As I approached graduation last year I had two main jobs thrown at me: teaching or Americorps.  As someone interested in public service work (in particular education) very little attention was paid to nonprofit culture, preparation to enter the sector, or opportunities.  Even worse, I found that people treated nonprofit work as a transition job until you found something better, presumably not in the nonprofit field.

As I have begun working and exploring my professional interests, I have learned more about working at a nonprofit.  I use this blog to discuss my experiences, but I have discovered a book that goes beyond antecdotes by combining research and experiences to give an in depth look at the opportunities available in the nonprofit field.

The Nonprofit Career Guide: How to Land a Job that Makes a Difference, by Shelly Cryer breaks down important aspects of working in a nonprofit and goes beyond the “hey youll be working for nothing and being stressed” mindset.  The book has five chapters each covering an important theme in nonprofit work.

Chapter 1: What is a Nonprofit: Aside from its 501c3 classification what do nonprofits look like across the country?  Over one million organizations are classified as a nonprofit, with almost a trillion in assets and employing 13% of the nation.  Clearly, this isnt an insiginificant field! 

Chapter 2:  Nonprofit Subsectors:  As I have mentioned before, it is not just your local art program or food pantry.  Museums, colleges, environmental organizations, private and parochial schools, and even places of worship fall under nonprofit.  From the United Way and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (two of the largest nonprofits in the country) to your local church the field is massive.

Chapter 3: Different Career Paths: Teachers and soup kitchen workers are only a handful of the kind of people who work in nonprofits.  Membership coordinators (for places like museums), annual giving and fundraising (for damn near every nonprofit), doctors for hospitals, accountants, lawyers, IT folks, and virtually every other profession has a nonprofit counterpart making it capable of catering to a variety of people with different interests.

Chapter 4: Know Yourself: The diversity of the field is a huge bonus, yet you can feel lost when making a transition into the field or working at a nonprofit right out of school.  Just as you would take the time to understand your career aspirations when entering the corporate world, why not do the same for the nonprofit world?

Chapter 5: Prepare Yourself: Here is the nitty gritty for preparing to enter the sector.  What resumes stand out?  Some nonprofits have HR departments, but many dont meaning that the person hiring you will probably be your boss or co-worker. This not only emphasizes the importance of networking, but also highlights what you need to do and say to make yourself more appealing.

The book includes profiles of nonprofit employees with diverse interests and experiences (from newbies like myself to people transitioning from corporate or government sectors); important facts about the field (like nonprofit employees make more than their for-profit counterparts in places like hospitals and museums); and amazing benefits to working at a nonprofit (like loan forgiveness).

I really recommend this book for people looking to enter the field or who consider themselves veterans.  It is easy to read and incredibly informative.  You cant help but become excited about launching your career.