11 Tips for a Successful Nonprofit Job Search

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.

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!

• Idealist.org
• Association of Fundraising Professionals Job Center
• Council on Foundations Career Center
• Chronicle of Philanthropy Jobs
• Craigslist Nonprofit Jobs Section
• ASAE Career Headquarters (association jobs)
• LinkedIn Jobs
• CareerBuilder
• Charity Village Career Centre (Canada)
• Opportunity Knocks
• Philanthropy News Digest Job Board

10. Connect with Nonprofit Search Firms

Additional Resources