.yearup.org/getinvolved/employment.htm
Citizen Schools
Citizen Schools operates a national network of apprenticeship programs for middle school students, connecting adult volunteers to young people in hands-on learning projects after school. Since its founding 1995, Citizen Schools operates in middle schools in five states, serving 3,000 kids and engaging 2,300 volunteers. The organization is comprised of hundreds of dedicated staff members working to educate youth and strengthen communities.
For recent college graduates, Citizen Schools offers a few entry-level opportunities. One role, Teaching Fellow, is a 2-year position that provides amazing mentoring, community-building and non-profit experience. Teaching Fellows spend part of their time at one of Citizens Schools’ non-profit partners working on special projects. The rest of their time is spent being academic and leadership coaches at middle schools. This position is AmeriCorps funded, which means Teaching Fellows receive a stipend, which Citizen Schools supplements. Hiring for Teaching Fellows begins in September and continues through June.
Another entry-level position at Citizen Schools is Team Leader. Team Leaders spend their time developing and delivering creative educational experiences for students, often collaborating with volunteer experts. This position is part-time, although Citizen Schools requests that Team Leaders make at least a 1-year commitment. Hiring for Team Leaders is year-round, although the bulk of hiring occurs in June and November.
Developing talent from within is a focus at Citizen Schools. “The organization is growing quickly and there are frequently new job openings at the management, support, and campus level,” said Boston Program Coordinator Ryan McCarthy. “In just a few years, someone joining Citizen Schools as a Teaching Fellow can be managing an entire program site. For people who are committed to working with kids and challenging themselves, Citizen Schools offers great opportunities.”
For a full list of Citizen Schools’ current positions, visit http://citizenschools.org/careers/index.cfm
College Summit
College Summit, the nation’s largest high school-wide college transition program, is a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to raising college-going rates for low-income students. With a track record of producing measurable results, College Summit builds the capacity of school districts to raise college-going rates school-wide and to foster the kind of college culture that helps all students stay on track academically and graduate college-ready. Founded in 1993, College Summit works in 10 different states and is currently serving approximately 13,000 students across the county.
College Summit offers entry-level opportunities for recent college graduates, as well as those with 1-2 years of work experience. One of College Summit’s entry-level positions is Operations Associate. This role entails working in a regional office with a team that supports the local school district. The operations associate position offers great exposure to the various aspects of running a regional program and allows young professionals to support senior program and executive staff in delivering quality programs. College Summit hires for this position regularly throughout the year.
For current college students or graduating seniors ready to hit the ground running, College Summit offers a paid summer internship. In this role, interns provide program support during College Summit’s summer workshop season. The internship runs from May through August. Additionally, College Summit offers a range of volunteer opportunities, which is another great way to get your foot in the door.
“The organization is growing really quickly and we’re always seeking self-starters who connect with our mission,” said Andrea Whitmore, Director of Recruiting. She added, “Recent graduates with volunteer or past work experience in youth education are strong candidates, particularly when they can demonstrate a commitment to the work we do.”
For a full list of College Summit’s current positions, visit: http://www.collegesummit.org/employment/
For more listings of entry-level jobs in the nonprofit sector, visit these online resources:
This article was written by Commongood Careers and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.5 License.
For more information about nonprofit and socially entrepreneurial careers, visit Commongood Careers at http://www.cgcareers.org.