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Career Corner: Three Questions, Two Qualities, One PowerPoint

Advice for job seekers from Meg. Read all of the Career Corner posts here.


By Flickr user slushpup At our Nonprofit Career Fairs these past few weeks, I’ve been doing presentations about how to find a nonprofit career. One of main topics of discussion has been how to make it easy for an employer to see the value you could bring to their organization. To this end, here is a great framework to use.

3 Questions
There are three questions that every employer (not just nonprofit) wants candidates to answer:
1. Can you do the job?
2. Will you do the job?
3. Will you fit in?

The first question is answered by your resume. This is where you show that you have the skills and experiences to actually do the job that you’re applying for. It’s why making sure your resume meshes with the requirements on the job description is essential, and why you really do need to do a unique resume for each job you apply for.

Your cover letter is where you answer why you will do the job. This is your story about why you will work 50, 60, or 70 hours a week, wear multiple hats, and view this as not just a job but as meaningful, long-term work. The cover letter is not about rehashing your resume but about putting a personal face to your application.

Finally, organizational fit is essential. Most nonprofits are small, so it’s important that each new person “fits” with the current staff and the organizational culture. This is something that is assessed during the interview and should be just as much a question of whether the hiring team thinks you fit, as whether you feel the organization and position match with what you’re looking for.

For more information on these three questions, this chapter will help.

2 Qualities
The two qualities that you need to clearly convey when applying for a nonprofit job are:
1. Passion for the mission of the organization
2. Clearly communicated, relevant skills

For these two qualities, it’s not either/or; candidates must both demonstrate a passion for the work and be able to hit the ground running when they start a new job.

1 PowerPoint
As I mentioned, these have been some of the most talked about points during my career fair presentations. For these, I have a standard power point that I offer to share with attendees after the event. Obviously, some of the slides will be confusing without my verbal talking points. However, there’s still some good info to be gleaned if you’re interested. Here’s the link.

Feedback, comments, and suggestions are always welcome!