If you want to recession-proof your career, the key is to focus on work that continues even when most people don’t have disposable income to spend. So while consumers may not hit the mall as often, you can guarantee that people will continue to get sick, pay taxes and use energy. Below are just a few of the careers and industries that can be expected to thrive in a down economy. You will be surprised to find that a few of the careers named are in the nonprofit sector.

1. Health Care (Nonprofit Sector): People will always get sick — sometimes even more so when they don’t have the insurance or money to take preventative measures or eat healthy food.

2. Energy: Although consumers are likely to cut back, they’re not going to stop using energy. In fact, this industry may grow, as companies look for more efficient ways to deliver using less energy.

3. Education (Nonprofit Sector): No matter how dire the economy is, there are always jobs for teachers. Kids will still go to school, and many out-of-work adults may decide to continue their education.

4. Utilities: Just like the energy sector, it’s safe to assume that people are not going to stop lighting their homes. So utility administration, maintenance and other related jobs should remain intact.

5. International Business: Even when the economy is doing poorly in the U.S., other countries may be doing well. So if you are involved in international business, you can expect your career to stay safe.

6. Public Safety: Police layoffs are very rare, especially at a time where public safety is threatened by desperate criminals. A career in public safety is almost guaranteed to be secure.

7. Funerals: Just like people won’t stop getting sick, they’ll continue to die as well, so as morbid as it is, morticians will always have customers.

8. Accounting: Death and taxes are a sure thing. In a recession, people and companies are likely to get desperate for more deductions and a hard look at their books.

9. Federal Government: Most federal-government jobs end only when workers retire. Additionally, government services tend to step up in times of recession, so your chances of getting and keeping a government job are good.

10. Pharmaceuticals: As long as doctors prescribe them, people are still going to take drugs. So whether you’re behind the pharmacy counter or in the lab, you can rest easy.

11. Sales: As a general rule, anyone who is a source of income for a company will be safe, so salespeople — especially in recession-proof industries — have little to worry about.

12. Military: The military is always hiring, especially during wartime. Also, consider that most of your living expenses are covered, so cost-of-living expenses are not really a concern.

13. Gambling: When times get tough, people seek an outlet. One of those outlets is gambling, especially because it offers a chance to turn financial troubles around.

14. Alcohol: Alcohol is another outlet for troubled times, so distributors and manufacturers in this industry will continue to thrive.

15. Politics: Even in a recession, public officials are still around earning tidy sums, which are often tied to the cost of living.

16. Skilled Services: Hair will always grow, and drains will always clog, so you can expect steady work in skilled services like plumbing and hairstyling.

17. Debt Management: Recessions mean crunch time for debtors, and they’re sure to need some guidance.

18. Consulting: Recessions are crunch times for companies as well, and they’re likely to bring in consultants for advice on efficiency and squeezing the most out of their resources.]

19. Bankruptcy Law: It’s sad, but true: As companies and individuals go bankrupt, they’ll need a lawyer to help them work through it all.

20. Government Contracting: Despite money troubles, roads must be maintained and schools must be built. Contract your work out for government functions for job security.

21. Food: People need food to survive, and it’s not likely that anyone is going to just stop eating — no matter how bad the economy gets.

22. Beauty, Health and Erotic Services: Regardless of a recession, people who enjoy being pampered will seldom give up the simple pleasures in life.

23. Debt Collection: As budgets get squeezed, people will fall behind on payments, and companies will look to debt collectors to recoup their costs.

24. Ultraluxury Items: If you’re in a business that caters to the ultrarich, you can expect to be safe, as this type of consumer is likely to have measures in place to weather the recession.

25. Multifaceted Careers: If you don’t put all of your eggs in one basket, you should be able to ride out a recession by relying on secondary income. So if you juggle a career that involves a regular job, plus other sources like online income, freelancing and investing, numerous failures have to happen before you’re really in trouble.

Although today’s job market may be bleak, there are some bright spots if you know where to look. While recessions hit some sectors hard, others go on like clockwork — or even experience growth. So whether you’re hunting for a job or still feeling ostensibly secure, now is a good time to evaluate your options and consider one of the aforementioned recession-proof careers.

Source: HR World

A recent article written by Examiner.com’s author, Maureen Futtner, covers all you need to know about San Francisco’s nonprofit sector. On Maureen’s list, Opportunity Knocks was named as one of the top websites to search for a job in San Francisco’s nonprofit sector.

See Maureen’s list below.

1. OH, THE WEBSITES YOU’LL GO TO
While craigslist is the gold standard for all employment-seekers, there are a host of other great sites for those with social missions in mind. Here are two that’ll keep you well-informed.

idealist.org is a valuable clearinghouse, not only posting job listings, but it’s also a repository of great information on all things 501(c)(3).

OpportunityKnocks.org - listing everything from entry-level jobs to executive positions, Opportunity Knocks is a long-standing resource for the seasoned professional, as well as for those just beginning their nonprofit careers.

2. EVENTS R U
You’ve heard it before, you’ll hear it again and maybe you don’t want to hear it, but how true it is. Networking is the key. Workshops, panels, benefits, oh my.

Get to know and learn about the nonprofits you might be interested in by attending their events. If your target nonprofit holds public workshops, sign up and check it out for yourself. Maybe they’re having a benefit fundraiser - a perfect way to get an inside look at an organization you’d like to learn more about.

Nonprofit events and benefits abound in San Francisco, and you’re sure to meet connected, well-informed people who can be of assistance as you continue your job search.

If you’re not sure which organizations or even which industry you’re interested in, take a class at CompassPoint. Here, you’re sure to encounter participants from a range of organizations. Or the Foundation Center’s panels and workshops are always a great place to become acquainted with a variety of Bay Area nonprofits.

3. ALERT LEVEL
Set up a google alert for your target nonprofit, so you’ll know when they’re in the news or, even better, when they’ve posted a new job listing.

4. LINK-IN, GROUP THINK, ACTUALIZE
If you’re not on LinkedIn, go immediately to LinkedIn, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Once you’ve set up your profile, join groups affiliated with your target noprofit or target nonprofit industry. If you’re an active participant in these groups, you’ll discover key ways to transform virtual relationships into actual connections.

5. COMMUNITY SERVICE
Michelle Obama recently visited San Francisco for the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, and urged all of us to get out there and volunteer our time for those in need. Not only is community service a powerful way to give, it is also a tried and true strategy for job seekers. What better way to discover if an organization has the chemistry you’re looking for. And you’ll be proving your mettle to insiders, virtually guaranteeing yourself an interview, should a position open up.

Subscribe to my column to stay on top of the San Francisco nonprofit business scene and to receive an update about Part Two of SF Nonprofit Employment 101.

Source: SF Nonprofit Business Examiner

As part of Examiner.com’s 101 special series, in between my weekly feature articles, I’ll be covering some basic insights, tips and information for those interested in San Francisco’s nonprofit sector. Kicking it off today with one of the more elemental topics - how to find nonprofit jobs in our city by the Bay.

1. OH, THE WEBSITES YOU’LL GO TO
While craigslist is the gold standard for all employment-seekers, there are a host of other great sites for those with social missions in mind. Here are two that’ll keep you well-informed.

idealist.org is a valuable clearinghouse, not only posting job listings, but it’s also a repository of great information on all things 501(c)(3).

OpportunityKnocks.org - listing everything from entry-level jobs to executive positions, Opportunity Knocks is a long-standing resource for the seasoned professional, as well as for those just beginning their nonprofit careers.

2. EVENTS R U
You’ve heard it before, you’ll hear it again and maybe you don’t want to hear it, but how true it is. Networking is the key. Workshops, panels, benefits, oh my.

Get to know and learn about the nonprofits you might be interested in by attending their events. If your target nonprofit holds public workshops, sign up and check it out for yourself. Maybe they’re having a benefit fundraiser - a perfect way to get an inside look at an organization you’d like to learn more about.

Nonprofit events and benefits abound in San Francisco, and you’re sure to meet connected, well-informed people who can be of assistance as you continue your job search.

If you’re not sure which organizations or even which industry you’re interested in, take a class at CompassPoint. Here, you’re sure to encounter participants from a range of organizations. Or the Foundation Center’s panels and workshops are always a great place to become acquainted with a variety of Bay Area nonprofits.

3. ALERT LEVEL
Set up a google alert for your target nonprofit, so you’ll know when they’re in the news or, even better, when they’ve posted a new job listing.

4. LINK-IN, GROUP THINK, ACTUALIZE
If you’re not on LinkedIn, go immediately to LinkedIn, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Once you’ve set up your profile, join groups affiliated with your target noprofit or target nonprofit industry. If you’re an active participant in these groups, you’ll discover key ways to transform virtual relationships into actual connections.

5. COMMUNITY SERVICE
Michelle Obama recently visited San Francisco for the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, and urged all of us to get out there and volunteer our time for those in need. Not only is community service a powerful way to give, it is also a tried and true strategy for job seekers. What better way to discover if an organization has the chemistry you’re looking for. And you’ll be proving your mettle to insiders, virtually guaranteeing yourself an interview, should a position open up.

Subscribe to my column to stay on top of the San Francisco nonprofit business scene and to receive an update about Part Two of SF Nonprofit Employment 101.

Source: SF Nonprofit Business Examiner

On Friday, the last of a three-phase increase in the federal minimum wage goes into effect. The base pay level of $7.25 an hour replaces Florida’s current minimum wage of $7.21 an hour.

While 4 cents may not seem like a lot to Florida workers, the hike is an 11 percent increase from the $6.55 an hour that was mandated by federal law.

The state’s minimum wage was raised to $7.21 in January from $6.79 in 2008.

The minimum wage applies to all employees who are eligible, and is different for employees who work off of tips.

Florida’s current rate for those in the latter category – $4.19 an hour plus tips – will increase to $4.23 on Friday.

State law requires the Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation to calculate a new minimum wage each year and publish it on Jan. 1.

Employees who are entitled to receive minimum wage, but are not paid the minimum wage, can sue their employers for violating Florida’s minimum wage law.

Source: South Florida Business Journal

Jobseeking can be a lonely, self-centered process. People often sit alone day after day, slogging through job boards, online applications and career fairs where the continual refrain is “apply through our site.” It’s easy for them to start to feel that they are constantly asking favors of friends and friends-of-friends for connections to organizations that may or may not be hiring.

Highly qualified candidates who are seasoned vets within the sustainability space, or trying to transition into this realm, can begin to question whether they do indeed have much to offer, since rejection — or even worse, silence — seems to indicate otherwise. If you fall into this category, please remember that it is an extremely challenging time to be looking for a job — be it green or otherwise!

Amidst all the statistics about skyrocketing unemployment and mass layoffs, the story that is often missing is the psychological toll brought on by a prolonged job search in a bad economy. Jobseekers begin to feel powerless, that their skills aren’t valued, and that their voices aren’t being heard. As a career coach at Bright Green Talent, I have seen this time and again with the most impressive people you can imagine.

One of the most important messages I try to convey is this: Just as critical to a successful job search as resume polishing, cover letter writing and networking is finding ways to empower yourself.

The best way to do this can sometimes seem counterintuitive but is tried and true — helping others. Rather than asking all of your contacts for connections, help another jobseeker find career opportunities. Join a mentoring network through your alumni association or nonprofits groups such as Upwardly Global. Find a volunteer project where you can contribute your unique skills to help an organization grow. Join Net Impact and take on a leadership role in your local chapter.

I should emphasize that this is not an argument for creating good karma. It is because the simple act of helping in and of itself is a way to move yourself in the right direction — from helpless to helper. This action has a variety of benefits that have been studied at length within positive psychology but when it comes down to it, we feel better about ourselves when we help other people.

If you are a jobseeker, it is critical to understand that this will not only help you cope after long days of seemingly wasted time, but will also keep you articulate and sharp when you get a chance to “pitch yourself” in an interview or networking event.

Of course, the more obvious benefits are there, too. You are expanding your own network, you’ll have other things to talk to people about (enthusiastically!) besides the fact that you are looking for a job, which presents you in a better light, and you may even gain some new skills or learn something new.

For our own part at Bright Green Talent, we’re always trying to find ways to help our social and environmental impact reach around the world to the places where its needed most. We recently launched a campaign in which, for every 50 resumes that are registered with us, we’ll sponsor the education of a child in Madagascar for one year. Yes, having more resumes on hand helps us place people into meaningful careers with environmentally-minded organizations more quickly — recruiting is, to some extent, simply a matter of being able to find the right people at the right time.

Beyond that, we believe this campaign plays into the concept of empowering jobseekers to feel that they’re part of a larger movement of good work. Education — both about environmental issues and to promote economic security and development — is key to promoting stewardship of the world’s natural resources. Spreading education and opportunity to others, in whatever form, is one of the most important tasks we can take on whether employed or unemployed.

So if you are a jobseeker, find ways to pay it forward. You actions are more powerful than you can ever know both for the receiver and for yourself!

Christina Gilyutin is director of development and chief career counselor at Bright Green Talent, which helps connect people with green jobs around the world.

Source: GreenBiz.com

Among CEOs and executive directors in Central Florida, men are paid a lot more than women, and salaries generally are higher for those with more education, a new report says.

Base salary levels for those and other top jobs at nonprofits also have grown significantly in two years, says the report released by the Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership Center at Rollins College.

And in the face of the economic recession, the report says, nonprofit employees are staying on the job longer, and only a small percentage of nonprofits except to offer salary increases this year.

In the two years since the center’s initial report on compensation and benefits, “we’ve seen mounting pressure on nonprofits to compete for talent with their business counterparts, resulting in higher pay at the top level and a need for more comprehensive benefits for employees at all levels,” Margaret Linnane, the center’s executive director, says in a statement.

According to the study, which looked at the compensation, benefits and employment practices of over 145 nonprofits that employ over 14,400 people, the average annual compensation for male CEOs and executive directors totaled $110,962, compared to $80,987 for females.

With 53 percent of CEOs and executive directors surveyed holding a master’s or doctoral degree, those with a master’s degree were paid an average salary of $105,866, compared to $85,318 for those with a bachelor’s degree.

From 2007 to 2009, base salary levels increased to $93,939 from $79,161 for CEOs and executive directors; to $87,897 from $72,902 for chief operating officers and associate directors; to $90,897 from $85,135 for chief financial officers; and to $72,323 from $69,107 for development directors.

Overall, for all the nearly 100 positions reported in 2009 and 2007, the average annualized increase in salaries totaled 2.2 percent.

Still, only 47 percent of nonprofits surveyed expect to increase salaries this fiscal year.

While 88 percent of nonprofits surveyed offer some level of medical insurance to full-time employees, the premium covered by employers generally has declined.

And the share of nonprofits offering retirement benefits has increased to 68 percent from 61 percent two years ago, while the share of nonprofits offering plans funded solely by employee contributions has increased to 16 percent from 12 percent.

Source: PJ - Philanthropy Journal

More people than ever want to work at jobs that will change the world. Not since the 1960s do we have so many idealists walking our streets. From recent college graduates to retirees launching new careers, would-be “do-gooders” are plentiful, and “do-gooding” is actually in vogue.

But the competition is keen. The recession has sent even more people flocking to the nonprofit world. Gone are the days when nonprofit employment was only a fall-back position. Today the best and the brightest are queuing up.

Here are three ways to make your resume stand out when you go calling on the organizations that are making a difference.

1. Highlight Your Volunteer Work.

If you are serious about making a career in the nonprofit world, make sure that you have done volunteer work. If you are a new graduate, or are about to graduate, look into doing a stint in national service. There are many opportunities opening up to do significant volunteer work (some of these opportunities include a stipend of some kind). Prowl the possibilities with our list of online sites where you can find information on volunteer possibilities.

2. Emphasize Your Experience in Wearing Multiple Hats.

Set up your resume to highlight your flexibility. Nonprofit jobs are known for requiring the ability to multi-task and move easily between different tasks. The smaller the nonprofit, the more you will be required to fill multiple roles. Unlike large corporations, which tend to highly specialize their employees, a nonprofit needs people with many talents and the grace to do many kinds of things, sometimes daily.

3. Get Rid of Corporate Language and Jargon.

Do not fill your resume with corporate speak. You do not have to show off your technical vocabulary or your management seminar language. Nonprofit managers want to be able to understand at a glance what you’ve done. Use language that any layperson can understand. Most people in nonprofit positions value down-to-earth people who can explain themselves in a way that even their neighbor, cousin, or grandmother would understand.

In your nonprofit work, you will deal with people from all kinds of backgrounds and socioeconomic backgrounds. Do not try to impress nonprofit hirers with fancy language or words that only an MBA could love. Make sure you are not using jargon from your former industry or graduate seminars. Have your friends who work in nonprofit take a look at your resume and give you feedback.

Source: About.com