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Military Spouses: Score a Nonprofit Job Now!

Military spouses, did you know the good news that you don’t have to choose between your passion for helping charitable organizations and collecting a paycheck?

In the 2015 Nonprofit Employment Practices Survey, nonprofits report a continued trend of increasing their staff size. Half of the 362 respondents anticipate creating new positions and one-third of them reported they might create new ones.

And, the good news gets better. The top four areas in which they plan to hire are direct services, program management/support, fundraising development and education/community outreach, areas that likely overlap with your volunteer work.

Finally, the best news is, “In today’s competitive environment, employers of nonprofits seek many of the same skill sets from job seekers as employers of for-profit organizations,” said Jennifer Takacs-O’Shea, president of Caterpillar Career Consultants.

Take advantage of this upswing in nonprofit hiring to score a job. Here’s how.

Align Your Volunteerism and Career

“Find an organization, outside of the workplace to partner with and contribute your efforts towards the goals of a charitable group that complements your interests,” said O’Shea. “These pursuits can range from participation in your local PTA, to chairing a committee and spearheading an event for a national organization. Whether big or small, become active and participate towards a cause that aligns with your benevolent vision.”

Then, use this involvement to learn about the culture, meet and become visible to others in the nonprofit arena and showcase or build your skills.

Have a Social Media Strategy

While 68 percent of the surveyed nonprofits do not have a formal social media recruitment strategy, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have one. They do use LinkedIn (70 percent), Facebook (53 percent) and Twitter (26 percent) to recruit. But, be aware that there is more to online research than what meets the eye on these platforms.

“Use the internet as much as possible for more than just finding vacancies,” said Jeff Bockelman, career behaviorist and personal branding expert. “You can learn a lot about nonprofit employers by reading their blogs and newsletters, and by looking at the backgrounds of the people they hire.”

Then, apply that knowledge to your job search efforts.

Prove Your Hard Skills

All those volunteer hours might count for solid work experience that could get you a job. Technical skills are an indisputable asset if you can show that you have them, regardless of where you used them and especially when results are attached to them.

“Most nonprofits can’t just “do good” and not worry about the bottom line,” said Bockelman. “Having a nonprofit status is more about the business structure and tax reporting. They still need to make money (in order to operate) and therefore still have profitable behaviors.”

Make sure you show how your skills can help the organization meet its goals because the bottom line will always be results.

Prove Your Soft Skills Too

Soft skills and personal characteristics are also important.

“Nonprofits appreciate demonstrated passion and dedication outside of the workplace,” said O’Shea. “Hard-working professionals who find the means to contribute their efforts outside of the office towards the betterment of others speak volumes to their fervor for causes and their willingness to give of themselves to become a part of something greater than themselves.”

Use Relationships and Affiliations to Connect

For nonprofits, relationships can be huge assets. A full 91 percent of the respondents use a network of friends and colleagues as one of their primary recruiting sources. So, use your networks, too!   

“When successfully networking within the nonprofit world, many will find additional opportunities than what’s being posted on popular job boards,” said O’Shea.

Professional and personal affiliations could also help.  

“As Military spouses, you can weave that (affiliation) into your marketing ‘story’ to capitalize on the pride our country has,” said Bockelman. “In fact, you could be hired because of it, but they still have to be able to justify the hire based on your skills.”

O’Shea sums it up well.

“At the end of the day, all organizations are seeking top-notch professionals to help grow their organization, achieve goals and support their mission, ensuring satisfaction of the stakeholders and communities they serve.”

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