Nonprofit Young Professionals: Finding and Landing a First Nonprofit Job, We Are For Good Podcast

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Overview

We've been wanting to have a heart-to-heart chat with one particular audience in the nonprofit sector, so we decided to turn that convo into a series: Friday Convos with Young Professionals. This week we're kicking off the 4-part series by chatting about Finding and Landing Your First Nonprofit Job. We're walking through internship tips, interview Do's and Dont's, cover letters and resumes, digital networking (LinkedIn here at centerstage!), and how to start building your professional network. It's all the stuff we wish we knew, what we would do differently and how to have your passion stand out from the crowd.

“There’s something here I think that everybody can learn and grow from because that’s really the posture of this, this up and coming generation coming into the sector is here to stay and transform the sector.”

— Jonathan McCoy, CFRE, Co-Founder and CEO, We Are For Good

Episode Transcript

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Episode Overview

Our company’s heart for pouring into young professionals (1:30)
Warming your network (6:30)
Cover letters and resumes: focus on authenticity! (10:00)
4 things to include on your resume (15:00)
- 1. Show how you have led
- 2. Share an example of how you have galvanized support around something
- 3. Share how you activated that support
- 4. Show how you hustled
Activate your network (16:00)
Leveraging LinkedIn as young professionals (18:00)
Interview do’s and don’ts (23:00)
Building your network (32:00)
NEW: Young Professional Workshop Series inside PRO - sign up today!

Powerful quotes

“There's something here I think that everybody can learn and grow from because that's really the posture of this, this up and coming generation coming into the sector is here to stay and transform the sector.” -Jon

“The Gen-Zers that are coming up had such tremendous passion. And we want to take that passion and we want to put it on fire inside our missions. And so let's talk about ways to retain them.” -Becky

“We remember what it felt like to walk into a nonprofit shop for the first time. And look around with these sort of wild wild eyes going, what is this language that people are speaking? How do I approach this situation? So we're just taking all of that early angst that we had early on in our careers.” -Becky

“Anytime I'm sitting down with friends, and we may be in totally different sectors of the workforce, or maybe some are still in school, everyone's feeling in around about way, the same thing. Everyone's overwhelmed, everyone doesn't know what they're doing, honestly.” -Julie

“I just hope that any young professional listening really tunes in and then also activates and talks to their friends and talks to their co workers, because I think a lot of us aren't talking about how overwhelmed we feel.” -Julie

“Volunteer if you want to warm your network, get out there and just start using some of your free time to get inside an organization.” -Becky

“There's not a formula to this. I think, oftentimes the way that we go about job applications, we think that there's some formula that if we say the right thing, do the right thing, present ourselves in a certain way in an interview, it's gonna work out. So we're here to tell you go for authenticity. I wish someone would have gone back a couple years and just told me to take the pressure off of myself.” -Julie

“I like to think of it more as building connections, not building a network.” -Julie

“I don't think it's like boastful and arrogant to say what you want. I don't think that you look like a bad person. If you're saying, these are my dreams, this is what I want. I really admire what you're doing. Can we just have a conversation about how you can help me get to that point.” -Julie

“What are some questions that would allow them to shine and be something that you're genuinely interested in learning, by putting those at the end, you're leaving on a really high note, and you're showing that you are inquisitive and showing some of those values that you're just hungry to learn more and get connected with the organization.” -Jon

“Even if you're really, you know, disappointed in your current job situation. It's just not a place to like start throwing people under the bus, it starts to set the tone of maybe that's how that person is going to be whenever they get in here.” -Jon

“I think oftentimes, we get into survival mode, and we just really want a job, we really want to switch jobs. So we are just going into these interviews, just really hoping that we impress these people so that we land the job. Just remember that you're trying to make sure you're going to spend a lot of time with these people. Make sure their values align, make sure it's a mission that you can get behind.” -Julie

“Don't go into things with an end game. Because I think that can sometimes be a slippery slope.” -Julie

“if you're clear on your values, and what's most important to you, I mean, the job title - it doesn't matter.” -Jon

“You're in a current season for a reason.” -Julie

“Reach out to the people that you admire and tell them.” -Jon

“If you're not a young professional, work to introduce the young professionals at your organization to other people.” -Becky

Interview Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s

Find 2-3 things you definitely want people to know before you leave
Share why this job aligns with your passions and values
Tell stories - thread your lived experiences into examples. (This will humanize you, and it gives your interviewer a chance to root for you if you’ve overcome something!)
Show how well you know the org through being familiar with their website or social channels. If there’s no opportunity to show this, turn it into a question at the end of the interview, “I noticed on your Instagram that you’re launching xx, and I’m interested in knowing more about it, because it aligns with my personal values in this way…”
Have at least 1-2 questions ready that will allow the interviewer or organization to shine.
- “What are your dreams for this position?” “A year from now, what do you want this person to have accomplished?”
- “What are you passionate about?”
Arrive early
Write a thank you note
Circle back to the most influential person to this position who opened a door/sent an introductory email on your behalf, and thank them, tell them what you loved about the interview experience and mission, share your enthusiasm for the job. (Who knows - they might reach out on your behalf again to their contact and push your selection over the finish line. Plus, you have someone rooting for you and invested in your professional journey!)

Don’ts

Ramble
Forget to ask questions. Employers want to know that you’re interested in what they’re doing.
Avoid giving sob stories about how much you need the job. Also, don’t behave in a conceited or over-familiar manner; it never makes a good impression.
Speak negatively
Dress inappropriately
Don’t forget about your social channels. Clean them up!

Find an Amazing Nonprofit Job!

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Once a month, we will be dropping a PRO workshop curated specifically with young professionals in mind. We’ll dive into discovering your personal values, leveraging your leadership style, negotiation, conflict management, finding a mentor, building a network, mental health and more! Join a community of like minded professionals all just trying to figure it all out together!

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