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Features Column 5 Sector switching, the art of navigation and translation: Moving from the for-profit to nonprofit sector

Hi Cathy,
I have been a Director of Marketing in Fashion Retail for 10 years and am just itching to make a change. I absolutely love what I do—marketing—but I want to do it for a cause that has meaning and makes a difference. I see that a lot of openings are asking for candidates with nonprofit experience. Do you know of any ways that I can show them that a good marketer is a good marketer, no matter what industry I am coming from? Should I maybe phrase my cover letter to say something like, "I know I'm not from the nonprofit world, but I can offer you... etc, etc." I appreciate your input greatly!!!!!
—Dina from Philadelphia

Can I just say I love being the bearer of good news! It is indeed very possible to make the switch from the corporate to nonprofit sector, particularly now when there is a rather sizeable wave moving in that direction. Over the last several years, many nonprofits have become eager to adapt some of the structures and outcome-oriented principles of the corporate world to their own work, and have been open to, or have even sought out, corporate types such as yourself. Plus, as I mentioned in the column last month, strategic marketing is very important to nonprofits' success and sustainability, so your skills could be especially attractive. Now, while some of the seas you'll encounter on your voyage might be a bit choppy, your ship sounds like it's in very good shape and will keep you on course to reach your destination quite directly.

You have a couple of key factors working in your favor. First, your enthusiasm for marketing comes across loud and clear in your letter. Whenever people really love what they do, it bodes very well for finding the job they're seeking because enthusiasm is contagious! Moreover, you seem clear about wanting to make the change now. Part of what often holds people back in making a job change is having mixed feelings about whether they really want to make the change in the first place.

Still, some fine-tuning of your navigational instruments could be very beneficial. I'm wondering what specific direction you want to go in—is there a particular kind of organizational mission that is pulling you? For example, would you be equally happy doing marketing in an advocacy organization that works on a legislative level as in a direct service organization? What issue areas really float your boat, for example, hunger or the environment, or education? Are you looking for a small, medium, or large organization? This question is particularly important for sector switchers as small nonprofits can have vastly different organizational cultures and environments from corporations. Many tend to have a kind of "family" feel, where staff know a lot about each other's work and even personal lives. For some people, this is just the fit, but others may want to target larger organizations, which tend to have somewhat less close-knit cultures.

Another key question for you: do you have a minimum salary requirement? If so, does it match the salaries for the nonprofit jobs that are appealing to you? Marketing in most nonprofits pays significantly less than in corporations, generally between $40,000-70,000, depending on the size and budget of the organization. Further, lots of nonprofits don't have the money to hire a full time marketing person. Smaller to mid-size nonprofits often incorporate marketing functions into other jobs in program management, fundraising, or communications. Are you open to doing such jobs? Do you have the necessary skills? If you're really looking to do straight marketing, then your best bet is probably to focus more on larger organizations that usually have more funding to support such a position.

Okay, so let's assume you've found the perfect job to apply for, now what? Well, you hit the nail on the head by pointing to the importance of your cover letter. I must confess I'm a bit of a cover letter fanatic. While I'm not in any way implying that resumes aren't important, cover letters give you the opportunity to really distinguish yourself and lay the groundwork for future conversations with a potential employer. In order to write a top-notch cover letter, you need to do lots of research on the organization and be clear on what it is about its mission and the position that you like, or even better, love. Moreover, you need to be clear about how you think your skills and background will benefit the organization.

Here's where you can actually show that being a sector switcher can add value—so, yes, you are exactly right that it's crucial to anticipate any potential employer's questions about why you want to switch sectors. Although you don't need to explain this in great detail, the more you can connect with the passion that is pushing your ship out to uncharted territory, and the more you can show that you come bearing "gifts" from the corporate world, the more authentic you can be about what is causing you to make the change and why it will benefit your potential new employer, in a couple of clear sentences. The American Marketing Association, a professional association for marketers, had a conference in July focusing on nonprofit marketing. They might be a good resource to help you add more depth to this part of your cover letter.

However, your vessel will not stay afloat with passion alone, you need to translate your skills, background, and goals into nonprofit language—in your cover letter, resume, and on interviews. And while you are right that many of the core elements of marketing are similar in the corporate and nonprofit sectors, there are also differences. For example, although both necessitate skills in assessing what motivates target markets and in utilizing marketing vehicles to increase an organization's presence, in the nonprofit sector this strategizing is very closely tied to an organization's fundraising. It's crucial that you be aware of these differences and, perhaps, even acknowledge them in your cover letter, resume, and during an interview. I mean you wouldn't move to France without some ability to speak French, right? Even better would be studying French for a while to learn some of the subtleties and idiosyncrasies in the language, culture, and values. It's the same for sector switchers: your journey will be much smoother and probably also quicker if you understand some of what makes the nonprofit world tick.

So, how do you learn to speak Nonprofitease?! Well, it doesn't take long to learn the basics. You could start to volunteer in a nonprofit a few hours a week or even on the weekend if your current job doesn't have flexibility. Volunteering will give you a first-hand view. Idealist.org has some great volunteer listings, as well as lots of links to other sites. It's most fruitful to target a volunteer opportunity that may have some potential to either turn into a job or lead to one. So look for volunteer positions in organizations that seem like a great fit with your interests and values. Volunteering within the sector will also help you to concretely show potential employers that, as you say, "a good marketer is a good marketer no matter what industry." Many nonprofits would be thrilled to have a volunteer design and implement a marketing project, and you could end up with a great reference for future work and maybe even a job within that organization! It could also be very helpful for you to check out some of the links to nonprofit news sites right on Idealist.org to further develop your nonprofit vocabulary and knowledge of current issues and trends in the sector. Last, but in no way least, it would also be helpful to ask any friends you have in nonprofits if you can speak with them about their experiences, and practice the nonprofit jargon.

A final note on interviewing with nonprofits. If you've done the necessary research and written a really customized and passionate cover letter, then you have a good chance of having a good interview. The key is to articulate what specifically draws you to the position and the organization, and how your skills and experience from the corporate world will make you an asset. A few common pitfalls to avoid include using the word company instead of organization, giving the impression that you can save the organization from its inefficient "nonprofit ways," that you're looking to switch sectors to achieve an easier lifestyle and pace of work (nonprofits can be just as rigorous and demanding as corporations), and not to acknowledging some key differences between the sectors overall, and in your particular field of work.

However, between your enthusiasm, clarity, and motivation to make the switch, I have a feeling you will be docking at your true North soon!