Is it really true that the average person today will make about six career changes throughout their professional working life? With a vulnerable economy and recent manufacturing sector layoffs, people are often forced to rethink their career options. Gone are the days when careers began and finished with one employer and a full benefits and retirement package automatically kicking into gear at the age of 65. With workers traversing increasingly winding career paths, the desire for private sector workers to transition their careers into the nonprofit sector appears to be gaining popularity.
There are many factors affecting this shift in career approaches. The newly coined “zoomers” aren’t necessarily ready to retire just yet, and they may feel that they have a few more valuable years left to contribute their knowledge and experience to an organization that has meaning to them. There are also many choices available today, and with choice comes individual curiosity and perhaps a desire for a career change. Finally, with eco-awareness reaching critical mass and corporate social responsibility being the hot topic, it’s no surprise that some people have a stronger desire to be directly involved in social change.
Making a career transition from the private to nonprofit sector is easier said than done, no matter how much previous work experience or altruism you possess. Many nonprofits still value previous nonprofit work experience when selecting an ideal candidate for the job. Many job seekers, new or seasoned, can fall into a familiar and frustrating cycle of “no job, no experience, no experience, no job.” Having redirected my own career from the private to nonprofit sector just last year, I can confidently say that to make a successful transition requires a combination of patience, research, creativity, and a strategic approach.
Find out what you want
Every industry has its quirks and unique characteristics; the nonprofit sector is no exception. Not only is it important to practice a little introspection and find out what you want in a career; it’s equally important to understand what makes the nonprofit sector unique. The nonprofit sector is different from the private sector. Some characteristics to note about the nonprofit sector are that many nonprofits are accountable to volunteer boards of directors; they prefer collaborative approaches to decision making; many have fundraising departments; some are often reliant on government funding for sustainability; some have limited resources – which usually means broader job descriptions – and overall they often have fewer layers of hierarchy. This discovery process and deeper understanding of how the nonprofit sector operates will help you align your values and longer-term career aspirations. Internet research, informational interviews, volunteer work and observation will uncover the characteristics that make nonprofits distinct from the private sector. These insights will help you determine if the nonprofit sector is right for you.
Assess your options
If you decide to pursue a career in the nonprofit sector, you’ll need a strategic approach to navigate an appropriate entry point. So, how can you secure that elusive but valuable nonprofit work experience? There are many creative ways to gain relevant nonprofit experience to eventually get your foot in the door with the right nonprofit. Some people choose to go back to school, either full-time or part-time, to retrain and acquire new skills. Some people apply directly to a job posting with a tailored resume that highlights their passion for the cause and transferable skills. Others are active volunteers and use this experience to leverage valuable networking opportunities.
Another innovative approach to switching careers is through an internship. There are paid internship programs out there that can help provide “foot in the door” opportunities for those wishing to make a major career change. An internship is often an entry-level position for recently trained candidates to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills. The internship also provides an environment where the intern can learn about different aspects of the job, gain industry-specific knowledge, receive on-the-job coaching, and contribute to the organization’s business objectives. Not only will a paid position help offset living expenses, but by immersing themselves in their desired career fields, interns will also have the opportunity to establish relationships with potential employers and fellow colleagues in the nonprofit arena. By leveraging this newly gained job experience and a broader network of colleagues, interns are in a stronger position to seek permanent employment.
Take a risk
Sarah Grant graduated in 2003 with an undergraduate degree in family and nutritional sciences from the University of Prince Edward Island. She had decided to go back to school and complete her degree after working for years at unsatisfying jobs within the hospitality industry. Sarah began to take inventory of her personal strengths and achievements. Her motivation was to find a company “that would really care about me as an employee. I didn’t want to be just another means to achieving their bottom-line profits. I really wanted to contribute to something meaningful.”
What came to mind was some course work that she had completed in university in collaboration with the Alzheimer Society. She recalled this positive experience and it made her re-examine her career options. It was through the Career Edge paid internship program that Sarah was hired as a receptionist with Curriculum Services Canada, a Pan-Canadian, not-for-profit standards agency for quality assurance in learning products and programs. It was supposed to be a nine-month paid internship. For some 30-year-olds, taking a nine-month paid internship could be considered a risky career move. For Sarah, she envisioned an opportunity to get her foot in the door of a great organization. Only six weeks into her internship, Sarah was promoted to project coordinator and just nine months later she was hired full-time. Shortly after that, she was promoted to manager of production services. Five years later, Sarah continues to work and thrive in the nonprofit sector and says, “I know that without my internship experience, I would probably still be working in the hospitality industry. It was an opportunity to prove myself, and it was worth it!”
Janice Rudkowski is Director, Marketing & Communications at Career Edge Organization, a national not-for-profit that offers recent graduates, graduates with disabilities and internationally qualified professionals paid internships in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Janice can be reached at info@careeredge.ca.
