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The Nonprofit Career Guide: How to Land a Job that Makes a Difference
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Book Review
The Nonprofit Career Guide: How to Land a Job that Makes a Difference
By Shelly Cryer
As professionals are retiring or being downsized from the corporate world, many are turning an eye to nonprofits. Not only do people see opportunities to use their skills and knowledge, there is a shift in priorities to the desire to be involved in meaningful work that makes a difference.
Identifying a lack of strong resources for people wishing to have a career in the nonprofit world, Shelly Cryer wrote the comprehensive “The Nonprofit Guide: How to Land a Job That Makes a Difference.”
Even though Shelley had a desire to work in the arena of women’s rights, she began her career in journalism at a small Colorado newspaper and NPR station. Shelly soon realized she wanted to participate in transforming the world instead of reporting about it and got a job with the Feminist Majority Foundation. Within a few years, she started her own consulting business providing leadership to nonprofits developing public education campaigns, conducting research, and assisting with development efforts.
When asked why she wrote this book, Cryer responded, “I so love my work. My greatest gift in my life is work I love. That was a big motivation. I have a passion for the nonprofit sector.” She continued to explain how she sees a need for talent in this sector and there was a lack of information to help people know how to find a job in nonprofits.
The book fulfills three distinct needs. For the individual who doesn’t know much about this topic, it provides a primer on the scope of the nonprofit world. For someone who understands nonprofits, the book offers concrete strategies to locate and land a job.
Finally, Cryer hopes the book is inspirational. She profiled professionals throughout who explain in great detail the scope of their duties, as well as their individual journeys that led to them to their position. Advice is provided by each on how to get a job with a nonprofit.
When asked specifically about older professionals wanting to work for nonprofits, Cryer stated the first step is to know what area a person is interested in pursuing. The nonprofit world is divided into nine subsectors that include
• Arts, culture, and humanities
• Education
• Environment and animals
• Health
• Human services
• International and foreign affairs
• Public and societal benefit
• Religion related
• Mutual/membership benefit
The criterion of working for a nonprofit is to have experience and an understanding of that world. If a person has not volunteered for a nonprofit, he/she should start there. Before you volunteer, Cryer suggests you have an understanding of yourself and where you would like to make your contribution. In her book, she suggests you ask yourself the following questions.
What issues do you care about?
What type of work do you enjoy?
What are you good at?
Where and how do you want to live?
What do you want to do?
Finally, Cryer stresses the nonprofit world is made up of people and the best way to get a job is to know someone who is willing to recommend you. The key to transitioning into nonprofits is to network, talk to as many people as you can, learn as much as possible and find every opportunity to get your hands dirty.
Purchase at Amazon: The Nonprofit Career Guide: How to Land a Job That Makes
a Difference
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