Making the Transition

Nonprofit hiring managers recommend two pieces of advice to constituents who are seeking to transition into a staff role: connect the dots and communicate your value.

Connect the dots:  First, determine your overall value to the organization, and then map your value to the organization’s goals and mission.  To do so, consider the answers to the following questions:

• What skills and knowledge have you gained from your direct contact with the organization?
• What core competencies do you possess that fit with the organziation’s goals, mission, and culture?
• Where do you see yourself fitting within the organization?

The answers to these questions will help you connect the dots, and position yourself to make a strong case for your employment to a hiring manager.

If the organization has hired other former constituents, reach out to these hires for advice and guidance. These staff can also offer a perspective about what challenges they faced during the hiring and on-boarding processes, as they transitioned from being a constituent to a staff role.

An organization’s human resources staff can be another great resource. HR staff should be able to share insights about the organizational culture, as well as core competencies that are required for a given role.

For example, Elaine Mak, Director of Talent Management at City Year, stresses the importance for former Corps members’ ability to highlight their leadership experience when applying for staff roles. According to Elaine, program alumni must be able to demonstrate, “strong performance in key leadership competencies, and the ability to seek out opportunities to help build the [City Year] leadership brand.”

Communicate your value: Once you have connected your personal value to the organization, it is important to let your interest be heard!

For example, Jessica Land, Volunteer Coordinator at Bottomless Closet NYC, recommends that, “... if you are interested in pursuing a position at the organization where you volunteer, make your intentions known. Don’t be afraid to discuss this with your program contact or a human resources representative.” 

To prepare for these conversations, leverage your first-hand experience with the organization, as well as the information you gained from researching the organization. Become fluent in examples of how you’ve demonstrated the core competencies sought for a particular role (or the organization in general), particularly examples from your personal interactions with the organization. In your conversations, take these opportunities to listen as well as share, so that you can continue to evaluate your fit and reflect what the organization is seeking.

Where to Look
 
Bottomless Closet NYC, Breakthrough Collaborative, and City Year are a few organizations that look at their pool of current and former constituents to fill internal roles.  However, Ben Martinez, the National Program Director of Breakthrough Collaborative, notes, “Persistence is the key. We don’t always have open positions. Interested alumni should keep updated through regular communication with staff members on openings.” 

Remember that keeping in touch takes work on your part, especially if it’s been a while since you’ve been involved with an organization. Set up a monthly or quarterly reminder on your Outlook calendar, BlackBerry or iPhone to both check the organization’s online job postings or check in with your organizational contact about any new positions, and then follow-up accordingly.

A Checklist for Success

Whether you are a program alum, volunteer, or client of a nonprofit, it is possible to leverage your personal connection into a staff role. To best position yourself for success, remember to:

• Learn as much as you can about the organization, including its culture and values, as well as sought-after core competencies for particular roles.
• Build relationships with – and make your intentions known to—key organizational staff, including other former constituents who have made the leap, and human resources staff.
• Identify and be able to articulate your personal value to the organization and/or a specific role.
• Continually demonstrate your passion and commitment to the organization.
• Give your “all” in your current constituent role. If you are a superstar volunteer, you are more likely to be able to demonstrate your value to the organization, as well as build strong relationships with key staff along the way.

Nonprofit career fairs can be an excellent opportunity to learn about job opportunities and meet staff from hiring organizations. However, jobseekers should do some preparation before attending any career fair to ensure that they make a good impression!

By the end of 2008, Commongood Careers will have participated in over one hundred career fairs across the country. To date, we have met thousands of nonprofit jobseekers, some who have impressed us and others who have left us underwhelmed.  Based on this experience, we’ve prepared a set of tips to help jobseekers gain valuable information, make important connections, and create positive impressions with hiring organizations at career fairs.

1. Prepare a scouting report: Before arriving at a career fair, set aside some time to visit the web site of the career organizer. Idealist.org, a nonprofit resource that organizes a national series of career fairs, lists the names and web sites of every organization that attends their fairs. For organizations that interest you, read the mission statements and learn about their programs. Jot down some notes and prepare one or two questions if you’d like to hear more about a given nonprofit.

According to Meg Busse, Director of Nonprofit Career Transitions Program at Idealist.org, there are a number of ways jobseekers can prepare in advance.

“Just as you’d never walk into an interview without researching the organization, don’t show up at a career fair without having reviewed the list of organizations in attendance and selected a few to research more in-depth. Conduct an Internet search to find out who is on staff at any organization that interests you, and check to see if you have any personal connections.”

2. Visit your short list: After you research what organizations will be at the career fair, prioritize your list of favorite organizations and make visiting those organizations your top priority. This will save you time and keep you focused. Being focused at a career fair communicates confidence and direction. Aimlessly meandering around a room reflects confusion and self-doubt.

Do not plan on papering the career fair with your resume. Bring only a couple of resumes for a few select organizations. This will help you bring a focused attitude. If you know you are already planning to apply to an opening posted on one of your targeted employer’s web sites, craft your resume to match the qualifications of the position and bring it along (but don’t forget to also apply as instructed in the job description; you don’t want your application to get lost in all the paper of a career fair!).

3. “To thine own self, be true”: When visiting an employer booth, a representative may ask you about your career interests. Be prepared to give a thoughtful answer. You don’t have to know exactly what your career goals are, but be prepared to articulate your interests. Take stock of your values and motivations, and use this information to craft a personal “elevator pitch” in advance. Because hiring decisions are rarely made on the spot at a nonprofit career, working on a fluid personal pitch at a career fair can prepare you for actual in-person interviews.

4. Be confident … but check your ego at the door: An approach that will surely derail your credibility with an organization at a career fair is to be overconfident about your skills and experiences. Employers want to meet competent jobseekers who are interested in making a contribution and being team players, not those who are egocentric and arrogant. 

To make a great first impression, start off by maintaining a positive, enthusiastic attitude. Smiling, making eye contact and projecting genuine excitement will not only demonstrate your interest, but will also communicate soft skills like friendliness and approachability.

Finally, listen actively and make a connection with the organization’s representative. According to Kasey Gagnon, Recruitment and Events Manager at Commongood Careers, passively listening to an organization’s pitch can translate to disinterest. ”It is very obvious to an organization representative when you have tuned-out and only want to talk about yourself and your experiences. Listen actively by asking a few brief questions that are relevant to the information that the representative is telling you. Having nothing constructive to add to the conversation can make the interaction go south very quickly. We want to know that you have understood what we have told you. If you are able to connect the information back to why you may be interested in our work, we will be impressed.”

5. Mingle with your peers: Representatives from organizations are not the only people at career fairs who are valuable sources of information. Because career fairs attract attendees with a diversity of backgrounds and experiences, chances are there are peers in the room who could be helpful in your search. Strike up conversations with fellow jobseekers and practice your elevator pitch some more. Be friendly and welcome other jobseekers into your conversation with the organization’s representative. However, if the table is crowded, be respectful and don’t jump into conversations already going on.

6.  Manage the clock: Organizations have a lot of people to meet during the course of a career fair. Being aware of this simple fact can help a jobseeker not overstay his/her welcome at an organization’s table.

“Just as attendees are anxious to get information and then move on to the next organization on their short list, staff members who are manning tables have a lot to manage. It’s not the time to go into your life story. Get the information, ask a brief but relevant question and then move on,” says Jocelyn Sherman, Commongood Careers’ Director of Recruitment and Partnerships.

Therefore, limit your time spent at a table to only a few minutes. Quality of time spent at a table trumps quantity of time. A short, smart, positive conversation will be most memorable.

7. Take advantage of career fair programming: Along with providing organizations a venue to recruit talent, many career fairs have informational programs for jobseekers scheduled into the day’s events. These programs may include panel discussions or tutorials on topics like effective resume writing. In addition to gaining information that will help in your job search, these programs provide opportunities to network in a smaller, more focused setting.

8. Remember names and follow up: When meeting an organization that interests you, do your best to remember the name of the representatives you meet. When appropriate, ask the representative for a business card. Then, write a note on the back of the card to help you remember them. Thank them by name on the spot, and follow up with an email with 24 hours. If you have any remaining questions, an email is a great avenue through which to ask them. Initiating this contact with an organization will help solidify you as a thoughtful and strong candidate in their memory. 

Smajl Cengic, Director of Career and Alumni Services at Year Up, agrees that follow-up is key.  “The most important phrase for a jobseeker who approaches our table at a career fair is relationship building.  If our recruiters walk away from the fair remembering something about a candidate, that person is much more likely to continue a relationship with Year Up.  The strongest candidates we meet engage us in real conversations and then follow up with an email referencing the conversation after the fair.” 

Conclusion

There is much more to career fairs than just showing up. Effectively working the room at a career fair requires knowing details about the organizations in attendance, as well as being able to talk about yourself and your interests with humility, confidence, and enthusiasm. Being mindful of these tips will help you stand out among all the other attendees. 

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.

Networking is a strategic component of any job search. Studies have shown that networking can be 12 times more effective than answering job advertisements. This is particularly true in the nonprofit sector, where under-resourced hiring managers frequently look to their networks for candidates. As a result, the ability to successfully build and cultivate relationships is a vital part of advancing your career, and in many cases, landing the ideal job.

In jobseeking, there is an old adage: “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know.” Making connections with a targeted set of people can result in the acquisition of new information about a specific type of work, organization, or job opportunity. These connections can further your career, both in your search and after you land the job.

This article explores some simple yet effective ways to build a robust and targeted personal network, and then leverage that network in your job search.

Building Your Network

Networking is a social skill. Luckily, we are constantly in social settings that promote networking opportunities. As a general rule, make yourself as visible as possible. Go to every social or professional gathering you can, such as conferences, career fairs, alumni activities, professional association meetings, and fundraisers. Participate in volunteer opportunities at organizations that interest you. You never know when a hiring manager will be volunteering next to you at a soup kitchen or a homebuilding event.

When it comes to building your network, begin with your inner circle and move outwards. Make a list of your family and friends who work in particular fields, organizations, or roles that interest you. Initiate conversations with these immediate connections, and at the end of every meeting, request introductions to at least three of their colleagues. This is how your network grows by degrees—by connecting with the people who know the people you know.

Beyond your immediate network, conduct research to identify people in positions and/or organizations that interest you. Online resources such as Guidestar and the Foundation Center and sector-related publications like the NonProfit Times and Chronicle of Philanthropy may be helpful to this end. After you conduct your research, create a comprehensive list of people with whom you plan to conduct outreach.

Strong organizational skills are the key to managing the building of your network. In addition to contact information, record relevant information for your contacts such as industries, interests, professional associations, and even personal information like birthdays and anniversaries. Organize your network in a contact management system like Outlook. There are also web-based contact management systems like Plaxo that allow you to email the people in your network directly. If you prefer to rely on a hard copy organization system, place business cards in a binder for easy reference.

Networking 2.0: Leveraging the Internet

It’s no secret that web sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are incredibly popular. In the past ten years, online social networking tools have exploded. What started as a way for former classmates to find each other has grown into a widespread forum for anyone to connect with people they already know and people they want to know. Today, there are over 200 social networking sites, many of them devoted to connecting professionals to each other. How can social networking tools like these help you make valuable connections and further your job search?

Professional social networking sites provide great opportunities to make connections. Since this type of networking is done online, there are no restrictions of geography or “being in the right place at the right time.” On these sites, jobseekers can create a personal profile, including information about yourself such as what your core competencies are, what kinds of organizations are of interest to you, and what type(s) of position you are seeking, and then build a network by searching for people by field of interest, organization, position, or other search criteria. This is especially helpful when trying to connect with someone to whom you may not have a direct connection, as it eliminates the need to know someone in common.

Some of our favorite sites for professional social networking are LinkedIn, Ecademy, and Ryze. Social networking sites that serve individuals interested in the social sector include 1Bloc and Omidyar Network.

Blogging is another web-based strategy for making connections. Free blogging software like Blogger and WordPress make it easy for anyone to share information and connect with like-minded people online. Although blogging is a less direct form of networking, it has already become a valuable way for jobseekers to get their names out there and attract new people into their networks.

Cultivating Your Network

Once you’ve identified and started to build your network, it’s time to cultivate those relationships. Reach out to people by e-mail, provide a brief introduction to your background and interests, attach your resume, and request fifteen to thirty minutes by phone or in person to discuss your search. Make it clear that you are looking forward to your contact with them for information and advice (NOT for a job, in which case they may just try to route you through human resources). You will be surprised by how many people are willing to take a quick call to help a jobseeker, especially in the nonprofit sector.

In preparing for each informational interview, develop a list of ten questions that you could not have answered on your own. A few good examples may be: What are the largest challenges currently facing organizations like yours?  How do you see macro-level changes in the sector impacting your work?  What do you find to be the most and least enjoyable aspects of your work?  Additionally, remember that these meetings are also an opportunity for others to get to know you. Make sure that you have a personal positioning statement prepared, including information that you may have used in your personal profile (described above).

After you’ve had a meeting or informational interview with anyone in your network—whether it’s your Aunt Sally or the head of an organization you’re hoping to join—remember to send a personalized thank you note immediately. A hand-written note is a traditional touch that many people still appreciate, although e-mail is also an acceptable format for thank you notes and it travels more quickly. In addition to your gratitude, offer your assistance to the people in your network. Networking is all about fostering goodwill and shared knowledge; be prepared to reciprocate in any way possible.

Final Thoughts

Networking is an ongoing activity. Smart professionals are constantly developing networks throughout their careers. This can lead to additional employment opportunities as well as making you more effective in your job by providing you with professional associates, mentors, partners and resources. Making the effort to network early and often provides jobseekers with a leg up before they even embark on a job search. If you invest in building relationships to gain information about work that interests you and to connect with others, you may network your way into an ideal position sooner than you think.

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.

The informational interview can help further define what you’re looking for in a job. It can give you a sense of who are the major players in a particular segment of the nonprofit community. And ultimately it can lead to consideration for a specific position within that community. But if you’re looking for a job at the place where you conducted the informational interview, things can get dicey.

According to experts, informational interviews are especially helpful if you’re switching careers and don’t know the types of experience, education and skills required. “I think it’s better for just building a general knowledge of practice and preparing yourself,” said James Weinberg, founder and CEO of Commongood Careers.

Weinberg recommends an informational interview for job seekers who are trying to figure out exactly what role they want to play at an organization, and moreover, for which type of organization they want to work. He emphasizes its importance “especially early in the job search process, getting out there to similar peer organizations and speaking to people who are doing the job you are interested in getting.”

Weinberg and other recruitment experts advise that you limit this type of interview to 20 or 30 minutes, and be prepared with specific questions, including:

• What’s the position like on a daily basis?
• How do you think I should position myself for a job like this at another organization?
• What jobs and education prepared you for this position?
• What aspects of your job do you love and why?

The jury is still out on whether dropping off an unsolicited resume during an informational interview is a good idea. Although Weinberg said that, no matter what, you should always carry a resume, he advised waiting for the interviewee to request it.

“But,” warned Weinberg, “if you’re looking for a job at the place where you conducted the informational interview, it can become an uncomfortable situation because (the person you’re interviewing knows) they aren’t supposed to be meeting with you. You’re supposed to go through the (human resources) department.” Things can get even dicier when the person you are interviewing that has the job you want realizes this is the case, he added.

This article was originally printed in Nonprofit Times Jobs, Vol. 2, Issue 7, April 12, 2006. Once a week, NPT Jobs will helps all levels of nonprofit executives looking to advance their career prospects by providing featured articles on employment trends and highlighted job opportunities in the nonprofit sector.