Hiring From The For-Profit Sector

Nonprofits are always trying to hire the best and brightest to join their organizations. That usually means candidates who already have experience in the sector, but that doesn't always have to be the case.

The fact of the matter is that there are many candidates from the for-profit world who are making the jump to nonprofit jobs. The business experience that for-profit workers have can be very valuable for organizations, so it makes sense to consider their credentials during the hiring process.

While it's true that nonprofits are beginning to be run more like businesses, there are still some important differences between the two sectors. Kurt Aschermann, president and CEO Boston, Mass.-based Charity Partners, LLC said that making yourself aware of these differences can be useful when recruiting.

• Nonprofits don't always run at the typical 9-5 hours. Express that to potential hires so they are aware of what to expect.
• For-profit companies sometimes have easy access to things they need to operate, but nonprofits need to effectively use donor dollars.
• Aschermann said that some former for-profit hires have trouble working with volunteers. Consensus is key for nonprofits. It might be harder to get “buy-in,” but it’s necessary.
• For-profit hires are used to reaching one audience -- the people who will potentially use the product they are marketing.

Nonprofit Jobs On The Rise

A new study by Johns Hopkins University is giving job seekers yet another reason to flock towards nonprofit jobs.

The NonProfit Times wrote about the report from the Baltimore, Md.-based school that showed that jobs in the nonprofit sector increased an average of 2.1 percent from 2000 to 2010, while for-profit jobs decreased by an average of 0.6 percent annually.  This trend even held up during the height of the Great Recession (between 2007 and 2009), with nonprofit employment increasing at an average of 1.9 percent per year while for-profit work declined.  The only year in the past decade that nonprofits didn't outperform for-profits was 2005, when both sectors reported a 2-percent increase in jobs.

If you are wondering which industries increased the most, the JHU study has answers to that, too.  It cited the greatest increase in jobs in the following fields: Healthcare, education, and social assistance.  Those three happen to be the largest employers in the nonprofit sector, with healthcare jobs making up 57 percent of the nonprofit workforce.

There was one bit of negative news for nonprofits.  According to the report, for-profit businesses outpaced nonprofit growth when it came to social assistance, education, and nursing home care.  As a result, nonprofits in these fields lost market share to for-profits.  The reasons for this aren't exactly clear, but insiders are blaming market conditions and the moral tenets of competing industries, which tend to become muddled in tough economic times.

You can read more about JHU's study of nonprofit jobs in The NonProfit Times.

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.

For-Profit to Nonprofit: Making The Transition

It is common to see people from the for-profit world make jump to the nonprofit sector.  The ultimate goals of a nonprofit and a for-profit might be different, but their management styles have a lot in common.  That doesn't mean there aren't things that for-profit executives should keep in mind before switching their career paths.

Nonprofit hours aren't always the typical eight-hour workday.  "No big deal", you might be think, "I had to work overtime a lot at my last job."  We're talking about more than your normal overtime work here.  There are often special events like galas, telethons, or community service work that can extend to all hours of the day, including weekends.  Make sure to ask the kind of time commitment expected when you go in for an interview.

For-profit companies can have easy access to the things because of an abundance of money.  Nonprofits aren't the picture of poverty they are sometimes made out to be, but they do need to use the donor dollars they get effectively.  This can be a bit of an adjustment for employees who are used to having more resources at their disposal.  This might not be the case depending on the organization you choose to work for, but it's something to keep in mind.

There are other differences to consider when transitioning to the nonprofit sector, but these are the two biggest adaptations you will have to make.  Feel free to add your own experiences in the comments section below.

Nonprofit Career Round-Up: 4/13/2011

It's that time again: time to provide you lucky folks with links to help you find quality non profit work.  I hope you have all been gaining a lot of traction out of these articles I find.  Anyway, here's what I rounded up for today...

• 'Nonprofit Work: 10 Myths'-This article from The Case Foundation (a fantastic organization, by the way), tackles some of the prevailing myths.  Among the most important to read, in my opinion, is myth #1; which takes down the idea that you will live a life of poverty by working at nonprofit organizations.  I also like that they shoot down the myth that making money in the nonprofit sector is frowned upon.  That's something that way too many people believe.
• 'The Advantages of Working for a Non-Profit Over a For-Profit'-Too often we hear about why working at a for-profit company has many more advantages over working n the nonprofit sector.  This article by Fundraising Ideas gives us some reasons why the opposite is true.  A very good read, put this at the top of your list.
• 'Student's Nonprofit Work Pays it Forward'-This article from The South End, Wayne State University's official campus paper, tells a charming story of a student from the school who worked with Blakstone LaunchPad to set up a nonprofit program to help combat unemployment in Detroit.  For you up-and-coming nonprofit entrepreneurs, this is a good article to read of a true success story.

Nonprofit Career Round Up-4/4/2011

Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend.  I also wanted to remind everyone to follow our twitter account @nptjobs.  It gives you the latest nonprofit jobs from our job board, The Nonprofit Jobseeker.  Now that that's out of the way, here are the links for today...

• 'Transitioning to the Nonprofit Sector'-I already wrote about this topic before, but this is another good take on it from The Proposal Guru.  He mentioned something I (regretably) forgot to mention: talk to other people who have made the transition from for-profit to non-profit.
• 'Getting Started in a Nonprofit Career'-This article from the Nonprofit Career Guide gives you a good idea of some of the things you should expect when working at a nonprofit organization.
• 'The Top 50 Job Hunting Blogs'-It probably seems silly for me to link you to a site that links you to other job blogs, but that's what I'm doing. Why?  Because I'm a great guy and it's always helpful to have multiple resources. 

Why You Should Work in Nonprofit

Chances are, if you re reading this blog you are at least somewhat interested in working or a not-for-profit organization.   But maybe you still have some doubts.  Maybe you're concerned about the lower career salaries when compared with what you would get at a for-profit job.  Perhaps the lack of resources that is inherent with nonprofits scares you.  Or maybe you're just not sure you can handle the amount of time and effort you would have to devote.  Well perhaps I'm a little biased here, but here are some reasons why choosing a nonprofit job is the right choice for your career path.

I've already mentioned the potential negatives that come with joining an NPO.  It's true that you might not make as much money than by joining a huge corporation.  But here are some tangible benefits that will help make that seem very small, indeed. Working for an organization that is dedicated to a great cause will help instill you with a sense of satisfaction.  Knowing that the work you are doing will likely have a positive effect on many people will help what might be tedious work become more enjoyable.

Still not convinced?  Does that line of reasoning seem to ethereal?  Well here's something that might catch your attention:

Nonprofits need new employees with fresh new ideas more than ever.

That's right, by working at a nonprofit you will have a better chance at getting a sustainable job.  This is because, as is explained in article by Business Weekly, nonprofits realize that they need to start hiring outside of the nonprofit field in order to get the leaders they really need.  There is real opportunity to not only get a rewarding job, but also to advance through the ranks.  If you show yourself to be someone who is dedicated and responsible, you will find that you will quickly become a great asset to the not-for-profit organization that you join. 

So if you are the type of person that enjoys a good challenge, and wants to be a leader in the industry they work in, then getting a non profit job is really the best choice for your career.  So while you are looking through a list of nonprofit organizations to work at, consider the advice in this blog.