Career Transitions for Growth, Not Escape

Career transitions into the nonprofit sector are commonly sparked by a few primary motivators. Do any of these sound like you?  

(a) You volunteer and engage with a nonprofit organization
(b) You have a strong passion about a specific cause
(c) You are moved by the adage, “If you love what you do, then you’ll never work a day in your life” or  
(d) You detest your soul-crushing job and are looking for something, anything, that makes you feel good (Yes, a candidate shared that with me!).  

Career transitions are becoming remarkably common, especially as employees have exhausted avenues of professional growth and development in their current industry. Whatever brought you to your career transition, consider implementing a transition plan that includes reflection, research, and resilience.

Reflection

What best serves you may not always be found in a job title or salary. Therefore, it is crucial to launch your career transition plan by taking an honest inventory of motivations - things that keep you energized in your career. Are you thrilled by building coalitions or strategic planning? Do you roll your eyes at process improvement or policy development? Would you rather get into the weeds of data or facilitate an organization-wide presentation? If you are unclear about what excites you in your career, these are assessment tools that can help. (One we use at Bonsai is the Birkman Assessment.)   

Additionally, having to show up at work in a manner that is contrary to your nature can be exhausting. Include in your inventory the elements of an organizational culture that match your temperament. Are you driven by the buzz and social engagement in the office or the flexibility of remote work? Do you shine when you have several responsibilities across the organization or flourish when you’re focused on a key aspect of a project? Having clarity on how you work best will be the most important aspect of your plan.

research

There is a wide breadth and depth of positions in nonprofit organizations. Research the industry news, trends, pain points, current projects, and how the work is impacted by changes in political leadership. Understanding the full scope of the work will enable you to target the types of roles, organizations, and areas where your skillset can effectively be transferred in service to the organization. Utilize LinkedIn to follow industry associations like the Alliance for Nonprofit Management or National Council of Nonprofits. Identify industry leaders and read the articles they post. Comment when you have a tangible solution to offer.   

Your research will inform you that not all organizations or positions are created equal. This is where you compare the inventory you developed against the organization’s job description to determine where there is alignment and where there are gaps. Gaps that can be managed with minimal training and the appropriate tools are not dealbreakers. In fact, they can be your response to the inevitable “Do you have any questions for us?” interview query.    

resilience

Resilience is defined as “the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties.” Tap into your toughness if the career transition takes longer than you planned. Think of a rejection as clearing a space for the position that is the right fit for you rather than a failure on your part. Make use of the time before your next great job to build your knowledge and presence in the nonprofit space, as well as confirm that your transition is rooted in growth and not escape.