- . Digg It
- . Sphere It
- . E-mail This
- . Save to del.icio.us
- . Permanent Link
Expert Tips: Your Career
Find where you fit with Idealist career guide
Steven Pascal-Joiner has worked as a teacher and a freelance writer, but he found the career that really fit in the nonprofit world. He's so happy with his choice, that he wants to give others the same opportunity. As the Mid-Career Transitions Coordinator for the nonprofit organization Action Without Borders/Idealist.org, that's exactly what he does. Do-Gooder called Steven at his office in Portland, Oregon, to get a few tips on finding the right nonprofit career.
You're one of the authors on the Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers, a great online resource. Why did Idealist decide to publish a nonprofit career guide?
Finding opportunities in the nonprofit sector is a unique job seeking experience. A lot of people don't have a clear conception of what the nonprofit sector is. They think it's soup kitchens or people sitting in trees to stop logging, but it's a multi-trillion dollar segment of the economy. The nonprofit sector permeates all communities in the United States and abroad, where there are these huge NGOs.
Once you get into the sector, it's important to know that there are very strategic ways to get hired. It doesn't follow the pattern of corporations where they start courting new MBAs in the spring, so people know where they're going before they graduate. Nonprofits don't have recruiting budgets or coordinated recruiting. You have to be very conscious and deliberate about creating these opportunities because they won't land in your lap.
The key words in the guide are "Self, Sector, Synergy." Can you say briefly what those three words mean for nonprofit careers?
Self, Sector, Synergy needs to be the road map people follow. The self piece is self-knowledge. The typical white collar thinking is that you go to college and get degree and then get a job in your field, and then you get another job. People aren't really conscious that you have to make self-aware choices in the career that you make. You can't go anywhere if you don't know where you're going. If you don't know yourself, you won't convey your interests well.
You're one of the authors on the Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers, a great online resource. Why did Idealist decide to publish a nonprofit career guide?
Finding opportunities in the nonprofit sector is a unique job seeking experience. A lot of people don't have a clear conception of what the nonprofit sector is. They think it's soup kitchens or people sitting in trees to stop logging, but it's a multi-trillion dollar segment of the economy. The nonprofit sector permeates all communities in the United States and abroad, where there are these huge NGOs.
Once you get into the sector, it's important to know that there are very strategic ways to get hired. It doesn't follow the pattern of corporations where they start courting new MBAs in the spring, so people know where they're going before they graduate. Nonprofits don't have recruiting budgets or coordinated recruiting. You have to be very conscious and deliberate about creating these opportunities because they won't land in your lap.
The key words in the guide are "Self, Sector, Synergy." Can you say briefly what those three words mean for nonprofit careers?
Self, Sector, Synergy needs to be the road map people follow. The self piece is self-knowledge. The typical white collar thinking is that you go to college and get degree and then get a job in your field, and then you get another job. People aren't really conscious that you have to make self-aware choices in the career that you make. You can't go anywhere if you don't know where you're going. If you don't know yourself, you won't convey your interests well.
What People Are Saying…
Leave a Comment
15:12 EDT, 02.Apr.08
14:55 EDT, 02.Apr.08