Will Your Social Networking Profile Help You Get A Job?

You've probably heard a number of horror stories by now about how profiles on social networking sites can end up being one of the main reasons a job seeker was not hired. Whether it's because of inappropriate photos or information inconsistent with the candidate's resume, social media profiles can be dangerous for your job search.

They can also be a huge boon, if handled correctly.

An appropriate social networking profile will portray you as a professional who is ready to take on all challenges. This will make you attractive not only to potential employers, but also networking contacts who can help you land a great nonprofit job. Not sure where to start? Following these five tips will get you on your way to a great online presence:

• Be Consistent: Your persona needs to be consistent across all of the platforms you use. For example, if you are portrayed as a driven fundraiser on LinkedIn, you shouldn't act like an introvert on Google Plus.
• Master the Basics: The first part of your profile that an employer is likely to check is your "About Me" section. This is the most basic part of any social networking site but the first impression is very important. Write a brief paragraph that sums up your work history and goals.
• Build Your Network: Sites like LinkedIn provide a great opportunity to make new contacts. They don't call it "social networking" for nothing. The size of your network will depend on your preferences, but it's a good idea to have at least 50 followers on your page.
• Links: Showcase your skills by including links to your blog and portfolio assuming they are relevant to your career path. 
• Use Keywords: Making use of strategic keywords throughout your profile will help ensure that your profile comes up in search engine results. Examples of keywords include your area of expertise, desired job titles, and industries.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Executive Assistant

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in Alexandria, Va., is looking to hire an Executive Assistant to work for one of its affiliates: HR People & Strategy (HRPS). This is a great opportunity for those job seekers who have just minimal nonprofit administrative experience.

The chosen candidate for this position will work with HRPS's Executive Director to implement the organization's strategic plan and oversee all operations of the association. The Executive Assistant will also serve as a liaison to the Board of Directors for various matters.

Other important duties include:

• Coordinate the tracking of all organizational goals across HRPS.
• Coordinate all accounting, audit and tax processes.  Work with SHRM’s accounting department to resolve accounts receivable/payable issues.
• Route contracts/ documents and obtain appropriate approvals.
• Coordinate meeting logistics with various SHRM departments and outside vendors, assist committees in developing agendas, and work with committee members to develop materials.
• Work with SHRM IT Department and outside vendor to plan and maintain website.
• Maintain the Executive Director’s calendar and email as requested.   
• Handle administrative tasks (ordering supplies, copying, filing, mail distribution, etc.).

As stated before, the Executive Assistant position is perfect for those with only minimal experience in the nonprofit sector. HRPS requires that applicants have at least four years experience of administrative experience in any fast-paced business. Other requirements are listed in the job description, which can be found on the NPT Jobs Career Center (where you can also apply).

4 Job Interview Don'ts

Job interviews are stressful enough without adding self-inflicted wounds into the equation. When you are being peppered with seemingly endless questions about your qualifications and work history, the last thing you want to do is make easily avoidable mistakes.

Not all mistakes are created equal. If you flub a word it is unlikely that you will be disqualified for the job. Other errors, however, can be much more costly. Here are four "don'ts" that you should avoid at all costs if you hope to have a fighting chance at being hired:

• Don't act unprofessionally: You might think you are being honest by calling your last manager a jerk, but the hiring manager will see this more as a personality red flag. A good way to avoid this error is to conduct mock interviews before the big day. Your "interviewer" will be able to alert you to anything you say that could be interpreted as an unprofessional remark or behavior.
• Don't be selfish: Job interviews are ultimately a way for the employer to determine whether you fit their needs. While it is appropriate to ask the hiring manager detailed questions about the position, you could come across as self-centered if you only ask about salary or how much vacation time you will receive.
• Don't dress casually: Coming to the interview dressed in casual attire will give the impression that you are not a serious candidate. Striking the right balance between over-dressed and casual is the key to success.
• Don't lie: Think your white lie about how much you accomplished at your previous job won't be discovered? Think again. All employers conduct thorough background checks of candidates so it's likely you will be caught. Even if you're not, you could be setting yourself up for failure by claiming you can do things for which you are not qualified.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Executive Director - Afro Latin Jazz Alliances

The Afro Latin Jazz Alliances (ALJA) in New York City is looking to hire a new Executive Director. Interested? Read on for more details.

The chosen candidate for this position will work directly with ALJA's Founder and Artistic Director (AD) to establish a strategic vision and organizational goals, for all of the programs of the organization. The Executive Director will serve as the leader, chief fiscal officer and executive officer, as well as the major fundraiser of the organization.

Other responsibilities include:

• Aggressively seeking new funding, both public and private, through grants and donations.
• Seeking out performance opportunities and residencies by cultivating relationships with performance presenters, academic institutions, and booking agents.
• Overseeing program development and the cultivation of new audiences.
• Managing and administering staff to ensure that the flow and operations are effective and efficient.
• Serving as liaison with The Fund for the City of New York, the ALJA’s current fiscal sponsor.
• Development of a volunteer staff.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor's Degree and no less than 6 to 10 years of prior experience in jazz, music, or arts education development and administration fields. You can read the full job description and apply by visiting the NPT Jobs Career Center.

10 Steps To Clearing Your Career Path

What are your ambitions for the future? If you are like most people, you probably want to advance in the ranks at your current job. While showing your bosses you are capable of more is a good first step for your professional development, it's only half the battle to carving your career path.

In their book “Great Leaders GROW,” Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller wrote about the steps nonprofit professionals need to take in order to progress from competent employee to great leader. One of those steps is to open your world at work. They came up with 10 ways to accomplish this:

• Shadow someone from another department or team. 
• Work at a client’s facility for a day or longer. 
• Listen in on donor calls. 
• Travel with senior leaders from the organization. 
• Serve on a cross-functional team. 
• Begin collecting best practices from top performers.
• Interview recent retirees and seek their counsel on current issues.
• Attend the premier of a new program or the grand opening of a new office.
• Go back in the archives and watch presentations from the past decade.
• Meet with leaders from other departments to understand their issues.

4 Ways To Tell If HR Is A Strategic Partner

Gone are the days when your nonprofit's human resources (HR) main responsibilities were hiring new employees and ensuring existing workers complied with rules. These days, HR is involved in a variety of activities and processes within an organization.

During the recent AICPA Not-for-Profit Industry Conference, Karl Ahlrichs, Michael J. Monahan, and Peter Petesch talked about the necessity of making HR a strategic partner in your day-to-day activities. While the number of class action suits, overtime issues, and sexual harassment reports have decreased since 2005, the number of lawsuits against employers have increased, as has the number of employees joining unions.

What does this mean? According to Ahlrichs, Monahan, and Petesch, it means:

• The field of employment law and human resources continues to grow, stratify and become more complex;
• The importance of employment law counsel and human resources in any organization continues to increase;
• Keeping informed and up to date is important; and,
• That having a strategic HR partner involves having a strategy, both for the organization and for the individual in HR.

The speakers said that you can tell if your HR department is a strategic a partner if you can answer "yes" to these four questions:

• Is the HR person at the table?
• When the CEO wants to execute on a merger, does the HR chief know before the deal is agreed upon?
• Does the HR leader identify business opportunities?
• Does the HR honcho look for ways to link productivity with morale and cost efficiencies?

Social Networking Etiquette And You

Most people think of Facebook and other social media sites as a great place to catch up with friends and watch that latest hilarious cat video. But did you know they can also be helpful for your job search?

Networking is the key to improving your chances of landing a job, and there's no better place to do it then using social media. Using sites like Facebook and LinkedIn, you can quickly find contacts who can give you the inside track to your dream job. Sounds easy, right? Not exactly.

Before you go to your online contacts for help, make sure to follow these six social networking etiquette tips:

• Don't post just to post.
• Stay professional while you are networking. That means you should avoid abbreviations and inappropriate content.
• Keep an eye on your post count. You don't want come across as a spammer.
• Post different things across the many social media channels. Give people a reason to visit your individual pages.
• Keep your content fresh. No more than a month should go by without new updates.
• Follow-up with everyone who responds to your posts. This will show people that you care about what they have to say, and will go a long way toward building new connections.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Area Development Director

Los Angeles: It's full of bright lights, big stars, and even bigger opportunities, one of which happens to be our latest featured nonprofit job.

The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) is looking to hire an Area Development Director to conduct comprehensive, cost-effective annual and as needed, capital fund-raising campaigns, within the LA area of operation, to support the 38 UNCF institutions and serve as an ambassador for the organization as a whole. The chosen candidate will also identify, recruit, direct and liaison with volunteer leadership; develop and maintain formal campaign organizational structure in concert with National UNCF leaders and develop local campaign goals.

Other major duties include:

• Planning and implementing campaign strategies consistent with UNCF national action plan and policies;
• Developing and submitting solicitation proposals; managing, designing and implementing fund-raising events; and,
• Developing and preparing campaign materials, communication/promotional programs in support of established fund-raising efforts.

Qualified applicants should have a Bachelor's degree and at least 7-10 years of fundraising experience. A history of meeting revenue goals is also required. Head to the NPT Jobs Career Center for more details on this job, including applications instructions.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Outreach And Enrollment Coordinator

The Florida Association of Community Health Centers (FACHC) in Tallahassee is looking to hire an Outreach and Enrollment Coordinator. Read on for more details on this featured nonprofit job.

The chosen candidate for this position will be responsible for ensuring that health centers have timely and necessary information about Florida's consumer assistance training requirements and roll out of new affordable insurance options. Other responsibilities include:

• Coordinate health center outreach and enrollment activities with other consumer assistance efforts in the state.
• Provide technical assistance and training on effective health center outreach and enrollment strategies and targeted technical assistance to individual health centers that experience challenges in meeting outreach and enrollment projections.
• Monitor successes and barriers to health center outreach and enrollment activities.
• Provide broad-reaching communication efforts, such as mailings or other media efforts, which may be used to announce outreach events and/or the availability of the health centers as locations where outreach assistance is available.

You can find more information about this job, including application instructions, by visiting the NPT Jobs Career Center.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Director of Development, Membership, and Special Programs

The San Mateo County Medical Association is looking to hire a Director of Development, Membership, and Special Programs. Interested? Read on for more details.

The chosen candidate for this position will focus on three areas: Development, Membership Marketing, and Special Programs. The responsibilities for the three areas are broken down in the following manner:

Development:

• Developing a corporate sponsorship program, private foundation support as well as an individual major gifts program.
• Achieving effective corporate and major gift support and building strong relationships with existing funders.

Membership Marketing:

• Develop and direct a membership recruitment and retention program, including outreach to non-members.
• Outreach involves writing and producing promotional materials, analyzing results, and creatively implementing new strategies.

Special Programs:

• Coordinate outreach to various Asian-Pacific Islander (API) civic and community organizations and churches to offer screening and vaccination of the API community for Hepatitis B.
• Coordinate with pharmaceutical representatives whose companies manufacture this vaccine for vaccine donations.
• Organize seminars for physicians and medical office personnel to educate them about the need to treat their API patients and to correct common misconceptions regarding this disease.

Qualified applicants will be an accomplished fundraising executive with a passion for the organization's mission and a desire to succeed. Must be proficient in all Microsoft Office programs. Think you have what it takes to be successful in this position? Head to the NPT Jobs Career Center to apply.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Major Gifts Officer, Wycliffe Bible Translators

Are you an experienced fundraiser looking to get a nonprofit job in Florida? Our latest featured position will give you an opportunity to work in the great city of Orlando with an organization that has been in existence since 1942.

Wycliffe Bible Translators is looking to hire a Major Gifts Officer to find donors in the Southwest Region. This includes the states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi. The chosen candidate would need to reside in a major city within the region (Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh or Knoxville).  This position requires travel 30% - 40% of the time. Responsibilities include contacting, cultivation, and solicitation of gifts from major donors in these areas.

Qualified applicants should have at least five years of recent and increasingly productive face-to-face fundraising experience, including two years with high net worth donors.

Want to find out more about this position? Head to the NPT Jobs Career Center for application instructions and more.

Featured Nonprofit Job: Executive Director, First 5 Santa Cruz County

First 5 Santa Cruz County is looking to hire an Executive Director. Think you have what it takes to succeed in this nonprofit job? Read on more more details.

The chosen candidate for this position will be responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction to ensure that First 5 Santa Cruz County’s investments in health, early learning and family support promote optimal development of children ages 0-5 in Santa Cruz County.

Other responsibilities include:

• Work collaboratively with the Commission, staff, funders, grantees and other stakeholders to ensure that the vision, mission and values of First 5 SCC are carried out effectively.
• Lead the development and implementation of First 5 SCC’s strategic plan , long-range financial plan, annual operating plan, budget an d evaluation report.
• Analyze and recommend strategic investments for the Commission to best impact systems changes that will improve the lives of young children in Santa Cruz County.
• Represent First 5 SCC to community partners, the media, the public, elected officials, other funders, First 5 California, and the First 5 Association of California.
• Develop the Commission’s annual administrative services contract with the United Way of Santa Cruz County.

Qualified applicants will have an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to achieving First 5 SCC’s mission and strategic initiatives, along with highly-developed skills in the areas of leadership, management, financial and strategic planning, public speaking, communication and collaboration.

You can find out more about this job by visiting the NPT Jobs Career Center.

4 Hiring Process Concerns -- And Solutions

There are many emotions you will feel when a hiring manager says they want you to join their organization. The biggest of those is relief. It's good to know you are close to getting the job after countless hours of resume writing, thank you letters, and interviews.

While it  might seem that you are at the end of your long journey, you should be aware that last-minute can and often do emerge. Below are four of the most common hiring process hiccups along with advice on how to best conquer them:

• You were told a formal job offer was coming -- three weeks ago: There are a multitude of reasons for a delay of the job offer: An internal candidate expressed last-minute interest, a hiring freeze was instituted, the position is changing, or the hiring manager went on a business trip. Instead of waiting around for an answer, you should contact the organization to find out the exact reason for the delay.
• The hiring manager wants to ask you follow-up questions about a reference who gave you less than glowing reviews: The worst thing you can do in this situation is to be defensive or combative. You should calmly correct any misinformation the reference gave, and counter his negative recollections with positive anecdotes. You can also offer up additional references to give the hiring manager additional opinions; just be absolutely certain you will get good reviews from them.
• The formal job offer has a description and salary that is significantly different than the initial job description: Seek clarification before assuming you were tricked. It's possible there was a typo in the original job description or that the salary listed was a ballpark estimate rather than a firm number. Pay close attention to the hiring manager's response. Did he seem genuinely sorry about the confusion? Did he offer to adjust the offer or at least give a detailed explanation about why he can't? You should consider rejecting the offer if you think the organization is playing games with you.
• You discovered some details about the organization's work environment that are making you think twice about accepting the job offer: Keep in mind that the information you received is just one person's view. Do some more research to see if there is any merit to the person's claim. If you find legitimate reasons to be concerned, go to the hiring manager and seek clarification. You should always give your boss-to-be an opportunity to explain things.

4 Reasons Not Put Fibs In Your Resume

The temptation to put a little white lie in your resume can be great sometimes. When you see a job you really want but don't quite have the necessary skills for, it's easy to see why you might think one little fib won't be too big of a deal. After all, who's going to notice?

Thanks to some techniques used by employers, so-called "little fibs" can be easily spotted. Being caught in a lie will not only ruin your chances of getting the job, it can also do serious damage to your overall reputation. It's hard to get rid of a reputation as a liar even if the lie wasn't that big.

So before you consider fibbing a little in your resume, consider these four ways that employers can discover the truth:

• Background Checks: Employers usually perform standard background screens on candidates. They will look for discrepancies between what you tell them and what their reports reveal.
• Red Flags: Hiring managers will be suspicious of unexplained gaps in employment or a hesitance to explain the reason behind your departure from that last job. Employers can easily find phone numbers for the places you said you worked to verify that you were once employed.
• Social Networking Sites: Sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn contain information that will help employers verify information of which they are unsure.
• Gut Check: A lot of hiring managers will simply trust their gut and not hire you if something about your resume bugs them. 

The 2013 Power And Influence Top 50

Sixteen years ago today The NonProfit Times released the first edition of the Power and Influence Top 50. The report listed the 50 nonprofit executives that we determined were at the top of their field. Since then, there have been many multiple-time honorees and some new ones.

With this year's edition, there is quite a bit of turnover.

The 2013 Power and Influence Top 50, included in the August 1 edition of NPT, features 18 first-time honorees. In addition, there are three returning executives who will be returning to our September Power and Influence Top Gala in Washington, D.C., after some time away. The evening’s keynote will be national commentator Juan Williams.

Some of the new faces in this year's list include:

• James (Jim) Manis, the Mobile Giving Foundation; 
• Jacqueline Novogratz, Acumen; 
• Anthony D. Romero, American Civil Liberties Union; 
• Vanessa Kirsch, New Profit Inc; and, 
• Chris Anderson, Sapling Foundation/TED 

You can view the full list by clicking here.

Of course, the Power and Influence Top 50 is not the only part of the August 1 issue. Other major articles include a piece on retaliation lawsuits, restructuring at the Girl Scouts, and how World Wildlife Fund and other organizations handle compressed workweek schedules.