Recently, we have seen an increase of job seekers wishing to parlay their corporate career experience into pursuing a position within a non-profit organization. If you are someone who wants to pursue jobs within a non-profit organization, it would be wise to tweak your resume and showcase any non-profit experience you have. You can do this by including a NON-PROFIT EXPERIENCE section before your actual WORK EXPERIENCE section. Highlighting board memberships, volunteer work and any other involvement within non-profit organizations -- over and above your corporate experience and accomplishments – shows a potential non-profit employer that you are seriously interested in making the switch.
Remember to “build a bridge” from the skills you have utilized in your corporate positions to the skills that are desired in the non-profit arena. To that end, consensus management and budget administration dominate non-profit cultures. If you emphasize positions and activities in your work history that show you have done such things, you edge closer to being a viable candidate. Let’s say you have 15 years experience working in corporate positions – normally not likely a good fit with a non-profit culture -- however, demonstrating such things as rolling out a new product line under budget, or gaining cooperative interaction from multi-divisions to initiate international operations, will peak the interest of non-profit organizations. Understanding the importance of team work, managing shoestring budgets, and positively impacting customer satisfaction are all skills valued by non-profit organizations.
In addition, your cover letter should emphasize your enthusiasm for making the career switch. Mentioning details specific to a particular non-profit organization will also go a long way. The more genuine your passion is for wanting to work for the non-profit, the more likely the non-profit will take notice and the closer you will be to taking the next step to your new career!