Tips on Transitioning from the Business Sector to the Nonprofit World

Which of these statements is true for you?

• You crave a new kind of challenge in your work.
• You're disillusioned by your company, or maybe with every company you can think of.
• You're passionate about a cause or mission that has nothing to do with what your company does.

Any one of these notions might be your catalyst for exploring the nonprofit world after a long (or brief!) career in the corporate America.

Whatever your reason, before you embark on a job hunt, you'll want to talk to people who have made the switch and read what you can find on the topic so that you're well prepared.

Here are my tips to get you started:

Know why you're making the switch.

• What kind of rewards are important to you? What assumptions are you making about how the work will be different? Have you tested those assumptions? Know what it is you're seeking that can't be found in the corporate sector.

Know what skills are needed, and realize that you might not have them yet.

• For example, research the revenue models of nonprofits, which in many cases are more complicated than for-profit business. Understand the needs and expectations of the boards of particular organizations that interest you. (Hint: they're different from corporate boards.)

Completely re-tool your resume.

• I highly recommend that you hire a professional resume writer for this, who has experience writing resumes for people who have successfully made similar transitions.

Identify a particular nonprofit of interest and cultivate a relationship.

• Especially if you are seeking an executive or managerial post, serving as a volunteer, board member, or demonstrating a personal connection to the cause, will help you stand out as a candidate.

Here are some additional job search resources to help you:

Idealist.org
Bridgestar
execSearches.com
DeepSweep

These two articles, "Leading in Different Worlds: Moving from the Business Sector to No... by Caitlin Tilton and "Career Transitions from the Private Sector to the Nonprofit World" by Randi Bussin are both filled with solid advice about what to think about and how to approach these transitions.