Getting Started on Your Transition
This area of the Transition to the Nonprofit Sector learning center contains articles and tools you might find helpful as you begin your transition to the nonprofit sector.
Adapting Your Resume for a Nonprofit Job Search
Tips and sample resumes highlight effective approaches for presenting your experience when transitioning into the nonprofit sector.
Bridging: An Overview
Bridgers, who transition to the nonprofit sector for reasons both personal and professional, may encounter many rewards and challenges during their journey.
CFO Fitness Quiz: Are You Tough Enough for the Caring Sector?
Whether you are considering becoming a nonprofit chief financial officer or are hiring one, the questions in this CFO Fitness Quiz can help inform your decision.
Frequently Asked Questions: Bridging into the Nonprofit Sector
Answers to some common questions about transitioning into the nonprofit sector, including how to get started and what to expect regarding salary and work hours.
Guide to Selected Self-Assessment Tools
A starter list of self-assessment tools for you to investigate as you begin your job search.
How to Begin Your Transition into the Nonprofit Sector
You have already decided that you would like to find a career in the nonprofit sector, but how do you know what opportunity is right for you? How do you ensure that you find a place where you can have meaningful impact and use your skills effectively?
How to Market Yourself in the Nonprofit Sector
In a buyers' market, simply being a talented candidate is often times not enough to land a senior leadership role, so job seekers need to get out and sell themselves to prospective nonprofit employers. The idea of coming up with a personal marketing plan may be intimidating, but the six steps laid out in this article will help nonprofit job seekers put their best foot forward during a nonprofit job search.
Insights on Bridging
Watch video clips of members of the Bridgespan executive search team discussing hot to move from a for-profit career to the nonprofit sector.
Lost in Translation: Common Language Pitfalls for Bridgers
Even the most prepared job candidate may inadvertently say the wrong thing during a job interview. For those moving from for-profit to the nonprofit sector, the risk is even greater because there are distinct differences in the language used in the two sectors.
Prospective Bridgers: Combating Common Myths
Common misconceptions prospective bridgers may encounter and techniques they can use to allay hiring managers’ concerns.
Sample Cover Letter: John Jones
Your cover letter is often your first chance to make a good impression on a potential employer, so it should be personalized for each job opportunity and, together with your resume; it should tell a compelling story about who you are, what you have accomplished, and why the potential employer should want to meet you.
Self-Exploration: The First Step in the Job Search
The first step in moving into the nonprofit sector should be to gain clarity on your own motivations and what aspects of jobs are most appealing to you.
Selected Compensation Resources
The following set of suggested resources can help you determine salary ranges for particular roles and organizations in the nonprofit sector or as you negotiate your salary.
Transferable Skills
When an individual is making a transition from the for-profit or government sector into the nonprofit sector, she needs to better understand the skills necessary to be successful in leading a nonprofit. Both parties—the individual and the organization—should understand the conditions necessary for the successful transfer of skills and experiences from the private sector into the nonprofit sector.
Writing Effective Resumes and Cover Letters
An experienced Bridgespan executive search consultant provides tips on how to put your best foot forward with your resume and cover letter.
What Nonprofit Employers are Looking for Today
Seeking a nonprofit position in a difficult economy presents a particular challenge to job seekers. At the same time many nonprofits are seeing an increase in demand for services, they are also tightening their belts. To help job seekers better walk in the moccasins of nonprofit hiring organizations, we talked with Karen DeMay, a senior director on the Bridgespan Group’s executive search team. Karen explained how their approach to hiring has changed in recent months and what they are now looking for in job candidates.