The key to finding happiness in the nonprofit sector is approaching it with the right attitude. You’re probably not going to make a million dollars, but you could change the world. Nonprofit organizations focus on causes and ideas rather than the more typical business model where the goal is making money. Though there are large national nonprofits like Make-A-Wish, many nonprofits will require you to have a jack-of-all-trades skillset and a willingness to pitch in wherever necessary. They may operate on a limited budget, and most of their resources go toward their mission and not into the pockets of investors or employees.
Get The Right Education
If you’re interested in becoming a leader in a nonprofit organization, it should start with your education. A Masters of Public Administration (MPA) degree can be incredibly beneficial in this field. MPA degree programs will prepare you for a career as a manager in the NGO or nonprofit sectors. In MPA programs, you’ll learn about economics, finance, research methods, ethics, leadership, policy processes, and program evaluation. This means you’ll be able to offer a well-rounded understanding of business practices and politics, which are often much-needed skills in nonprofits.
Find Your Passion
As you pursue a career in nonprofit management, it’s important to find a cause that you’re truly inspired by. You won’t necessarily have the paycheck you would have in the private sector — though you might have other perks like extra vacation or educational stipends — but picking a mission you’re passionate about is crucial to your long-term success. If there is a particular political cause or issue that interests you, start your research there. Perhaps, you were a Girl Scout growing up, or had a sibling affected by a rare cancer and would like to help that cause. There are many nonprofits to choose from and working towards a goal that you believe in will be particularly rewarding.
Start Job Searching
Getting a job at a particular nonprofit can be challenging, so it’s important to network with people in the organization or connected to the cause. Learn everything you can about the issues they deal with on a daily basis and what skill sets will be the most beneficial to learn. Make sure you figure out the type of employees they are looking for. For example, do they look for an MPA program or experience in grant writing?
Nonprofits regularly list openings on Craigslist, Idealist.org, boardnetUSA.org, and CareerBuilder. Local newspapers can also be a helpful resource when it comes to finding jobs in the nonprofit sector. Volunteering is also a great way to expand your network and get your foot in the door.
Rise To The Top
Once you land the coveted position, your job is just beginning. It’s important to develop a reputation as a dedicated employee. Always be willing to help out, even with the non-glamorous activities like setting up for an event or organizing the office closet.
Continue to network with your co-workers and try to schedule some informational interviews with department heads or executives in other nonprofits. The more information and advice you can gather, the more prepared you’ll be to advance your career. Co-workers and people who have been in the nonprofit sector for a while can be an invaluable source of advice when it comes dealing with challenges in your job.
Keep Learning
Look into certification programs in areas that make sense for your nonprofit. Your employer might even pay for courses that are beneficial to the organization such as finance or accounting. If you haven’t already, research an MPA degree and talk to MPA graduates to get an inside look at how this program can benefit your career.
The skills and reputation you develop as an entry-level employee will allow you to advance up the nonprofit ladder. The next step is moving into a management position where you might lead a small team or department. Continue learning about the mission every day — you might even begin mentoring new employees — and you’ll advance through the organization. At the end of the day, make sure you never forget the cause. After all, you never know whose life you’ll be changing.
This article was written by Inbound Marketing Coordinator Chasity Cooper on behalf of CAREEREALISM-Approved Partner, 2U — an education technology company that partners with institutions of higher education such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which provides an online MPA program, MPA@UNC.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
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
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Make 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
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Are 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.
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
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Your 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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