7 Professional Development Tips

Just because you've finally got the job of your dreams doesn't mean you can relax. On the contrary, you should always be working as hard as you can to impress your superiors so they not only know they made the right choice in hiring you, but also to improve your chance of moving up the ladder.

You should always be thinking about your professional development so you are not stuck doing the same job for an extended period of time. It's not good for your confidence to be working on the same task year after year and getting a promotion will look better on your resume should you ever leave the organization.

The key to climbing up the professional ladder is to make a positive impression on your boss. There are many ways to do this, but here are the seven best tips to make your superior notice your work:

• Go the extra mile by helping your co-workers if they are stuck on a task, or volunteer to take up new responsibilities.
• Have a good attitude. This seems obvious, but it is easy to react negatively when you are given constructive criticism or are assigned work about which you are not excited.
• Be prepared for anything that comes your way.
• When you are done with a task, ask for something new to do without your boss coming to you first.
• Come up with creative solutions for problems that are affecting the organization. This shows you are ready to take initiative on issues that don't necessarily affect you.
• Take constructive criticism seriously. There is no better way to impress your superiors than by actually applying the suggestions they made.
• Try your hardest to be on-time for work every day, and personally phone your boss if you know you are going to be late.

Where To Look For Nonprofit Jobs

Are you looking for places to find a great nonprofit job? Luckily for you, there are plenty of resources all over the place to help your job search. There's only one question: Where should you start? Below I have compiled the 8 best places to look for work. We'll start with the most obvious choice:

• Online Job Boards: Job sites like the Nonprofit Job Seeker are a good place to browse for the latest opportunities. Some job seekers think it's most efficient to just use one site, but it's actually best to pick out a few good ones. Remember, not all organizations post on the same boards.
• Employer Websites: While most organizations take advantage of job posting sites, some simply post the latest opportunities on their web sites. Make sure to constantly visit the pages of nonprofits you are most interested in joining. A simple Google search will help you find an organization's web page.
• Newspapers: Believe it or not, newspapers are still a good place too look for jobs. This is especially true for local papers. 
• Craigslist: The popular online classifieds site is a great place to find the latest open positions. The jobs section of the site has a specific category for nonprofit jobs, so make sure to look in that position when browsing for work in your area.
• Twitter: Be the first to know about new positions by following job-based Twitter accounts. NPT has one of these, and other organizations also tweet about new openings at their offices. You can also check Facebook pages as well.
• Recruiting Agencies: Get in touch with these groups so they can help connect you with nonprofits that are looking to hire. It's possible you will only end up with a temp job, but those can eventually turn into full-time positions.
• College Career Centers: Virtually every college has an office to help students and alumni find jobs. Even if it's been years since you've graduated from your university, you can still get in touch with them and they will help you connect with organizations looking to hire.
• Walk-Ins: Don't be afraid to walk into the office of a nonprofit and ask directly if they are hiring. You can also call the human resources manager if you are too nervous to do a blind visit.

Why Enthusiasm Matters In The Job Search

Job seekers look for any advantage they can get during the job search. Whether it's highlighting a unique skill or taking advantage of great contacts, they need all they can help in this job market. What if I told you the best trick you can use is something everybody has?

You'd be surprised at how much of a difference enthusiasm can make in your search for a job, especially in the nonprofit sector. Having a clear passion for an organization's mission can be key in the eyes of the employer. There's a belief among some job seekers that showing enthusiasm will make them come off as desperate. This is an understandable concern, and it can be true if you go overboard (i.e., "this is the greatest job I have ever seen" or something along those lines).

So what are the best ways to show your excitement for the position without seeming fake? Here are some quick tips:

• Tell a story in your cover letter that illustrates how the nonprofit's mission has played a big part in your life.
• Explain how your skills would make a big difference in the organization's goals.
• Do extensive research about the history of the organization and display this knowledge in your interview. This shows that you were excited enough to do your homework.
• Choose your adjectives carefully when describing the position. Use words like motivated and passionate.

Nonprofit Jobs And Stress

One perception of nonprofit jobs is that they are very laid back and stress-free.  This couldn't be further from the truth.

There are many problems that crop up on a daily basis  in the nonprofit sector.  Whether it's continuing budget cuts on the state and local level or the work it takes to secure new donors, nonprofit work can cause a lot of stress for employees.  And that stress can lead to potential health problems.

At a recent conference on fundraising sponsored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, some of the consequences of stress to employee health were discussed:

• For employees that report high levels of stress, health care expenditures are nearly 50 percent according to the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
• More than 50 percent of American adults suffer adverse health effects because of stress.
• Stress has been linked to to the six leading causes of death: Heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide.
• Women who work full time and have children younger than 13 report the greatest stress worldwide.
• 23 percent of women executives and professionals and 19 percent of their male peers say they feel "super-stressed."
• Signs of stress include headache, sleep disturbance, difficulty concentrating, short temper, upset stomach, job dissatisfaction, and low morale.

None of this information is meant to scare you from getting a nonprofit job.  The fact of the matter is that work-related stress can happen in any job.  If you see yourself suffering from stress, take immediate action to alleviate it.

Job Interview Tips: Confidence Is Key

Happy New Year everyone!  Now that the holidays are over, the job search should start to heat up again.  With any luck you will start to hear back from nonprofit jobs for which you applied.  If that's the case, you are going to need some new job interview tips to seal the deal.  Today's tip can be summed up with one word: Confidence.

You can have the most impressive resume in the world, but you won't be successful if you don't appear to  have confidence in yourself.  An organization is not going to want to hire someone that appears unsure.  It's easy to feel discouraged in this job market, but don't let that affect your interviews. 

Showing confidence starts with good communication skills.  Here are four tips that will help you ace that job interview:

• Slow It Down: Avoid speaking quickly during your interview.  Not only will this make it difficult to understand you, it will also make the interviewer think you are anxious.  You probably will be a little nervous, but it's not a good idea to let that be so apparent.  A good way to slow yourself down is to make use of pauses.  Using strategic pausing will give the interviewer time to process what you are saying, and it will show that you are in control of your words.
• Speak With Confidence: What does it mean to speak with confidence?  It can mean a number of things, but one of its important aspects is a strong tone of voice.  People who speak with a strong voice are often perceived to have great self-confidence, whether that's right or wrong.  You don't want to overdo it, but practice powering up your voice.  It can do wonders for you.
• Avoid "Fillers": Are a lot of your sentences ending with "ums" or "uhs"?  Words like these are known as "fillers," and using too many of them creates the impression that you are unsure of yourself.  It's very hard to completely get rid of them, but make sure you at least keep fillers to a minimum.  If you can complete a conversation with only a few fillers, you will have done a great job.
• Posture: Body language play a big role in your communication of confidence.  If you show up to your interview with your arms crossed, for example, you will be sending exactly the wrong message.  Make sure you are making good eye contact with your interviewer, give a firm handshake, and have a smile on your face.  Remember, nearly 50 percent of our communications are non-verbal.

Signs Of Job Search Anxiety

The job search is a great test for your self-esteem.  After a number of rejections, even the strongest willed person is bound to feel some doubt.  Questions like "Am I doing this right?" or "What's wrong with me?" start to fill your mind.  If you don't learn to fight back against these feelings, you'll find it very hard to continue applying for jobs.  In order to properly fight back against feelings of anxiety and depression, it's important to recognize the signs:

• Avoidance of favorite activities
• Increasing feelings of irritability
• Lack of motivation
• Trouble falling asleep
• Trouble getting out of bed in the morning
• Extended periods of sadness or anger
• Assuming the worst in any situation

If you are starting to feel some or all of these symptoms while looking for work, you need to take a step back and fight them before continuing any further.  Here are some helpful tips to keep yourself positive:

• As long as you are doing your best, there is no reason to beat yourself about the process.  Remind yourself that most everybody is going through the same thing these days.
• If the job hunt is getting too stressful, consider taking a day off from it.  Spend that day doing things that make you feel better about yourself.  This will help refresh you when you start up again.
• As bad as things seem, feeling sorry for yourself won't help your situation.  As The Boston Globe wrote, companies are actually hiring.  Just because you have not had success yet doesn't mean it won't come.  Maybe you'll look back on those rejections someday and realize that it was for the best.
• Remember that it's not as personal as it seems.  It may feel like a job reaction is a personal assault against your character.  It could just be that there was someone just a little more qualified than you.  I am a firm believer that good things will come if you have ultimate confidence in your talents.

Important Hiring Tips

Cross Posted From The Nonprofit Job Seeker

Although jobs may be scarce in this economy, this doesn't mean that job candidates are going to take the first position that is offered to them. This economy could make people more picky than normal. Because times are tough, they are going to not only want a position that pays well, but also one in which they feel comfortable. If you are going to attract the best candidates for your nonprofit job, you would do well to follow these five hiring tips:

• As I have mentioned in the past, make sure the description in your job listing is informative yet concise. This is a hard balance to strike, but it can be done. The key to reaching this balance is to use specifics. The more the applicant knows about the position, the less chance you will get resumes from unqualified candidates.
• When you conduct an interview, make sure you allow time for the person to say what they want out of the position. It's all well and good to explain what you are looking for in an ideal employee, but you should make sure that the candidate can express their expectations as well. This is helpful because it establishes that this will be a job where the employee's views are important. And that is an important factor when people decide where they want to work.
• Just because someone performs well in an interview doesn't mean they will be the right fit for your organization. Test your applicant's skills to see if they are up to the task. How you do this depends on the type of job you are looking to fill. If you are looking to hire a web content editor, for example, you can have them take a writing test after the interview. If you mention that you will be performing writing tests in your application, this has the added benefit of weeding out less serious candidates.
• Your office should be tidy at all times, but make sure it is especially presentable during the interview. And I'm not just referring to your desk; the entire office should look as impressive as possible. A relaxing workplace makes for a better working environment, and that will be on the top of the list of things top candidates will be looking for.

Interviews can be very tiresome, especially if you have already been through many that day. Still, you are going to have to find some way to remain engaging to your prospective employee. There is no bigger turn off than an interviewer who seems uninterested. So even if you have to take an extra shot of coffee, make sure you are friendly and lively when you interview a job candidate.

Turning A Nonprofit Internship Into A Job

Cross posted from The Nonprofit Jobseeker

Nonprofit internships are ideal for people looking to break into the sector. They provide a great chance for individuals to get a better idea of what it's like to work at a not-for-profit by providing them with hands on experiences. There's only one problem: Internships often don't provide much income besides a stipend. Luckily for job seekers, a lot of organizations use internship programs as a way to scout potential full time employees. Here are some tips to help you make that happen:

• Talk to everybody you meet at the organization. Successful work environments require you to have a positive attitude with everybody. Being friendly to your co-workers as an intern is not only the right thing to do, it will create a great lasting impression. You never know who you are going to impress.

• Nothing is more impressive to prospective employers than an intern who always finds more work to do. Make it a point to go to your supervisor for more work when you are finished with whatever they assigned you. If they don't have anything for you at that time, keep yourself busy by reading organization literature.

• Don't be afraid to ask questions. It may be cliche, but the only stupid question is the one that's not asked. Look at it this way: Would you rather feel awkward asking a question that might seem obvious, or make a mistake because you were too anxious to ask?

• The fact of life for all interns is that they will eventually be asked to do grunt work. Even though this work is tedious, it's important to remain enthusiastic. Your chances of being hired full time will sink significantly if all you do is mope. Nobody likes a moper.

• Find a mentor! This can be anybody that works in the department you are looking to join. You will probably want this person to be your supervisor because you will be interacting with him/her the most. A good mentor will be someone who is willing to share their expertise and knowledge.

4 Job Search Habits You Need To Get Into

The latest employment numbers painted a grim picture for the economy.  The U.S. added no new jobs in August, creating the expected panic among job seekers.  There will probably be many people who think they should not even bother looking for work.  This is the last thing you should be doing.  Instead of feeling down about the poor economy, here are some job search habits you should take up:

• Look for companies, not just jobs.  Looking just for the ideal job leads to an unfocused job search.  Research the five nonprofits you most want to work for, and see if you can find out if they are hiring.
• Constantly update your online presence.  Always keep your Internet presence active and up-to-date.  This includes removing anything from your Facebook or Twitter accounts that might negatively impact your career hopes.
• Apply only for jobs you are qualified for.  There's a school of thought that you should apply to any job you are interested for, even if you are over or under qualified.  This couldn't be further from the truth.  The chance that you will be considered for jobs like these are very slim, so don't waste your time.
• Keep a positive outlook.  This is easier said than done, but it can make all the difference in the work.  Approaching any kind of work with a negative attitude only ensures that you won't get the most out of it.  You should be realistic about what you can accomplish, but you shouldn't assume you are going to fail.