Five Tips For Nonprofit Job Interviews

Even the most prepared candidate can say the wrong thing during a job interview.  This risk can be even greater for for-profit employees looking to land a position in the nonprofit sector because it has a very distinct business language.  When preparing for a nonprofit job interview, for-profit executives must be very careful with the words they choose.

• Don't refer to the nonprofit as a "company" or a "corporation."  Use the word organization instead.
• Avoid the use of business jargon like "income statement" or "profit and loss statement."  Say "statement" of activities" instead.
• Get familiar with nonprofit buzzwords, like "outputs," "outcomes," "major donors," and "development."  Make sure you use them in the proper context.
• While you shouldn't throw around corporate language, it's just as wrong to assume that nonprofits don't know what these words mean.  You shouldn't be afraid to use common business terms just because you are applying for a nonprofit job.
• Research the organization's website and see what kind of words they use on their pages.  This is a good way to see which business language has been embraced by the nonprofit sector.