10/23/2008 - A Non-Profit Vs. a For-Profit Position: Tips for Determining the Right Job for You

by Carol Gee

You’ve been job hunting for quite sometime now. You’ve passed out countless resumes to everyone who reached for it and thrusted it upon those who didn’t. You’ve been on several interviews, at numerous organizations, yet none of the jobs seem quite right. A friend tells you about a job that he thinks might be perfect for you. Upon reading the job description you learn that the job in question is with a non-profit organization. You’ve heard a lot of negatives about these types of positions:

• They pay low salaries, have little to no benefits
• They are constantly seeking funding
• They lack professional development opportunities

So how do you know if a non-profit job is right for you? Perhaps a better question may be how you know that any position is right for you? The short answer is that you don’t. Whether you are considering a non-profit position or a for-profit position requires preparation, lots of research and asking yourself several important questions. By performing an honest self-assessment of your needs, your answers will determine whether a particular position is right for you.

Start by asking yourself what sort of things interests you. Do you have a particular interest or a cause that you feel strongly about? For example, does working for agencies that provide services to children or the elderly appeal to you? Are you are concerned about the environment and what you can do to help to conserve our precious natural resources? Are you channeling Picasso? Does your inner Van Gogh long to burst free on a blank canvas in your spare time? Then a position at a non-profit that focuses on the arts would be a natural.

Other self assessment questions might be do you prefer to work in a small, medium or large organization? Do you want to work for a local or national organization? Would you be happy with the typical 9 to 5 working hours, or does your personality, family dynamics or interests require flexibility in your work schedule? Lastly, are you willing to travel? If so, how often?

While salary should not be the only reason that you accept a job whether a nonprofit or a for-profit, obviously salary is an important reality to an individual’s job search. As a rule, non-profit salaries vary greatly by type of organization and budget size. Assessing healthcare or other company benefits associated with a particular position are also equally important.

This self assessment is particularly important to those in senior management positions whom might be considering transitioning into the non-profit world after working in for-profit organizations. Because the organizational culture in non-profits is often worlds apart from the corporate culture that they are used too, it is important for these individuals to determine whether a non-profit position would provide them with enough of a challenge to be rewarding.

Learning as much as you can about the organization should be the next logical step. Begin by checking out the organizations’ website. This should give you a general overview of the organization. For example, expects say that the way staff names are listed on the organization’s website can provide clues as to how hierarchical the organization is. Reading an organization’s annual report and its IRS 990 should also provide information on officers, board, its mission, programs and finances.

Having done your self assessment and research, you decided to apply to the position. Right away you’re invited to interview. During the interview other unanswered questions remaining about the position, the organization and the culture are clarified.

The reasons that individuals choose to work in any organization whether for-profit or non-profit are numerous and often personal. Before accepting my current position I worked for 10 years as an administrator at Emory’s School of Public Health. RSPH’s research potential to save lives and benefit communities meant my salary was dependent entirely on research grants. For me, however, valuing the ”end product” of working on projects that helped others far outweighed the instability of how my salary was generated. For I believed then, as I do today what Mahatma Gandhi believed, “That the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”

Carol Gee

Carol Gee, M.A. has worked in education for 26 years in positions ranging from teaching to administration. Currently she is an editor and business writer at Goizueta Business School at Emory University. She is also the author of books, The Venus Chronicles and Diary of a ‘Flygirl’ Wannabe (Life Lessons of a Cool Girl in Training,) and a contributor to the baby boomer book, Age Smart-Discovering the Fountain of Youth at Midlife and Beyond.

www.venuschronicles.net
venuschronicles@aol.com