A new year can mean new opportunities to advance your career and social impact. If you’re hoping to transition to or grow your career within the social impact sector, you’re in luck!
Nonprofits, grassroots organizations, and social enterprises across the country are looking for social impact leaders to join and strengthen their teams. I may be biased, but I believe our sector is in an incredible place to lead change!
Are you ready to start applying? Here are three tips to help you land your dream career in Canada’s social impact sector.
Tips to landing a social impact leadership position
Be specific with your career search
I often hear that “working in the sector is a dream job” or “I want to be a Board member”. Focusing solely on the sector or title can significantly increase your search efforts while lowering your chances of job satisfaction.
There are over 177,000 nonprofit, charitable and social enterprise organizations in Canada. Each organization has their own mission, values, compensation practices, and work culture. Not all organizations and roles will align with your interests nor will they provide a work environment where you can thrive. Narrowing down how you want to create an impact can help you tailor your efforts (networking, cover letters, etc.) to land your dream career.
Not sure how you want to create an impact? Volunteering, completing informational interviews with sector colleagues, and learning from networks such as the Ontario Nonprofit Network and the Canadian Community Economic Development Network, can help you find out.
Grow a network of change-makers
Building meaningful relationships with change-makers can help you find and be better positioned for leadership positions. Mentorships, networking circles, and traditional coffee chats can help social Impact leaders:
- Foster collaboration when building and implementing social Impact solutions,
- Amplify and strengthen advocacy efforts to bring systems change,
- Identify professional development opportunities to bridge skill gaps,
- Discover roles that align with their values, interests, and needs, and
- Get referred to jobs on the “hidden” and public job market
Although universities and recruiters estimate the hidden job market to be as much as 80%, the actual amount is unknown and likely significantly less. What we do know is that even if a job is public, a strong network will help your application. Candidates referred to a company are 15 times more likely to get hired by referral than through a traditional job board.
Networking can seem like a daunting task, especially for those short on time. If you don’t have time to network through groups or events, try dedicating ten minutes a day on LinkedIn. Follow, write comments, and send messages to established and new connections. This small time commitment will bring enormous results.
Looking for inspiration? Some of my favourite role models and social impact leaders to follow are: Paul Nazareth – Canada’s charitable sector connector and networking superstar, Anjum Sultana – international advocate and public policy convener, and Li Jiang – optimistic leader changing the world through impact investing and social finance. Looking to follow a thought leader on a specific topic? Feel free to reach out for recommendations.
Always be curious
Learning is not just about padding your resume. It’s about ensuring that you have the skills to adapt, listen, and problem solve once you’ve landed the job.
The future of work is always changing – especially in our sector. That’s why building your brand based on learning, opposed to expertise, can help employers see your potential to lead as the organization and sector grows.
Recent research around curiosity, the desire to learn more and understand how things work, supports this idea. In November 2021, SAS published a report finding job postings mentioning skills related to curiosity increased by 87%. They also found that 72% of managers believe this curiosity will lead to greater impact and stronger performance.
Fortunately for our sector, there are many incredible (and many times free!) learning resources for leaders. From CharityVillage to the Network for Business Sustainability to the Social Economy Through Social Inclusion, the list can seem endless.
Do you have a great learning resource? Please feel free to share it by tagging the CharityVillage team on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Stay career-focused all year long.
The beginning of a year can be a great time to set new career goals. However, It’s also a time where over 90% of people give up on their goals. Stay on track to landing your leadership position by narrowing your job search efforts, prioritizing professional connections, and carving out time to listen and learn.
Melanie Rodriguez is a social impact connector who has worked with over 20 nonprofits in North, Central, and South America. At 24, she landed her first social impact leadership role, Executive Director of an international children’s foundation, through the CharityVillage job site. Today, she leads social impact for Hoot for All: A literacy platform helping children learn how to read while developing a life-long love of learning.
