Volunteer: It makes good career sense

The phones at Greenlights have been busy in March! I’m getting lots more inquiries from talented and interesting people looking to break into the nonprofit sector these days.

Some have been “downsized” from a corporate job, or have recently moved to town and are seizing the chance to get a new nonprofit gig. Many view the current economic situation as an opportunity to make a career shift into the nonprofit world, which they often perceive as offering more meaningful work for less stress, fewer hours, and less pay.

Well, at least they’re right about the third item! Ba-DUM-bum. Tip your Internet Service Providers, folks.

But seriously, I’d like to offer my “nonprofit take” on this influx of non-traditional job-seekers into our field, for what it’s worth. On the one hand, it’s great to have an influx of talent knocking on the door with fresh ideas and creative perspectives honed from years of hard work in the business sector.

Yet we nonprofiteers often have years of practice in thinking about the “double bottom line” of both making ends meet financially and meeting our mission. We may naturally be a little suspicious about what applicants from the business world really would bring to the party.

Take your average, busy nonprofit executive looking to fill a critical position. Enter a talented corporate job applicant. Is he just looking for a soft landing in a tough economy, maybe thinking that there would be less competition for the position? Or is he truly motivated by and passionate about that nonprofit’s mission?

Alright, so what’s a well-meaning potential Sector Hopper to do?

Quite simply, put your time where your cover letter is…volunteer!

It’s a great way to show a potential nonprofit employer that your heart is really in the right place, and that you have a sense of the different realities that drive (and drive us crazy in) this sector. A meaty volunteer role can allow you to:

• Apply some of those dynamite professional skills to benefit a nonprofit of your choice and keep that resume fresh and interesting.
• Signal that you’re serious about the sector, that you care, and are not just hunting the next paycheck.
• Underscore your positive attitude and ambition, as you’re intentionally investing your skills back in your community with some of the extra time you now have on your hands.

I think similar advice applies to the number of talented undergrad and grad students that seek us out here at Greenlights. Upon graduation, many are eager to make their respective marks in our Central Texas community. Nonprofit employers want to know that you have more than an academic knowledge of nonprofit realities, and see some clear evidence of your personal commitment to social change.

If you’re sold on the concept and ready to get involved, here are three concrete ways to get started:

1. Check out Greenlights’ Spring 2009 Board Summit on Wednesday April 29 at 6:00pm – a great chance to learn about serving on a board of directors and to chat informally with 20+ nonprofits looking for volunteers. City Council Member Randi Shade will speak about her own history of and commitment to volunteering in Central Texas.
2. You can always find diverse volunteer opportunities via Hands on Central Texas, which lists many current volunteer positions open right now.
3. Passionate about the arts, or services for senior citizens, and want to find out which nonprofits work in that area as a first step? Visit I Live Here I Give Here, Central Texas’ Campaign for Philanthropy, where you can search nonprofits by service category.

Where else should folks be looking to volunteer? Anyone having a rewarding experience volunteering they want to share?