Volunteer or Employee: Young Nonprofit Jobseeker Considerations

As first-time workers look to career paths in nonprofit organizations, their desire to do good faces a more competitive job market.

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, nearly 62 million Americans-- more than a quarter of the adult population-- volunteered in 2008. Disrupting a trend normally occurring during economic downturns, one million more Americans volunteered with nonprofit and community-based organizations in 2008 than in 2007.

Young job seekers and workers may feel added incentive to seek volunteering and direct service opportunities during this time. In spring 2009, the federal stimulus act opened up 13,000 additional AmeriCorps positions, while the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act called for 175,000 new volunteer opportunities and four new service corps to be created by 2017.

The increased interest and resources, however, still means additional challenges for young nonprofit job seekers choosing volunteer service as their point of entry. Other candidates recognize the value of this approach to demonstrate and develop key public interest skills. Charities, moreover, must manage a growing list of interested volunteers along with their existing professional staff, while their own resources continue to face hurdles. Securing an opening, therefore, depends on the amount of practical knowledge about the sector prospective workers and volunteers possess.

For young workers transitioning from previous career paths, knowing the difference between interest in a career versus commitment to a cause will help open a range of possibilities. John Rossheim, senior contributing writer at Monster, outlines key considerations for recent graduates weighing whether volunteer opportunities and direct service programs provide good starting points for their future careers.

Patty Stonesifer, former CEO for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, suggests a number of ways young job seekers can balance their own greater good against those they seek to serve. Two key suggestions include (a) closely following nonprofit sector news and philanthropic trends regularly, and (b) aiming job searches at the organizations receiving significant support.

Young nonprofit job sector candidates can also follow industry opportunities and trends through online resources such as:

Chronicle of Philanthropy

Council on Foundations

Jobs for Change

Idealist.org

NonProfit Times

Young Nonprofit Professionals Network

Passion for causes alone won't sustain young workers in the search or success ahead. Knowing where to look as much as how to look for the right opportunity will help young skilled, innovative and committed talent find the right opportunities to drive change, grow success, and develop sustainable influence in their ideal organizations.

Cited

Patty Stonesifer and Sandy Stonesifer, "Serve It Up: In this terrible economy, where can I find a hands-on, do-gooding job?" (April 29, 2009 Slate.com)

John Rossheim, "New Grads Can Make Community Service Jobs the First Step in Their Career" (Monster)