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 supplients. 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:

Idealist

Opportunity Knocks

YNPN Career Center

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.

It’s your senior year and campus is abuzz, but this year however, there’s a different feel. Everywhere you turn there’s a career fair.  Recruiters have blown into town and they’re interviewing everyone in their path.  Your roommates are mulling offers from Fortune 500 companies and even friends in the community service club are comparing sign-on bonuses.  You, however, have never pictured yourself working for a paycheck in a huge corporation.  You’ve always wanted to do something you feel passionate about; something that impacts your community and serves a greater good.  You’ve been steering straight towards the nonprofit sector.  However, the pressure is on to get a job.  Graduation is around the corner, student loan bills are on their way and the last thing you want to do is move back home with your parents. 

If this sounds familiar, then welcome to the crossroads of your real world responsibilities and your “save the world sensibilities.”  Though the challenge may seem daunting, success is within reach.  But before you hit send on your first application, you’ll need to develop a strategy and employ the right techniques to land an amazing job in the nonprofit sector.  Take a deep breath. You’ve got a lot of work to do if you’re going to change the world. 

Step 1: Find your inspiration

Chances are your interest in the nonprofit sector and your passion for social impact didn’t happen overnight.  A successful nonprofit job search strategy starts with a solid self assessment of your interests and inspirations.

• What issues do you feel strongly about?
 
• Was there a particular book, teacher or class that first sparked your interest?
 
• Would you be happier as a front line soldier or a behind the scenes catalyst?
 
• Would it be more satisfying for you to help one child succeed, or to affect high-level policy change?

Whether it’s the environment, immigrant rights, or school reform, it may take some digging to find the roots of your social consciousness.  While this effort is essential in crafting an effective nonprofit job search, you can’t merely rest on your idealism.  “The candidates that are most successful in making the leap from college to the nonprofit sector aren’t just do-gooders,” says Allyson Biegeleisen, Director of Client Service at Commongood Careers. “They’re passionate about particular issues and they’ve demonstrated that passion in their academics, extra curricular activities and volunteer work.” In short, find your passion and turn it into action.

It can be helpful to explore your motivations for working in the nonprofit sector by hearing about what has inspired others. Check out the publication Be Bold which profiles 12 social entrepreneurs and details the inspirations and qualities that drive them to continually broaden their impact and change the world.

Step 2: Research organizations

Now that you’ve uncovered your motivations for working in the nonprofit sector, it’s time to put those research skills you’ve spent 4 years sharpening to work.  Find the organizations that would be perfect match for you

• Use online resources to identify nonprofits you may want to work for.  Idealist.org and Charity Navigator, and Guidestar are good sites to start with, as they have detailed profiles for thousands of nonprofits throughout the world.
• Read up on news and trends in the sector at such sites as The Foundation Center and The Nonprofit Times.
• Talk to your school’s career center and your professors. There is often an overlap between academia and the nonprofit sector, and many professors serve as board members, policy advisors or supporters of nonprofit organizations.
• Based on this research, create a target list of 5-10 organizations that you would love to work for. 
• Then, scour the websites of the organizations on your target list and find the titles and responsibilities of their entry-level positions.  Through this, you can identify specific positions to focus on and when you’re ready to apply you can tailor your resume and cover letter according to the responsibilities and qualifications of the role. 

Step 3: Get out there!

Have you ever heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know, but who you know?”  It’s as true in the nonprofit sector as it is in any facet of your life, maybe more so. Due to a lack of resources to recruit on campus and run far-reaching talent searches, nonprofits leaders rely heavily on their networks and referrals to find great talent.  Unlike your classmates who are pursuing corporate job opportunities, nonprofit jobseekers typically don’t have the luxury of setting up on-campus interviews through campus career centers. You’ll need to proactive to find the perfect fit. Building your network involves a combination of your social skills and your know-how. 

Networking:  Start within your age group and other people that have recently made the jump into the nonprofit sector.  This group is most able to relate to your situation and will have the most relevant advice for jumping the hurdles that stand in your path.  The Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) is a membership organization that creates opportunities for the young people in the sector to connect and network with their peers. From there, work outwards and upwards to network with leaders in the nonprofit sector.  For more detailed advice on networking, read our article It’s Who You Know: Networking for Jobseekers.

Volunteering: Every nonprofit in some capacity or another relies on volunteers to accomplish their mission. Find volunteer opportunities with the 5-10 organizations on your target list and get involved today. Fundraising events are generally a good starting place to volunteer and they present an excellent opportunity to network with staff, funders and other volunteers of your target organizations.  Also, call each organization directly and ask if there are any volunteer opportunities in their offices. Most nonprofits will not turn down help, and there’s often the largest need in the development and programming departments. 

Mentors: In your networking and volunteer work, keep an eye out for potential mentors to act as go-to people for advice and council.  Another technique for finding a mentor involves a bit more action.  Find the person in the sector that has your dream job and contact them.  Let them know that you’d someday like to be where they are now, and you’d like to speak to them about their career path.  If they’re amenable, schedule a meeting or an in-person informational interview.  It may seem like a scary proposition to cold call someone you don’t know, but you’d be amazed how helpful and open successful professionals in the nonprofit sector are. In developing these relationships, remember to take it slow and state your intentions. Start with an email, then a call and then a meeting.  The key is to get out in the community now, impress everyone you meet and be upfront about your goal of finding a job in the nonprofit sector.  Through this, you’ll soon have a team of supporters and advocates to help you accomplish your goal. 

Conclusion

Making the jump from undergrad to the nonprofit sector may be easier than you think.  You can drastically increase your chances of landing that perfect job by creating a strategy, understanding your passion, researching organizations, networking and getting involved.  Before you even submit your first application you’ll be half way there. You may not be saving the world tomorrow, but you’ll be on your way to making a big impact, one footprint at a time. 

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.

Every day, we talk to jobseekers who are seeking to transition into careers at socially entrepreneurial organizations. Some come from the corporate world, some are recent graduates, and others are teachers. Whatever the specifics, there is one key factor to these jobseekers’ capacity to catch the eye of a nonprofit employer: the ability to identify, demonstrate, and market their transferable skills.

Transferable skills are skills that are useful and essential to most jobs. They are competencies developed in one situation that can be passed along to another, and are key to career changes across sectors or job functions. According to John Liptak and Laurence Shatkin, creators of Transferable Skills Scale, 75% of skills used in the workplace are transferable. Knowing your transferable skills allows you to explore career opportunities based on personal qualities and abilities, not necessarily what titles you’ve held or where you’ve worked in the past.

The Softer Side of Skills

Soft skills are the personal qualities and interpersonal skills that are needed to perform a job. In the social sector, candidates’ ability to demonstrate their transferable soft skills is extremely important. For example, in a 2005 study conducted by Commongood Careers, a group of 20 nonprofit hiring managers prioritized cultural fit and personality traits above more traditional hiring considerations of experience, skills, and education.

When it comes to soft skills, there is no one-size-fits-all requirement for nonprofits. However, there are some personal qualities commonly sought by socially entrepreneurial organizations, including:

• Being entrepreneurial
• Being a self-starter
• Having a positive attitude
• Being resourceful (or, as we often call it, “roll-up-your-sleeves-ness”)
• Working collaboratively
• Being creative, particularly in a resource-constrained environment

To identify these or other transferable soft skills, think broadly about your past experience in work, school, and civic life. Then, prepare examples of situations when you used these skills—the more specific and factual, the better. As hiring managers often look for candidates who have worked in environments similar to their own organizations, be explicit about your past experience in an environment similar to the one at the organization to which you are applying.  For example, try to demonstrate your experience in a start-up organization or a company experiencing major growth.

Nonprofit hiring managers also seek transferable skills that illustrate connection to the organization’s mission. For some candidates this connection is clear, such as for individuals who have volunteered, interned, or worked at organizations with similar missions. For jobseekers with less familiarity with a specific mission area, there are ways to position your transferable skills to reflect a genuine interest in and connection to mission. When researching organizations that pique your interest, request annual reports, videos, or other collateral from the organization. By studying these materials, you can then identify and communicate your connection to the organization’s mission.

The Hard Facts

Hard skills describe the technical requirements of a job. In some fields, hiring requirements for hard skills are set in stone. For example, most tax accountants are required to have a CPA or other financial training. For many roles in the social sector, however, these requirements are not black and white. Some organizations welcome individuals with nontraditional backgrounds. In fact, many hiring managers embrace the value of these hires’ transferable skills and the diversity of experience they bring to an organization.

Here are some ideas of what kinds of skills are transferable to the nonprofit sector:

• Sales and Marketing – Skills learned and honed in the fields of sales and marketing can be easily transferred to the field of nonprofit development and fundraising, which is the area of most need within the sector.  Even if you don’t have direct experience in development (e.g. fundraising, grant writing, event planning, corporate partnerships), look to experiences where you were called upon to build high-touch relationships, produce collateral, give presentations, and/or “make an ask.”  People with sales experience, particularly those with a background in identifying prospects and cultivating relationships, can often make a smooth transition into the field of major gifts fundraising.
• Writing and Research - Individuals with experience in journalism, corporate communications, and other fields that require strong writing skills can often leverage their transferable skills into other types of development and fundraising roles. Additionally, recent graduates from MPA or MPH programs typically possess the research and writing experience needed to break into development.
  
  Regardless of your background, you can build hard skills in development by volunteering to plan a nonprofit event, joining a nonprofit board, becoming a peer reviewer for grant applications, working with your corporation’s community relations department, or being involved in philanthropic circles in some other capacity.
• Consulting – Management consulting experience is sought after in the nonprofit sector because of the analytical, research, project management, and client management skills that people with this kind of experience bring.  Consulting experience transfers extremely well to certain roles, such as Portfolio Managers at a social venture fund or other areas where a nonprofit organization provides professional services to other nonprofits.  Corporate partnerships, community outreach, and board relations are other roles in which consulting experience can be valuable.
  
  One challenge of transitioning from a management consulting (or other corporate) background to a role at a socially entrepreneurial organization is the shift from working for an internal client to an external one. For example, some management consultants focus on industry research and analysis, but do not interact with clients face-to-face. When considering these roles, be prepared to back up why you are able to move from internal to external (or vice versa in some cases), and provide specific examples of your transferable skills.

Other nonprofit roles that leverage jobseekers’ transferable skills include those in information technology (IT), accounting, and general management. In IT, former technical support managers or system administrators find themselves able to leverage their broad backgrounds in technology to be hired as the sole IT member of a nonprofit organization. Accountants can typically transfer their hard skills directly across sectors, but may require additional training in nonprofit-specific accounting. Similarly, management roles require hard skills that span across sectors, but managers new to the sector must be able to demonstrate a strong cultural fit with the hiring organization.

Finally, many graduate degree programs—particularly MBA, MPH, and MPA—provide excellent training in hard skills that can be transferred into a range of nonprofit roles. For example, most MPH and MPA programs require coursework in grant writing and nonprofit finance; be sure to highlight this knowledge when applying to jobs that require these skills.

In closing, recognize that there is room for people with transferable skills in the nonprofit sector.  The personal qualities and the technical competencies that you have developed over the years can make you a very strong candidate for a variety of positions.  It is your responsibility, however, to think critically about how your transferable skills can be used within the nonprofit sector and make a compelling case to hiring organizations.

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.

A job posting often comes sans the name of a contact person at the organization to which you are applying. Considering the trend toward personalizing every aspect of the job search, do you surrender to the generic, but encompassing, To Whom It May Concern, or do you launch an all-out reconnaissance mission to find out the whom?

The golden rule of the application process, according to experts, is to follow the instructions as closely as possible. But if no contact name is given, James Weinberg, founder and CEO of Commongood Careers, a nonprofit search firm in Boston, MA, advises doing a bit of research.

“I think ‘To Whom It May Concern’ is an act of last resort,” said Weinberg. “That just shows you don’t have a personal connection with the organization.” Weinberg added, “The ubiquity of the Internet makes researching organizations easy and expected.”

If you can’t find the name of someone at human resources, Weinberg recommends addressing your application to the executive director of the organization, asking the person to forward it to human resources or the appropriate person. It shows that you took the time to find something out about the organization.

To personalize your cover letter beyond the salutation, Weinberg and other recruitment experts offer the following:

Open with and state strongly your passion for the organizations mission and why specifically you share that passion: Instead of stating, “I always wanted to help people,” Weinberg suggests something more personalized, such as the following:

“Because I was raised with the educational opportunities, its personally very important to me to make sure that other people have those opportunities as well.”

Identify yourself as a qualified candidate; show that you read the job description carefully and address how your background meets the majority, if not all, of those criteria. Connect your skills to every single qualification they are looking for.

If there is a gap—if you cant make a connection to a qualification they are seeking—address this and explain how you have different, but comparable, skills.

Stay away from statements like, “I know I am the best person for the job.” It is more effective to state your skills and experience, and let them do the talking for you.

If you have a mutual—and willing—contact at the organization, mention the person in the first paragraph. Supplient this by inviting the executive to call the mutual contact to inquire about you.

This article was originally printed in Nonprofit Times Jobs, Vol. 2, Issue 4, February 22, 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.

What makes one jobseeker more appealing than another in the eyes of a nonprofit employer? While skills and background certainly play an important role, many hiring managers place just as much emphasis on the fit between an individual’s personality and the organizational culture, most directly regarding a candidate’s commitment to the group’s mission. Being able to present these qualities in a meaningful and professional manner can give you a competitive edge in the hiring process.

The following article explores some proven ways to increase your nonprofit marketability.

Lesson 1: Know Yourself

Never begin any job search without carefully evaluating your past experience, current goals, and future direction. Map out your skills and abilities. Define your value proposition. Narrow your search. Write down every possible characteristic of your ideal organization and position. Consider how this role fits into a long-term strategy. Talk with friends and peers about your ideas and get their feedback. Your goal is to develop a detailed understanding of yourself, what you want, and how to best represent yourself to hiring managers.

Lesson 2: Know Your Audience

The next step is to understand your target audience. Begin by gathering as much information as possible about the fields and organizations in which you are interested. When researching, consider questions such as the following: What is important to this organization? What does it value? What concerns its leaders? What are its challenges? What are its strategies?

To gather this information, study the organization’s website, read recent press, and research vital statistics on websites such as Guidestar. Keep up on news in the nonprofit sector by reading publications like the NonProfit Times and Philanthropy News Digest. There are also a number of blogs devoted to commenting on happenings within the nonprofit sector.  The Nonprofit Blog Exchange is a great place to find out who is blogging about a particular topic, field, or organization. Social networking sites like Change.org can also help you connect with people who share your passion and learn from their experience.

In addition, participating in informational interviews, volunteering, and attending events hosted by organizations of interest are great ways to get to know your target audience first hand. You may even make some great personal connections to help you in your search.

Lesson 3: Personally Reflect Nonprofit Hiring Values

With a sector that is comprised of over a million organizations in the U.S., nonprofits do not come “one size fits all.” It is important to stay mindful of the diverse range of organizations within the sector, and that each nonprofit will have its own set of hiring requirements. There are, however, several common traits that most nonprofits desire:

Cultural Competence - Most nonprofits value resourcefulness, flexibility, multi-tasking capacity, self-directed leadership, a “can do” positive attitude, and, above all, passion for a mission.  Your job is to learn as much as you can about the organization’s culture, decide if it is the right place for you to work, and then mirror back your cultural competency to the hiring manager, demonstrating exactly how your personality is a great fit for their culture.  Methods for learning about an organization’s culture include general research, informational interviewing with peer organizations, and soaking up as much as you can ascertain during the interview process.

Commitment to Mission - Having a personal and meaningful connection to an organization’s mission is a hiring requirement of almost every nonprofit organization. It has to go beyond just wanting to “do good” or “help kids.” Take some time to figure out the specific reasons why you are interested in a particular organization’s work, as well as what skills you have to help further their goals. The most compelling candidates are those who can relate their competencies, experience, and personal connection to the organization’s mission.

Skills and Potential - Organizations want to meet candidates who not only posses a specific skill set, but also those who have the potential to learn new skills and demonstrate growth in a new position. Before you apply for a position, make a list of your marketable skills and then match them up to the requirements of the job description. If you do not have experience in a given area, think through your comparable or transferable skills.

Experience - Requirements for experience vary greatly depending on the nature and level of the position. For all positions, nonprofits seek individuals who have track records of success in similar roles, organizations, and fields. Savvy nonprofits value professional experience that transfers across sectors and roles, especially management experience – be it managing staff, budgets, projects or just multiple priorities in a given role.

Lesson 4: Make an Impression in the Application Process

Now that you have researched your target organizations and understand what is important to them, it’s time to begin the job application process. In this process, you get three chances to market yourself: in your cover letter, resume, and interview.  As previously discussed, organizations seek candidates that personally reflect their hiring values.  Remember to illustrate these in each part of your application.

Your first opportunity to share your knowledge of the organization and reflect its values is in the cover letter. Make an impression by explaining your passion for the mission and the reasons behind your passion. Then, explain what makes you an excellent candidate by connecting your skills and experience to information in the job description.

In your resume, focus on information that is valuable to a nonprofit employer, such as accomplishments that highlight sought-after traits like leadership and being a self-starter. If you are new to the nonprofit sector, focus on your transferable skills. For example, you may not have led a letter-writing campaign to raise money in the past, but you have strong writing skills and experience in managing direct mail projects.

The interview is your ultimate opportunity to make a positive impression with the organization.  Come prepared with your knowledge of the organization and intelligent questions for the interviewer. Reiterate why you are passionate about the organization’s mission. Illustrate your cultural competence by interviewing with high energy, confidence, and a positive attitude.

Final Thoughts

Marketing yourself to nonprofits requires a diligent approach to unearth information beyond the job description. Taking the time to dig into what an organization does and values, as well as exploring your own personal connection to an organization’s work, will pay off in the application process and help you stand out as an excellent, committed, and well-matched candidate.

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 reality of baby boomers—those born between 1946 and 1964—approaching retirement age is causing a stir in most industries, and the nonprofit sector is no exception. While some fear an exodus of retirement age employees from their current nonprofit leadership positions, others predict an opportunity to attract a new crop of talent, specifically retirement age adults who are now seeking a “second career” in the nonprofit sector.

Factors like the amount of savings needed to retire comfortably certainly weigh into the decision to pursue a second career. However, a desire to foster social change is also driving this phenomenon. For example, a recent study conducted by the MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures found that 58% of those currently in their 50s are interested in pursuing jobs that improve the quality of life in their communities and contribute to the greater good.

The opportunity for people nearing retirement age, particularly professionals from the private sector, to make significant contributions to the nonprofit workforce has huge potential, according to David Bank, Senior Vice President of Civic Ventures, an organization helping society achieve the greatest return on experience. “There is evidence that older adults bring a certain work ethic to a job, by virtue of having so many years of experience in the workplace,” said David. “A number of employers have found that older workers have better attendance and lower turnover, making them a more reliable and cost-effective group to employ. These benefits of an older workforce also apply to professional positions in the nonprofit sector.”

Making the decision to pursue a second career in the social sector is one thing; landing the right job is another. To prepare for a successful transition, the staff at Commongood Careers suggests the following ten strategies:

Tip #1: Leverage your transferable skills.

One of the first stages of any successful job transition is to identify, demonstrate, and market your transferable skills. This is especially true for older adults who have developed a tremendous skill-set over a 30+ year career. The nonprofit sector is full of people with skills developed in other work environments and sectors. Understanding the personal qualities and the technical competencies that you have developed over the years can make you a very strong candidate for a variety of positions. It is your responsibility, however, to think carefully about how your transferable skills can be used within the nonprofit sector and to develop this rationale into a compelling case for hiring managers. Read Using Transferable Skills to Make a Career Change for more information.

Tip #2: Give your resume and cover letter a makeover.

Depending on your work history, it may have been a while since you updated your resume. Start by making sure all of your work history and other factual information is up to date. Then, take a look at the overall tone and writing style of your resume. Use active language, write in a style that is easy to follow, avoid including irrelevant information, and make sure that your resume is formatted in a clear, concise, and professional manner. Most importantly, use your resume to tell your professional story in the way that you would like it to be told. For other best practices for creating strong resumes, read Ten Resume Tips for Nonprofit Jobseekers.

In your cover letter, avoid statements such as “I am retiring from my current position and now want to seek opportunities in the nonprofit sector so I can give back to my community.” Rather, state that you’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy a full career in your field of expertise and that you are now looking to leverage your experience through a nonprofit opportunity. Be specific about your connection to both the particular position and organization you are interested in, and the reasons why you are uniquely qualified to succeed in that position. For more information on writing targeted cover letters, read Writing a Winning Cover Letter.

Tip #3: Create pathways into the nonprofit sector.

Networking is a step for any nonprofit jobseeker, regardless of age. Older jobseekers, however, have the advantage of a lifetime’s worth of business and personal connections. Make a list of everyone you know who has a connection to the sector and set up informational interviews or request introductions as appropriate. Remember that you may have private sector friends with strong nonprofit connections from board service, volunteering, or philanthropy. While networking and exploring inroads into the sector, use every available opportunity to learn about the missions and cultures of a variety of organizations, as well as to build new relationships that might lead to an ideal position. Read It’s Who You Know: Networking for Jobseekers for more on this topic.

Other tried and true pathways into the social sector include serving on a nonprofit board, taking classes in a public service field at a local college, or volunteering at an organization that interests you. Some private corporations, such as IBM, offer “bridge programs” that connect retiring employees with volunteer opportunities.  Abundant connections to volunteer opportunities exist at web sites like Idealist, HandsOnNetwork, and VolunteerMatch.

Tip #4: Be prepared to make a real (and realistic) commitment.

For some, a second career is envisioned as a more meaningful, but ultimately less demanding opportunity. Most nonprofit positions, however, require a substantial commitment of time and energy (often 50+ hours per week). Approach your second career as carefully and professionally as you did at any point in your career. When speaking with a prospective employer about your availability—both short and long-term—be clear and honest about your expectations and availability. Although many organizations are not able to offer short-term, flexible or part-time employment opportunities, if you are clear about your working goals, you will eventually find a nonprofit employer that is able to leverage your experience while also accommodating your current lifestyle considerations.

Tip #5: Sell your experience.

Throughout the application and interview process, remember to present yourself as a person with experience. Besides the inherent knowledge and skills earned through a full career, people with vast experience in a given field are more likely to get up and running more quickly, thus saving an organization valuable time and money in training and novice mistakes. At the same time, it is important to recognize that, even with all the skills and experience you bring, you are new to the nonprofit sector and will have a learning curve. This learning curve will likely be in areas such as organizational culture (See Tip #6 below), decision-making processes, and working with limited resources. Communicate your confidence to add value to the organization combined with the humility to accept that you still have things to learn.

Tip #6: Be aware of the importance of cultural fit in the hiring process.
In the nonprofit sector, cultural fit is one of the most important criteria for hiring managers. While culture varies from organization to organization, many nonprofits value attributes like collaboration, teamwork, flexibility, entrepreneurial spirit, “can-do” attitude, optimism, and exuberant enthusiasm. The existence of a cultural bias may mean that you will have to actively rebut assumptions that you will not be able to “fit in.” Demonstrate your ability to thrive within nonprofit culture by exhibiting the previously mentioned personality characteristics at every opportunity, citing direct nonprofit experience such as consulting or volunteering as evidence that you have experienced and understand the cultural elients in question, and directly address elients of personality/culture fit in discussion with hiring managers.

Tip #7: Prepare for the challenges of a multigenerational workplace. 

In the social sector, career advancement can often be accelerated, meaning that nonprofit managers may be significantly younger than their counterparts in the private sector. You may want to prepare yourself for reporting to someone 10, 20, or even 30 years younger than you. Collaborate with your manager to structure a role that leverages your experience while respecting your manager’s role and the organization’s overall hierarchy. Recognize and embrace the inherent differences that exist between generations in terms of approaches to work and social interactions. There have been several good books written on this subject, including When Generations Collide by Lynne Lancaster and Generations at Work by Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, and Bob Filipczak.

Tip #8: Tackle the digital divide.

The digital or technology divide spans more than economic groups; it also tends to span generations. Unfortunately, the perception that older adults are less familiar with—or even scared of—office technology can result in unwarranted ageism in some work environments. To address these misconceptions, be sure to state your technology skills clearly on your resume and during the interview process. If you are someone who has not embraced the technology-enabled workplace of personal computers, Blackberrys, email, and more, take a course or read a guide to increase your knowledge and comfort level. By gaining technology skills, you will become a more attractive and employable nonprofit professional.

Tip #9: Consider being a consultant.

There are many reasons for professionals to explore consulting opportunities as opposed to full-time, permanent employment. This is a decision that you should carefully consider.  Some of the benefits of baby-boomer consulting include: (1) allowing for greater flexibility in scheduling and commitment terms; (2) removing many of the cultural concerns about “fitting-in” with the team; (3) enabling experienced professionals to spend more time as a “thought leader” and reduce their administrative tasks; and finally, (4) making it possible to have an impact across multiple organizations and mission areas. For older adults, these opportunities may be especially attractive. Also, for those used to private sector salaries, consulting in the nonprofit arena can be more remunerative than full-time, permanent employment.  If this path interests you, consider connecting with other professionals already offering consulting services to nonprofit organizations. Not only will this save you the start-up costs of incorporating yourself as a consultant, it will also allow you to build a network among peers and find consulting projects more easily.

Tip #10: Take advantage of online career support and resources.

Whether you are starting to explore second careers or you are well on your way, there are a number of online career resources to help you. Here are a few of our favorites:

AARP: Money and Work
A section of the AARP’s web site focused on employment opportunities and advice for retirement age adults.

Civic Ventures
Through research, publishing, conferences, and outreach, Civic Ventures is reframing the debate about aging in America and redefining the second half of life as a source of social and individual renewal.
Encore
An online guide of career resources geared towards finding work that matters in the second half of life.

Eons
An online social networking site that calls itself ” the largest online gathering of people who are lovin’ life on the flipside of 50!” Need we say more?

Executive Service Corps Affiliate Network
A nationwide network of thirty-three nonprofit consulting groups that provide services to nonprofits, schools, and government agencies. These services are performed by volunteer consultants who have had senior level positions in business, government, and nonprofits.

Idealist.org
A virtual clearinghouse of nonprofit career, consulting, and volunteer opportunities. This vast web site also has a number of articles on a variety of nonprofit career related topics, as well as the opportunity to network and connect with socially-driven individuals.

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.