Young Business Professionals: Applications Open for ProInspire Nonprofit Fellowship Program

January 25, 2012 by · 1 Comment

I’m excited to share that applications are now open for the 2012 ProInspire Fellowship! ProInspire is a program founded by the fabulous Monisha Kapila for outstanding young business professionals who want to have a life changing experience – spending one year using their skills working for a leading nonprofit. I have worked with Monisha in the past and had a chance to meet and speak to some of the amazing Fellows that were chosen for a previous class. This year, they will have TWO classes of Fellows in Washington D.C. – Spring Fellows starting in April and Fall Fellows starting in August. If you apply and get accepted into the program, I know that it will be time well spent!

I’ve pasted more information below about the program. Please forward this post and spread the word to anyone who might be interested!

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ProInspire is building the next generation of nonprofit leaders by expanding the talent pipeline, developing professionals, and increasing diversity in the sector. We are passionate about accelerating social impact and being catalysts of outstanding performance.

Our flagship program, the ProInspire Fellowship, recruits top business professionals with 2-5 years of business experience who want to use their skills for social impact and to invest in a growing community of ProInspire fellows.  Fellows spend one year working in an analytical or strategic role at a nonprofit organization. After the Fellowship, Fellows engage with our community of alumni to continue investing in the sector.

This highly competitive program offers targeted positions with leading nonprofits, monthly trainings with a cohort of peers, a coach, and a network to support career growth. Previous ProInspire Fellows come from across the U.S. with experience at Bain, Credit Suisse, General Mills, J.P. Morgan, Microsoft, Parthenon Capital, and other leading companies. Fellows work with top nonprofits based in the Washington D.C. area.

Learn More

Program Overview

The Fellowship program runs for 12 months, with start dates in April 2012 and August 2012. Hiring partners include organizations focused on community development, education, international development, health, microfinance, social investing, and youth development. Roles for 2011 ProInspire Fellows included:

  • ACCION International: Impact Investing Analyst
  • Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy: Marketing Manager
  • City First Enterprises: Program Manager

Fellows participate in a 2-day Orientation, a mandatory Fellows retreat, monthly workshops, coaching, and leadership development projects.  Fellows also receive career/graduate school support. After the program, Fellows stay in the social sector, find other career opportunities, or attend graduate school.  Annual compensation of $42,000 and health benefits are provided by the hiring organization.

Selection Criteria

ProInspire conducts a rigorous selection process based on the selection criteria and needs of hiring organizations.  Successful candidates will have:

  • A minimum of two years of business experience by August 2012
  • Passion for using their business skills to have a positive impact on society
  • Humility and eagerness to learn
  • Demonstrated initiative, self-direction and a “can-do” attitude
  • Adaptability in ambiguous situations and demonstrated ability to learn quickly
  • Strong analytical, problem solving, and project management skills
  • Willingness to live in Washington D.C. for the program

To Apply
Candidates applying for April 1st start dates or priority consideration for the August start dates should submit their resume and cover letter through our website by Wednesday, February 8th, 2012.  Apply online at http://www.proinspire.org/fellows/apply/.

Filed Under: Leadership Development Programs · Tagged With:

11 Tips for a Successful Nonprofit Job Search

January 19, 2012 by · Leave a Comment

Now that you have your 2012 nonprofit career plan, you may have realized that it’s time to start looking for a new nonprofit job. If you’re planning to transition to a new position this year, it can be daunting to know where to start, especially if you’re coming from the corporate world or changing roles after a few years. Yes, the doom and gloom monsters are all over the place talking about how bad the economy and the job market is, but keep in mind that nonprofits are still hiring, even more than for-profits are. And there is still turnover in the sector – people leave jobs all the time to move on to something else. So your dream nonprofit job could be open right now!

Here are a few ideas for how you might go about launching a successful search if you’re seeking a nonprofit job right now or in the near future.

1. Get Clear on What You’re Good At

What unique value would you bring to the organizations you want to work for? Once you are clear on what your strengths are, the easier it is to sell yourself during the application and interview process. Here are some tools to use:

  • VIA Character Strengths Assessment (it’s free to take the survey with email registration). It’s a long questionnaire (240 questions) but it will help clarify your top five signature strengths that you should be using in your work as much as possible.
  • StrengthsFinder 2.0 is an assessment tool to that aims to uncover what your true talents are. I believe you have to buy the book to access the tool, but many nonprofit professionals I have worked with have found the process helpful.
Once you determine your strengths, you can begin to outline what sort of work you’d really be good at and what skills you still want to learn to help you reach your long-term nonprofit career goals. Hint: The ideal position would probably be a mix of those two things.

2. Figure Out What Kind of Organization You Want to Work For

The key is to seek out organizations whose work you’re passionate about and whose mission aligns with your personal mission in life. That may mean sticking to particular causes that you have a personal interest in or a strong affinity with. Because when the going gets tough (and it will, believe me), the one thing that will save you from going completely bonkers is your connection to the work. Restrict your job search to work that matters to you. Your passion will shine through even before you get the position.

Start by making a list of organizations whose mission you can get behind. These can be groups you’ve collaborated or partnered with in your current or previous position, nonprofits your colleagues recommend or agencies you come across through an online search. Then, do your research. Are there similar organizations? What sets this one apart? How do people talk about the organization? What is the culture like?

Once you know what sort of organization you would like to work for, it becomes a different ball game in terms of positioning yourself for a place in that organization. You goal is to do what it takes to make yourself the inside candidate.

3. Update Your Resume

What jobs or volunteer roles have you held in the past year? Add your experiences as bullet points on your resume. Also list any leadership roles you’ve held as a board member or as part of a professional association. If you have a job now, be sure to add or revise your position description under your current job experience, especially if your responsibilities have changed. Did your job title change? Be sure to update that, too!

Just don’t make the mistake of simply listing everything you’ve ever done in your previous positions, all the way down to making copies as an intern and mopping the floors as a restaurant worker in college. You may think you have to fill in space on your resume if you don’t have much experience, but take comfort in the fact that it’s not so much about how many years of experience you’ve had, but what you’ve accomplished in each particular position you’ve held. Don’t focus on duties; focus on accomplishments instead.

4. Create a LinkedIn Profile

If you’re looking for a new job in the nonprofit world and you’re not on LinkedIn, you’re missing out on a TON of openings, leads, connections and opportunities. It’s an easy way to get your name ranked favorably in Google search as well as an avenue to meet other nonprofit leaders in your community. LinkedIn is also great for getting the attention of hiring managers and headhunters as 86% of recruiters use social media to research applicants.

Once you join LinkedIn, be sure to fill in your profile completely with a picture, your resume and a brief bio. You want to let potential employers know who you are, what you’ve done and what you’re looking for as the next step in your career.

5. Always Carry Business Cards

Business cards are still the numero uno way of marketing yourself and exchanging information when you’re in an in-person networking situation. Especially if you’re currently unemployed, you want people to have a way to contact you if they come across any job leads. My favorite place for business cards is Vistaprint. I’ve used them for the past 10 years because of their low cost, easy-to-use website and quick delivery. And when I say low cost, I mean low cost. New customers get 250 premium quality, color business cards free! You just pay for shipping.  Click here to order yours. They also have a ton of professional business card templates, but I always keep mine very simple. Other people swear by MOO Business Cards. I’ve heard good things about people using them, especially their mini cards. And the people who love them really love them. They’re more expensive, but the designs they have are beautiful and more sophisticated than anything Vistaprint offers.

You never know when you’re going to be at a happy hour or conference and find yourself chatting up the CEO of a nonprofit you would die to work for. In the worst case scenario that you forget your cards, be sure to ask for THEIR business card so that you can follow-up. And, please DO follow-up within 24-48 hours, while the memory of your remarkable presence is still fresh in their minds.

6. Explicitly Ask Your Network for Leads

I’ve heard of people getting nonprofit jobs in all sorts of ways – through volunteering, attending events, their dad’s best friend on Facebook – the list goes on and on. But what many people don’t realize is the simple power of asking people you already know for help.

When I first came to DC as a recent college grad, I was desperately seeking a nonprofit job that paid enough so I didn’t have to live with a roommate. I sent emails to my family, friends, and professors asking them to help me if they could. In the process, I found out that one of my cousins worked for one of the largest nonprofit associations in the city (and just happened to have an Executive Assistant opening) and that one of my professors had a contact at the United Way, one of the places I wanted to work. You may find that you have dozens of “hidden” connections like this within your own “inner circle” of people that you know. The point is to open the doors of opportunity for yourself by letting people know you need help finding a nonprofit job. Especially if they already know you and what an amazing person you are, they will be more than happy to assist you in your search if they are able.

If you don’t want to announce to the whole world that you’re looking for a new gig, it’s best to contact a group of select colleagues via email. You should definitely use your work contacts (excluding your boss) as resources for your job search. Let them know that you’re exploring new career opportunities and you would love their help if they come across any positions that fit your expertise and interests. Be sure to also attach a copy of your resume so they can pass it along to folks who may be interested in hiring you. Your network can be your most powerful ally in job searching before you leave your current job.

7. Have Relevant Writing Samples Ready

You know the drill. Often when you’re applying to a nonprofit job, the organization will ask you to provide a writing sample as part of your application. Why do they want a sample of your writing? To ensure that you don’t write like an 8-year old and they can trust you to pump out basic correspondence on behalf of the organization. Nonprofits also like to see writing samples from applicants to see if shows that you’ve done anything remotely related to the job you’re applying for. How do you make yours stand out from the pack? Send a relevant writing sample, like a grant proposal you’ve written for another organization in the past, a newsletter you wrote and designed, or a planning document you developed.

Nonprofit hiring managers really do read the writing samples you send in with your applications. Believe me, I’ve read through hundreds of them over the years. Most of them are a waste of paper. Purely unremarkable. You have a great opportunity to make yours stand out from the rest. Think twice before you send in your senior thesis on the Armenian government as a writing sample. It’s much better to send something that’s more relevant to the job you’re applying for.

8. Volunteer with an Ulterior Motive

There is always a wonderfully rewarding feeling in giving your time and talents to a worthy cause. Feeding the homeless, tutoring children, or playing games with senior citizens can all give you a sense of community as well as help you grow as a person in the process. But if you’re actively seeking a new nonprofit job, it’s important that you use every chance you get to further your job search process. If you’re going to volunteer, try to choose opportunities that allow you to build your resume, make new contacts, or learn a new skill.

I mean, there’s only so much time in the day, so if you’re actively seeking a new nonprofit job, it’s important that you use every chance you get to further your job search process. If you’re going to volunteer, take on opportunities that allow you to build your resume by using your professional skills to help the organization instead of merely ladling soup into bowls for the homeless. You can even ask people in your network if they know of any nonprofits that could use a volunteer bookkeeper or someone to design their new brochure for free. 99% of the time, the answer will be an enthusiastic YES, and a win/win for both you and the organization. They get free labor and you get to put on your resume that you helped the nonprofit achieve XYZ outcome through volunteering your professional skills. Resume tip: call it “pro bono consulting.” Sounds fancier.

If you choose a volunteer position that allows you to lead in some capacity, it looks a lot better on your resume than simply “volunteered to clean the local dog park.” If your goal is to obtain a job in the environmental field, for instance, you want to show that you can play a leadership role in the organization if they decide to hire you. If you want to go ahead and clean up the dog park or the river, step up and be the one to be the organizer or rally other volunteers so you can state your accomplishments on your resume as “recruited 100 volunteers to clean the dog park, the largest turnout ever.” Much more impressive, yes?

9. Use Nonprofit Job Boards

Many nonprofits look to the Internet to help them attract candidates to open positions. Here are some of the best, tried-and-true online job boards that have been recommended by nonprofit jobseekers. Of course, if you run out of leads, here’s a list of 97 nonprofit job boards that you can use!

10. Connect with Nonprofit Search Firms

If you’re looking to take the next step in your nonprofit career, you may want to get on the radar of a few search firms to expand your exposure to job openings. Search firms have teams of recruiters that are retained by organizations looking to hire employees with exceptional talent for a particular position. Their job is to use their networks to find the perfect candidate without going through the typical process of posting a job online and taking in applications from any old person who wishes to apply. There are many recruiting firms out there now that specialize in nonprofit positions and could be looking for you!

If you don’t already have a connection to a nonprofit search firm, it may be time for you to introduce yourself and let them know you’d like to be included in their network of candidates. Ask a trusted colleague to recommend a search organization consultant to you – or even better, have that colleague recommend you to the consultant. Even if you don’t have a personal introduction, you can still send the recruiter your resume with a cover letter describing your interest, experience and expertise.

If you don’t yet have a connection to a recruiting firm in your area, here are just a few that work locally and nationally: Dewey & Kaye, Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group, Issacson Miller, Keystone Search, Transition Guides, Nonprofit HR Solutions.

I’ve been told by my search consultant friends that about 15% of positions are placed by a search firm. If you have the kind of talent that is in demand by nonprofit organizations, they would love to hear from you. It’s worth it to work with a search firm as part of your job search strategy.

11. Start Temping

If you’re unemployed right now and in the midst of a job search, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a temporary job to bring in the Benjamins while you look for your next permanent gig. Especially if you are a recent grad who needs nonprofit experience for your resume, I would encourage you to consider temping, short-term jobs found through a staffing agency, instead of spending a month working at Starbucks. Why? Well, most assignments last from only a few hours to days or weeks, making it flexible for you to interview elsewhere and accept a full-time job as soon as you find one. You can use your temp work to enhance your experience in the field as well as expand your nonprofit network by meeting lots of different people through your various assignments. Best of all, it is very possible that one of your short-term assignments could turn into a full-time job! Many nonprofits will end up hiring a temp on permanently if they really like you and your work. So, always do a great job.

Here are a few temp agencies that are specifically targeted to nonprofit jobs: Professionals for Nonprofits, Careers in Nonprofits, Nonprofit Staffing Solutions, Jobs in Nonprofits. There are probably more in your area like Randstad or Kelly Services that do not necessarily specialize in filling nonprofit jobs, but still offer those kinds of openings as well.

Additional Resources

Filed Under: Career Advice · Tagged With:

How to Create Your 2012 Nonprofit Career Plan

January 10, 2012 by · 2 Comments

Last week, Allison Jones and I hosted our first #ynpchat of the year on creating a 2012 nonprofit career plan. (For those who don’t know, #ynpchat is our monthly Twitter chat for young nonprofit professionals. It happens every first Wednesday of the month from 12:00pm-1:00pm Eastern time.) The questions we used to guide the discussion were adapted from my previous post: 15 Powerful Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Nonprofit Career. It was a great way to ring in the new year and a fabulous reminder that 2012 can be as amazing as we want it to be. I shared a few of my 2011 accomplishments and 2012 goals here and I wanted to be sure to offer the opportunity to those of you who are in planning mode for your own career right now. Here are a few guidelines for creating your 2012 nonprofit career plan.

Ask Good Questions

These are the exact questions we asked during the chat: 5 Questions to Help You Create Your 2012 Nonprofit Career Plan. Feel free to use them to guide your thinking about what you want your nonprofit career to look like this year (or come up with your own questions!). Where do you want to go? What do you want to do? Most importantly, who do you want to be?

Create a Portfolio of Accomplishments

One of the questions we asked was about looking back on what you did in 2011. This exercise is always helpful because most nonprofit professionals are not sitting at their desks patting themselves on the back most of the time. They are out in the community doing the work! Unfortunately, by the end of the year, it can be tough to articulate exactly what you were able to accomplish with your hard work. This is where creating a portfolio can come in handy, as Allison suggested. How? You can do this in a simple Word or Google document with bullet points by month or quarter. Or, if you start a nonprofit blog, you can create a page to post links to all the projects, reports and programs you’ve worked on or contributed to throughout the year.

Identify Opportunities for Growth

Now that you know what you want to see for yourself in the coming year, it’s time to seek out ways you can make those things happen. If you want to build your nonprofit network, for instance, are there specific conferences or events you want attend during the year? Certain people you want to meet for lunch? If you want to find a mentor this year, who can you ask to support you in your leadership journey? If you want to learn how to become a better manager, what are some stretch assignments you can take on in the next 12 months? 2012 is not the time to wait for opportunities to come to you. Make your own.

Commit to Taking Action

Give yourself a deadline for when you want to achieve certain milestones throughout the year. What do you want to make progress on first? Where do you want to be in the next 30 days? The next three months? Write all your goals down and set dates on your calendar now for tasks, meetings and events you don’t want to forget about later. If you’re looking for a new nonprofit job, set a measurable goal for how many applications you want to submit or informational interviews you want to conduct by the end of the month.

Honor Your Values

Whatever you do, don’t set ANY goals for your nonprofit career in 2012 if they don’t fit with who you really are or who you want to be. Sometimes what your boss wants from you is not in alignment with the path you truly want to follow for your life and work. Also remember that taking on more commitments at work can mean less time or energy to focus on your commitments at home. Be honest with yourself and honor your values. It’s better for everyone that way.

Stay tuned over the coming weeks as I explore other ideas for taking action on your 2012 nonprofit career plan!

If you would like to talk through these questions and strategies with a coach, I am now offering 30-minute introductory career coaching sessions that you can book here.

Filed Under: Career Advice · Tagged With:

A Review of 2011 and Three Themes for Meaningful Work in 2012

January 3, 2012 by · 4 Comments

Happy new year! I’m still getting settled back in the DC area after a month away in Hawaii and Florida. My body is NOT happy about the change in weather, let me tell you! Part of me refuses to believe that it’s 2012 already. I feel like 2011 was a fast-moving year. Some parts of it felt rushed, which I didn’t like. I was on the road a lot, so it was nice to take a month off (mostly) to relax, spend time with family and get some reading and writing done.

What My Work Looked Like in 2011

I wanted to take a moment to reflect and summarize my public work over the past year. With 25 speaking engagements last year, I’ve been able to meet and learn from hundreds of nonprofit leaders around the country. For that, I am so grateful. If we met last year – anytime, anywhere - let’s reconnect on LinkedIn so we can stay in touch! I’d love to know what you’re working on for 2012 and if I can help.

Here’s a listing of my speaking and training work in 2011:

My consulting work in 2011:

Part of my work during most of 2011 involved facilitating and helping to manage the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington’s (my former employer) Future Executive Directors Fellowship program. We were able to support 25 emerging leaders as fellows in a yearlong leadership development program to help prepare them for nonprofit executive positions. Of our 2010-2011 class, several of them have already become EDs!

I was also interviewed in a few press outlets in 2011:

New products and services in 2011:

I took on a number of career coaching clients in 2011, most of whom either wanted to figure out how to improve in their nonprofit job or transition to a new nonprofit career. I also branched out a bit (this was very fun!) to coach other consultants and entrepreneurs on how to use social media to build their presence and platform online.

How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar, the book I co-wrote with Trista Harris continued to sell copies in ebook and paperback versions. We’ve added a special reader-only section with additional resources and it’s also on Amazon!

I also finally recorded a complete version of my popular 90-minute training on personal branding to advance your career, which you can purchase below.

Personal Branding 101: How to Use Social Media to Accelerate Your Career 


Having trouble getting your name out there for juicy jobs, consulting gigs or leadership opportunities? If so, your personal brand may need some work! This 90-minute video training will explain the origins of personal branding, explore ways to “audit” your current personal brand and inspire you to leverage social media for your career. You will also find out how you can grow your professional network and become known as the “go-to” person in your field using four of the most effective online tools available today: blogging, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. By the end of this workshop, participants will have several strategies to add to their personal branding plan. This session will show you how to enhance your online presence if you already have one and how to get one if you don’t!  As soon as you purchase, you will get immediate access to the 90-minute, pure content webinar recording as well as the PDF handout with all the training slides.

Three Themes for My Work in 2012

After reflecting on what my work looked like last year, I came up with a few intentions for what I want my work to look like this year. Perhaps my list gets you thinking about what your themes would be for the next 12 months. What words or concepts would help you stay mindful of doing your best, most meaningful work in 2012?

Alignment

Through my blog, as well as my speaking and training work, I’ve been able to connect with thousands of professionals all over the country. I surpassed the cognitive limit of 150 “friends” mark a looong time ago. Over the past year, I realized I was adding way more people to my network than I could realistically keep up with (or wanted to try to keep up with). It started to feel frustrating to not be able to answer all my emails, but I wanted to find a way to maintain connections with specific people in my life and work. This post helped out a lot. I also did a mass unfollowing on Twitter a few months ago. Now, I have a smaller number of people I follow on Twitter, plus a special, private list called “friends.” I’ve also culled my Facebook down further to about 100 people that I truly wish to keep tabs on. (I use LinkedIn solely to maintain my professional connections, so that rarely gets overwhelming.)

In 2012, I want to stay aligned with the people who matter to me and only partner with individuals and organizations that fit with the work I want to do in the world. This means saying ‘no’ even more than I do now, or, when I need to, saying nothing to the deluge of emails that hit my inbox every day (there is really no way to “keep up,” no matter what I keep telling myself). Because what I’ve noticed is that when I can focus 100% on doing the work that’s most important to me, I am able to meet the needs of my clients and colleagues in a more meaningful way.

Contribution

Over the past month, I’ve been thinking constantly about which aspects of my work make the most impact for the people I want to serve – nonprofit leaders, young professionals and now, entrepreneurs (especially women and people of color). My most popular speech in 2011 was New Leadership for a New Nonprofit Sector and I’m hoping to go deeper with that thread of writing and teaching this year. I also continue to see steady interest in my sessions on working across generations and building a strong nonprofit career. My goal in this speaking and training work is not to just illuminate the nonprofit sector’s challenges but to also surface the opportunities for change through authenticity, diversity, innovation and advocacy.

This year, as I strive to live in greater alignment with my strengths and values, I hope to have more organizations book me for leadership development workshops, especially the one that’s been the most immediately powerful for the personal growth of staff: development of a personal mission statement. I will also be asking myself with every opportunity: is this how I want to contribute? What unique gifts can I bring to the table?

Community

One of the biggest lessons that I learned about my work this year is how lonely it can be as an independent consultant/speaker/coach/trainer/whatever. (By the way, this month marks TWO whole years that I’ve been working for myself. Yay!) I’m an introvert and I work well alone. I’m comfortable with that, but I’ve also started to miss the feeling of community that comes with being on the staff of an organization and working on a team with colleagues I can learn from and grow with. I was struck by this in November, right before all the holiday parties began, when I realized that I didn’t have one to go to.

I’m not sure if my need for community extends to seeking a full-time position just yet. My plan right now, though, is to be on the lookout for opportunities to contribute to a great organization in a long-term capacity by January 2013, maybe sooner. In the meantime, I will be making it a bigger priority to connect with like-minded colleagues in person at least once every week, not just online.

So, those are my themes. I learned a lot last year and I look forward to learning even more this year! Here’s to an amazing 2012 filled with meaningful, purpose-driven work.

What did you learn about yourself or your work in 2011? What themes will you be taking into the new year?

Filed Under: Career Advice, Leadership ·

Who Do You Really Work for?

December 15, 2011 by · 1 Comment

Edie Rasell - UCC Justice and Witness Ministries

Most nonprofit professionals (even nonprofit consultants) have someone to answer to when it comes time to get paid. Technically, you work for whomever signs your checks.

On paper, you work for an organization. The board. A supervisor or department head.

But when you think about it . . . that’s not who you really work for, is it?

If you went to work just to please The Big Cheese, your nonprofit job wouldn’t have much meaning, would it?

Of course, it’s easy to be able to say, “that’s not my job” or “I just do what they tell me” or “I’m just the intern” if you view yourself as working simply to fulfill a job description or organizational position.

But I’m willing to bet there’s a 99.9% chance you didn’t take the nonprofit gig you have now just so you could work for your supervisor (as awesome as she may be).

You took it because you thought it would be a good place filled with good people that would allow you to do good work.

But good work for who?

Who does your work impact on a daily basis?

Who will it impact 20 years from now?

That’s who you really work for.

Filed Under: Leadership, Nonprofit Management ·
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