4 Steps To A Successful Job Search

Conventional wisdom tells us that a successful job search ends with the job seeker getting employment. Sounds reasonable enough, but allow me to throw a bit of wrench into that thought: A successful search ends with the candidate getting the right job.

It's very easy to get desperate during the course of the job hunt. The temptation to take work that you are not passionate about just to pay the bills can be great. This is ultimately the wrong choice for the long-term health of your career. It's more important for you to work at a nonprofit that matches your skills and gives you the best chance for your professional development.

How do you give yourself the best chance of having a successful job search? You can start by following these four steps:

• Focus your search on nonprofits on the rise. These are the organizations that will be most interested in hiring new employees and will give you the best chance to advance through the ranks.
• Be ambitious. Don't be afraid to apply for a job for which you are a little bit unqualified. There's a good chance the nonprofit will consider hiring you for, say, a development officer position if they only need to do minimal training.
• Consider volunteering. Take some time to volunteer for an organization you like if you can't get a full time job there. This will add meat to your resume and -- who knows? -- they could end up bringing you on if you do a good enough job.
• Show your expertise. Don't just say you are good at something -- show it. For example, if you just learned how to do HTML, create an online portfolio showing your expertise in that subject. This will give the employer a better idea of how much you know.