So you just graduated from college or grad school and you want to do something with your life. You want your job to have meaning for your life and for the community. You want to make a difference and help change the world. You're sure you'd be a shoe-in for a nice little nonprofit job directing an afterschool program or a food pantry. Plus, you're kind of a big deal. With that degree from Yale or Stanford, you've got this in the bag.
Newsflash. Everyone has a degree. Americans are more educated now than ever, with 1 in 3 adults holding Bachelor's degrees or higher. In many metropolitan areas like Washington, DC, it's more like 1 in 2. It's not uncommon for new grads to flock to the nonprofit field to cut their teeth in their first management position. When we recently advertised a job for my organization, we received 200 applications - all of them boasting at least a Bachelor's degree. So whoopty-do. No matter how fancy your degree is, you still have to step your game up and tell the hiring organization what else makes you special.
Some of the job applications we received pretty much said in a nutshell, "I'm graduating from college in May and I need a job. May I please work at your nonprofit? Pretty please, with a cherry on top?" Um, how about no. It takes much more than that to land a great nonprofit job. Much more.
Tell me what's unique about you. If you were a product, why should I buy you? Job searching is all about marketing yourself. Imagine standing in the laundry detergent aisle at the grocery store. Why buy the Tide over the Cheer? Guess what, in that moment of choice, you're wondering which one will make your life easier. Similarly, in your nonprofit job search, you need to let the organization know that not only do you have a good education, but you know how to apply it. Emphasize how you can and will solve problems and get things done.
If it's now common to have a degree, you need to articulate what's uncommon about you. Because, "I have a degree, hire me" just doesn't work anymore.
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