The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers for First-time Job Seekers is a comprehensive resource for emerging professionals pursuing their first position in the nonprofit sector.

Whether you’re a current student, a recent graduate, or someone entering the workforce for the first time, this book will provide you with indispensable advice, relevant strategies, and nonprofit-specific resources to strengthen your job search. Written by the staff of Idealist.org and other nonprofit and career experts, The Idealist Guide is designed to be easily accessible and convenient to read.

INTRODUCTION
Opening Thoughts
Why do you want to work in the nonprofit sector anyway?

A brave new nonprofit world
Nonprofit. Charity. Nongovernmental organization. Nonprofits have historically been defined by what they are not (profit-making) or by what they give away. These terms can conjure up images of soup kitchens run out of church basements, people collecting signatures on street corners, and organizations of “do-gooders” striving to compensate for a lack of funds by working long hours and relying on volunteers. Yet this image of the nonprofit sector is far from complete. ...

Visit The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers for First-time Job Seekers Download Page

The book is available online as free PDFs. You can download individual chapters or the entire book in a single PDF to print, email, or read on screen.

By Meg Busse with Steven Pascal-Joiner
And contributions from Put Barber, David Schachter, Cathy Wasserman, Kelley Carmichael Casey, and Valinda Lee
© 2008 Action Without Borders, except where noted otherwise.

The entire book is available free of charge at www.idealist.org/beginacareer

Who are you? Where do you want to go? How can this book help?

Simply put, it is not enough to know that you want to work in the nonprofit sector. The first step you should take on your journey into the sector is to do a self-assessment of your interests. This first step can lead to a deeper knowledge of self. Your second step is to gain a thorough knowledge of the sector. This means making sure you have a clear understanding of the nonprofit landscape both in your geographic area and your areas of focus. This also implies understanding the opportunities for the kind of work you want to do within your community or a community where you would like to (or have to) live.

There is a clear difference between professionals who want a job in a nonprofit and professionals who are looking for a specific position or role. Nonprofit employers want professionals interested in the job they are trying to fill (i.e., event planner at a mental health agency), and not just interested in the kind of work environment that nonprofits offer. They want people who understand themselves and therefore understand why they will be a good fit for particular roles within an organization. The way you will truly stand out in your nonprofit career search is to make sure you have a strong sense of what you are looking for and then make sure you know how to look for it. ...

The Organizations Behind this Book
Action Without Borders is a nonprofit organization founded in 1995 with offices in the United States and Argentina. Idealist.org, a project of Action Without Borders, is an interactive site where people and organizations can exchange resources and ideas, find opportunities and supporters, and turn their good intentions into action.

The Idealist Guide to Nonprofit Careers for First-time Job Seekers is a product of Action Without Borders’ Nonprofit Careers Program based in Portland, OR. This team works to support individuals and organizations with graduate education options; HR and volunteer management resources; and job, internship, and volunteer opportunities.

This book was made possible by a grant from the Lumina Foundation, a private, independent foundation that strives to help people achieve their potential by expanding access and success in education beyond high school. In particular, we’d like to thank Gloria Ackerson, Grants Manager, and Caroline Altman Smith, Program Officer, for their incredible support.

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