It's All in the Keywords:
Creating a Nonprofit Resume that Pops
by Heather Krasna, Director of Candidate Services

Every career field has its own language, and the nonprofit sector is no different. For those who are transitioning from the corporate or public sector to the nonprofit sector, it is essential to use the language of the field you are targeting and find a way to translate your accomplishments into words that grab the attention of those in your new field.

One example of a transition from for-profit to nonprofit is a switch from sales to fundraising. Some of the key elements of the work are quite similar, though the essential difference is that as a development or advancement professional-as fundraisers are called-you are typically selling something intangible, like a nice feeling of having helped the world, rather than a product or service. How to translate your prior sales experience into development wording? First you have to understand what terms are used in the field. For instance, in development, there are three stages to the fundraising process. You first conduct prospect research on potential donors (i.e. finding out who will give you money); then you build relationships (i.e. "friendraising"), solicit donations, and ask for gifts (i.e. make the ask, close the sale); and then you conduct stewardship with donors and stakeholders to ensure they maintain a relationship with your organization (i.e. conduct customer service to maintain accounts).

Here are some examples of sales in translation:

Give it a try. By researching the wording in job descriptions and conducting informational interviews with people in the field to gain feedback on your resume, you will be better able to make the leap to the nonprofit sector. Of course, our Candidate Services can help-feel free to give us a call so we can assess how well your nonprofit resume works for you!

Bridging Your Resume To The Nonprofit Sector

Of course, just translating a corporate resume into nonprofit wording is often not enough to convince a nonprofit employer to consider you. You also need to get nonprofit experience.

There are many ways to do this. Perhaps the best way is to get involved in a board of directors for a nonprofit organization whose mission speaks to you. If you have experience or expertise to share that fits with a nonprofit's needs, consider cold-calling or reaching out to them to offer yourself as a volunteer. If they don't need board members, consider asking if they might need a high-level volunteer to help write a strategic plan, conduct prospect research, assist with communications or marketing, help with their accounting or financing, conduct an evaluation of programs, etc. Any experience you can get in the nonprofit world is great, but the more it helps build relevant skills in your resume, the better.

Some resources to help you find volunteer and board positions include Idealist.org, BoardSource.org, and your local United Way.