I'm currently in the process of transitioning out of the nonprofit sector into the corporate world after working in a number of roles in religious organizations.
I have applied to more jobs that I can count and have landed two interviews but they did not result in job offers. I have a Bachelors of Science in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management. I graduated with honors and on top of my recent work experience was heavily involved in college where I volunteered over 4000 hours for a number of organizations while working as well. Does anyone have any advice for me on how to land a corporate role? I am open to any position other than sales. Further, I am planning on getting my MBA at some point in the near future but would like some experience beforehand.
Anonymous
10/29/23 at 3:30PM UTC
I transitioned out of the non profit sector to a law firm by working with a recruitment agency. I would say a lot of entry level roles at large corporations are filled through external recruiters. It is a really great way to get your foot in the door. In terms of interviews I think that your "why" is very important. In my past experience, those that transitioned from religious institutions really struggled with the pace/urgency of more corporate organizations. So I would acknowledge that you are ready to take on a faster pace that will challenge you to really develop your professional skills.
Anonymous
11/02/23 at 6:07PM UTC
Thank you for your note! You mention external recruiters - do you have suggestions of where to look for recruitment agencies? May be industry specific (or maybe it's best to just LinkedIn/Google it haha), but would love some leads :)
Luisa Correa
Bilingual Marketing Manager
55
10/05/23 at 2:36AM UTC
It really depends on your previous job functions. It might be easier getting a job with a small or medium business, or the government (ex. Clerk’s office at the court).
Anonymous
10/04/23 at 5:01PM UTC
What have your roles been to date? What type of corporate role are you trying to land?
Anonymous
10/04/23 at 6:09PM UTC (Edited)
I've had a few different roles in the last couple of years.
I worked at a community placement for youth finishing prison sentences as a social worker/caretaker. I also worked for a large religious organization doing an operational role for their camping system. For personal reasons, I had to move states and take temporary job to support myself-I worked as a kitchen manager/baker/caterer for a nonprofit coffeehouse who gave all proceeds back to community partners. I am open to a number of positions such as administrative, investment, client relations/support, and operational roles.
Anonymous
10/05/23 at 11:29AM UTC
Additional thought I had as I get ready for my job this morning: a lot of companies have some sort of corporate giving function, a "foundation" or something along those lines. Look into that in larger corporate organizations.
Kiki Sperr
67
11/02/23 at 5:58PM UTC
Hello! I would say getting into CSR is rather tricky - often these roles are filled by long-term employees who know the company and are able to move into these roles via internal networking. HOWEVER, it does sound like you've had some great community building experience, so I'd suggest looking into hospital systems. They often have community engagement people who manage things like tabling at events, sponsoring local charity walks - often these are functions not under the CSR banner, but under marketing or HR.
Best of luck! I too am a nonprofit defector, and I can tell you it's hard, but you're making a brave step forward.
Anonymous
10/04/23 at 6:40PM UTC
I think you may struggle a bit and what I would recommend you do is reach out to a career coach of some sort to go through your resume and help you to figure out what your nonprofit experience could translate to in a corporate world.
Anonymous
10/04/23 at 2:12AM UTC
I would expand your resume to fit the corporate hiring demographic, maybe switch up a few words to match their job responsibilities list but list what else you have done in the non-profit world.
