This is the career story of a nonprofit development director as told to JustJobs.com Academy. This site features real stories from professionals in a myriad of professions. If you have considered a career in philanthropy, read on to learn what the job is really like from this Associate Director of Development. Visit JustJobs for more interviews with philanthropy professionals including one from a fundraiser and a giving coordinator and many others.
I have been employed for several years in a Development Department for a nonprofit agency. My job titles have changed along the way and currently I am the Associate Director of Development. It's expected that I will eventually be the Director, but it's unclear when that might happen. My organization supports people with developmental disabilities by assisting with location of resources, operating group homes, and offering many respite options for families.
I entered this field for several reasons. My biggest motivation was the desire to do something that mattered and to help make this world a better place. I was aware my salary would probably range between $30,000- $40,000 for a while, but when I am named Director I expect to be making closer to the mid $60s. Clearly, I didn't select this career path with dreams of vast wealth. There are many other rewards that keep me going and I truly love my job.
One of the nice things about working at a nonprofit is that we get a great vacation package and 12 paid holidays. I always joke they can't pay us very well but they are happy to give us enough days off to make up for that.
To work in the development field, it's vital to have at least a two-year degree. A Masters degree is not required, but if you want to advance to a management position, it will help you get there. We are also offered tuition reimbursement if we decide to further our education. That benefit helped me complete my Masters degree.
My position involves wearing many hats. In a typical day I might spend 1-2 hours making phone calls to donors and event sponsors. I run committees that are overseeing various events and fundraising drives. I work on marketing campaigns, talk with reporters, and edit our agency newsletter. No two days are exactly the same and I am never bored.
I often meet with donors to maintain relationships, thanking them for their support and ensuring their future commitment. Those meetings are a highlight for me. It's a time to pause and talk about the successes of our organization and share the details of our future goals. Those conversations always fill me with both pride and anticipation for what I do. My passion is evident and my fundraising goals are reached because of it. People respond when you are genuine.
Another wonderful part of my job is when I have the opportunity to spend time with the men and women our agency supports. They live in group homes that are lovely, clean, and very homey. The staff is exceptional and their compassion and kindness is humbling. I am consistently impressed by the wonderful people we employ. Seeing the smiles and pride on the faces of the men and women in the homes is simply priceless.
There have been a few challenges along the way. Nonprofits often run short-staffed to save costs. Unfortunately, that means I often find myself working extra hours to pick up the slack. Balancing my home and work life is very difficult at times. I have learned to set boundaries and to be open with my supervisors about what I can and cannot do. I no longer accept deadlines that will require excess hours. I was uncomfortable in the beginning because it's in my nature to please people. However, I am glad I made the stand and I feel much better about my time now. Additionally, they agency recently approved a part-time position to assist in my department. I smiled to myself when I heard. I guess they finally admitted that I was doing the work of 1.5 people.
There's a certain type of person who will do well in a nonprofit environment. If you are motivated by the knowledge that your work is positively affecting lives, this could be the job for you.
Associate director of disabled image from Shutterstock
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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
BigstockMake a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
- How did I learn about this job?
- How did I apply for the job?
- Did I earn an interview?
- What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
BigstockAre you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
Let's start with resumes!
Every resume should be tailored to the position in order for it to stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. It may seem like a lot of work, but it's actually less work than submitting the same resume over and over again and never hearing back.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
BigstockYour job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
- Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
- Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
- Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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