Answers
Every Job Seeker Should Know
An
Interview
with Erin O'Connor Jones,
Director of Candidate Consultation,
Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group
Nonprofit Professionals Advisory Group (NPAG): As an
Executive Director, you have interviewed and hired a number
of job seekers. From this vantage point, what have been some
of the most common mistakes that you have seen candidates
make?
Erin O'Connor Jones (Erin):
Most candidates come filled to the brim with the desire
to make a change in the world, but not all realize that
desire isn’t everything. Candidates who package their
idealism and passion in ways that allowed me, as the
Executive Director, to understand where they will fit into
my organization impress me most. The best candidates have
identified their strengths and weaknesses and have
identified how they will benefit the organization well in
advance of their interview.
NPAG: We often find that the best employees are sometimes
the worst job seekers. How does one get good at job seeking
when it’s something they rarely do?
Erin:
Candidates often worry about sounding too arrogant
during an interview or arrive unprepared to answer tough
questions about their accomplishments. However, this is the
time to explain to the prospective employer what they’ve
done. Candidates will sound arrogant if they take credit for
other people’s work, but taking credit for what they did is
imperative. They need to remember that the next candidate in
the interview seat won’t do it for them.
NPAG: Many job seekers have resumes that are too long and
not appropriate for the job for which they are applying. Is
there a type of resume that catches your attention and has
made a lasting impression?
Erin:
Just as you would have a few ways to wear your favorite
interview suit and your best shoes, candidates should have
one or two versions of their resume to present to potential
employers. With two versions, candidates can easily
customize their resume to highlight their matching
qualifications and accomplishments. The best candidates will
catch the attention of the interviewer or selection
committee right away by using the same language and by
highlighting the MOST relevant experience at the beginning
of their resume. Like a gifted storyteller, a resume should
tell the candidate’s tale with ease and quickness, leaving
the person reading the resumes interested in meeting the
person.
NPAG: What is the best way for someone to transition into
the nonprofit sector?
Erin:
There are many ways to make a transition into the
nonprofit sector including volunteering and, of course,
networking. The worst way to transition is to “assume” that
private sector experience will speak for itself and that a
desire “to make a difference” is enough to land a position.
Would-be "transitioners" should consider how they might
contribute to an organization, be it through management,
direct service, fundraising, finance, or some other
function. They should ask themselves how their work in the
private sector prepared them for this type of work, if their
resume demonstrates readiness and identifies transferable
skills, and if they have stated clearly their objective to
transition into the nonprofit sector or to a mission-driven
organization. Also, transitioners should be certain to list
their volunteer experience, board commitments and community
service especially if it’s relevant to the desired position.
NPAG: What should a job seeker say when asked for a salary
history?
Erin:
I love this million-dollar question! Job seekers should
be open about their salary history or provide a range for
past compensation. Until the position is actually offered to
them, there is nothing to negotiate. If candidates are
transitioning with a very generous salary from the private
sector, they should be clear that they understand that a
reduction in salary might be necessary, and also that salary
is unlikely to be the only motivating factor in this career
move. Most likely, the interviewer wants to make sure that
candidates fit into the position’s salary range before
wasting either their own or the candidate’s time; the only
time a candidate’s salary range will exclude him or her from
consideration is if it is extremely high and he or she is
not a good fit though many employers will call to clarify
salary needs if the candidate otherwise appears to meet many
of the qualifications sought.
NPAG: How should a candidate answer the inevitable questions
about weaknesses?
Erin:
Just like the salary range, candidates are unsure how to
answer this question. Well-prepared candidates will be
comfortable talking about their weaknesses in a confident
manner. What does this mean for the candidate? Most often,
openness about weaker areas will let the interviewer know
that the candidate is thoughtful, self-aware, and mindful of
the challenges which may lie ahead. The interviewer might
already suspect or understand these challenges anyway.
Candidates should make a list before an interview so that
they are prepared and comfortable talking openly about
weaker areas but should always keep in mind that interviews
are not therapy sessions and weaknesses in interviews should
always be discussed with discretion and with consideration
about overcoming them within the context of the position in
question.
NPAG: How should a candidate a discuss difficult situation,
like a layoff or a firing?
Erin:
Candidates should always be truthful about their work
history, especially if they’ve been fired or laid off.
During an interview, it is important to discuss what
happened without being too emotional and without pointing
fingers. The purpose of this discussion is to put to rest
concerns about integrity or performance, not to rehash who
was right and who was wrong. A good headhunter or hiring
manager will find out about a termination, even if a
candidate chooses not to share it; if this happens, s/he
will be left to come to their own conclusions, and not
always the most accurate ones, so candidates are better
counseled to get ahead of the story and manage the situation
by showing how that part of their life helped them to become
the outstanding employee that they are today. Hiring
managers never like to hear a potential employee vent about
former work environments because it immediately casts them
as negative or destructive individuals who may have similar
problems in the next organization as well.
NPAG: How should candidate negotiate a disappointing job
offer?
Erin:
First, they should congratulate themselves on getting
the offer! It’s always a relief and flattering to be offered
a new position especially if they really want the job.
However, if the offer is completely economically
unrealistic, their first step should be to reflect on the
process. They may not have given the organization an
accurate salary expectation or the organization may not have
been forthcoming about what was financially possible. Most
often, however, a low offer is simply the beginning of a
negotiation. Negotiation with an employer, especially a
nonprofit employer, can be uncomfortable, but a candidate is
well served to expect that the first offer might not be the
final offer. A counter offer by the candidate should be
thoughtful and should consider his or her needs first, but
should also take other things including benefits and the
financial strength of the organization into context. Often
the person making the offer will answer the candidate’s
questions about why the offer was less than they expected.
This is a good time for candidates to press for as much
information on the organization’s thought process as
possible, as there are many variables that make up the offer
from the employer’s perspective such as room for future
increases, training, vacation time, or retirement benefits.
Candidates should also not forget to take less tangible
things into consideration such as flex time, telecommuting,
a sign-on bonus or extra vacation time when negotiating.
Once they’ve considered the full package, they may find that
a seemingly low offer is, in fact, quite rich.
