Want to get paid to help make the world a better place? Working at a nonprofit organization might be for you. But if you don’t already have nonprofit experience in your background, there are some things you need to know about how to get hired.
Know you’ll need to be committed to the organization’s mission. Good employers in any sector screen candidates for skills and track record. But nonprofits also look for people who care about their mission. You don’t need to pretend that it’s your lifelong passion if it’s not, but you do need to be able to talk compellingly about why you’re motivated by this organization’s work in particular. (Of course, that mainly applies to nonprofits that are working to improve the good of society in some way, like educational and advocacy organizations. It isn’t as applicable to nonprofits like trade associations.)
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Understand what makes nonprofits different. One of the most important differences about nonprofits is that they measure their success not in terms of profit, but in terms of impact on the world or on their constituents. In fact, by definition, nonprofits don’t make a profit — they reinvest their revenue back into their programs and the organization itself. In well-run nonprofits, there’s an enormous emphasis on measuring and increasing impact.
Know what kind of salary to expect. You might think that working for a nonprofit means taking a lower salary, and sometimes it does. But nonprofit salaries can be all over the map, so it’s smart to research any individual organization ahead of time to understand what its salary structure is like. One good place to check is GuideStar, a clearinghouse of information on nonprofits where you can look up organizations’ financial reports and see salary information for their top leaders.
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Nonprofits often advertise in different places than you might be used to looking. The granddaddy of nonprofit job boards is idealist.org, an enormous directory of nonprofit job openings nationwide and around the world. But many nonprofits also advertise on job boards associated with the issues that they work on. For example, organizations that work on education issues might post their openings on Teach For America’s job bank, or you might find fundraising opportunities listed with the Association of Fundraising Professionals. For campaign jobs, check Democratic Gain and The Hill. Whatever your area of interest, there’s probably a niche job board for it.
Nonprofits use different language than you might be used to. For example, nonprofits are “organizations,” not “companies,” and they’re generally (but not always) led by an executive director rather than a CEO. They most often work with donors and constituents, rather than customers. These might sound like small things, but if you use the wrong terminology, you might mark yourself as someone who doesn’t quite get how nonprofits work.
Volunteering can help. Many nonprofits use volunteers for various aspects of their work, and lending your talents can be a good way to become a known quantity, which can give you an advantage when you want to apply for a paid job opening. Don’t volunteer just as a way to get a job, since there’s no guarantee that will happen — but if you’re interested in supporting an organization’s work anyway, this can be a benefit of that. Plus, having volunteer experience on your resume can help with different nonprofits, because you’ll show a track record of charitable involvement, which can demonstrate that you’re a culture fit who “gets” the ways nonprofits work.
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Don’t turn to nonprofit work for a less stressful lifestyle. Sure, some nonprofits can be slower paced, the same way that some employers in any other sector can be. But many nonprofits are quite fast-paced and rigorous, and in some organizations the stress can be intense. As with any job in any sector, you should do enough research that you know what you’re getting into. But be aware that remarks that indicate that you expect nonprofit work to be more laid-back can be the kiss of death with organizations where that’s not true.
Don’t assume that your ideas about nonprofits apply to all of them. Many nonprofit job candidates have made off-key remarks about nonprofits, and it made them seem like poor fits. For example, I interviewed one candidate who referred to nonprofits having “an accountability problem” — because it had been true at one place where she worked. There’s no faster way to signal “I don’t get your organization” than to stereotype about it wrongly. You’ll be much better served by approaching each organization individually and not extrapolating from one to another.
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How to Get Hired for a Nonprofit Job originally appeared on usnews.com
