Serving as a volunteer or intern at a nonprofit organization is one way professionals can gain a better understanding of themselves. Through these temporary or part-time roles, professionals may discover a passion for a nonprofit’s work that leads them to seek out a full-time position at the organization.
However, it’s important to note that passion alone does not always mean someone will be a good fit for a role. From highlighting their experiences to actively learning new skills, getting hired in a nonprofit position requires that professionals are able to showcase exactly how they can add value to the organization. Below, 13 Forbes Nonprofit Council members each offer additional tips to help professionals turn a volunteer or intern gig into a full-time position at a nonprofit.
1. Become An Indispensable Part Of The Organization
I advise anyone seeking to leverage a volunteer gig into a full-time role to try to become an indispensable and proactive contributor. Take the initiative to express your long-term commitment to the organization’s mission. Seek mentorship opportunities and actively engage with colleagues while highlighting your skills. – Michael Horowitz, The Community Solution Education System
2. Master The Small Tasks
My philosophy is to master small while aiming tall. This is always key to getting noticed and positioning oneself well for a permanent position. When I look at hiring interns, I always pay attention to how they approach seemingly small tasks on the road to building confidence and trust. This is often indicative of how they will handle bigger tasks. – Dr. Cinque Parker, Marie Aline Gay Heart for Haiti Foundation
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3. Openly Share Your Goals
Be transparent about the move you want to make. Once you know that you’ve found the place where passion meets profession, communicate clearly that you’re interested in full-time work. You might have to take a position you don’t love at first, but team members wear many hats in nonprofits, so getting your foot in the door is the first step. – Erin Mote, InnovateEDU
4. Seek Out Support And Advice From Professionals
Transitioning from a volunteer or intern role to a full-time role can be more unsettling than one would expect. To enable a professional to learn more about what they are getting into, I recommend identifying a few highly dedicated and seasoned professionals occupying full-time roles and seeking both clarity about the role and social support in making the transition. – Christopher Washington, Franklin University
5. Determine Where You Need To Grow
Clarify what is most critical for your growth. Think about the skills you wish to build. Speak with staff about their own experiences and career journeys. Understand the opportunities for ongoing professional and personal development. Do you understand their funding model, and is it sustainable? Be upfront about your needs and take every opportunity to show how you can uniquely move the organization forward. – Tina Admans, Minds Matter Southern California
6. Be Aligned On The Mission
Be fully sold out for the mission. Your position will show in your work. If excellence is the standard of measure, then job placement and fulfillment is the outcome. If you want to say it loud and if you want to win, do so. Actions speak louder than words. – Jamee Rodgers, Urban Neighborhood Initiative
7. Understand The Potential Changes
Understand that your working relationships will change when you are on the org chart. Some of the soft benefits or flexibility afforded to volunteers or interns may not translate to paid employee roles. As you transition to a paid position, remember the inspiration you had before, but also accept that day-to-day work will require you to work in ways not always apparent as a volunteer or intern. – Randy Wong, Hawaii Youth Symphony
8. Learn Everything You Can
I began my career in the nonprofit world as a volunteer. I learned everything I could about the nonprofit industry and how my skills could best be utilized to fulfill the mission. Pretty soon, I was offered a job, and 23 years later, serving the community is still my passion. – Kimberly Lewis, Goodwill Industries of East Texas, Inc.
9. Step Up Your Current Work
Make the most of your current opportunity by showing what you are capable of in the future. Don’t let the title of intern or volunteer define your effort, drive or interest. I always look to hire those who can adapt and take on the work that we don’t yet know we need. Even as an intern or volunteer, if you are willing to step up, I take notice, and you’ll be one of the first I look at for a new position. – Patrick Riccards, Driving Force Institute
10. Document Your Impact
Volunteers are the lifeblood of organizations and so critical for advancing missions. Being able to quantitatively and qualitatively measure the cost and benefit of adding paid staff members is critical. Document the impacts you’ve made and the potential cost that might be incurred if the position turned into a paid full-time role. This will help leadership make an objective decision. – Jono Anzalone, The Climate Initiative
11. Highlight Your Relevant Experiences
As someone who did this myself when I changed careers years ago, the best thing I did was highlight my volunteer service at the top of my resume before professional experience. That service was more aligned with the nonprofits to which I was applying. – Andrea Joy Albrecht, Mercy For Animals
12. Be Prepared To Advocate For Yourself
Anyone interested in evolving a volunteer gig into a full-time role has to be prepared to advocate for that outcome themselves—and be patient with the organization as they try to make it happen. Nonprofit budgets are typically very tight, and unpaid volunteers are critical to mission fulfillment. Shifting from unpaid to paid isn’t impossible, but it probably won’t happen overnight. – Josephine Faass, Robert Schalkenbach Foundation
13. Ensure You Know The Difference Between Roles
Make sure you understand the difference between a volunteer position and paid staff employment. Ask to see and be sure to understand the position description and the responsibilities and obligations that come along with it. No doubt, volunteering allows for more flexibility, and it can make a job seem like fun. Avoid losing the passion you’ve gained as a volunteer to the pressure of unwanted job duties. – Victoria Burkhart, The More Than Giving Company
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