You’ve just graduated from uni and a fine graduation robe now hangs in the wardrobe.

Unlike your peers, you don’t feel like toiling for a pay-check in one of those Fortune 500 corporations. You want to do something meaningful for the world and give back to the community.

The problem?

Getting into the non-profit sector feels like climbing Mountain Everest… blindfolded. And the last thing you want is to move back with your parents.

But take heart—you’re a scroll away from learning how to break into the non-profit world.

Network to Learn What Inspires You

I know—the word networking already gives you the willies. You feel like it’s something that door-to-door salesmen do. But networking is a good entry point to learn more about the industry and ultimately, to figuring out what non-profit sector you want to work in.

Why? Because the non-profit sector consists of more than just charities.

There are:

• Community interest companies
• Voluntary groups
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
• Social enterprises and more!

The good news? There’s a ton of local networking events you can get involved in. There’s a service called Meetup that throws events for people with similar interests. The non-profit world is small, but are a lot of people in it willing to offer a helping hand.

But if you don’t feel like venturing out, you can ease into LinkedIn groups to build rapport with a couple contacts in the comfort of your home.

So talk to people and figure out the area you want to work in before applying for a job.

Volunteer to Get Your Foot in the Door

So far so good. You’ve ventured out and figured out what floats your boat. But there’s something you lack if you want to land a non-profit gig: experience. The majority of non-profits operate like businesses and they look for people with the right skills, and who live and breathe to help others.

What’s the solution? Become a volunteer and offer your assistance at a non-profit.

For instance, you can devote some time to help at a local animal shelter. There are plenty of volunteering opportunities to be found online and they’re great for your CV.

“Having volunteering experience on a CV shows you’re an engaged member of society committed to a cause. That also means you’ll be the first in line to get a full-time job at a non-profit.”

—Aleksandra Włodarczyk, HR Specialist / Recruiter at ResumeLab.

How to Find Non-profit Jobs?

It’s easier than you think. Most job titles are the same as their non-philanthropy counterparts—they just sport Non-profit upfront.

E.g., Non-profit Product Specialist, Non-profit Administrative Assistant.

So head over to Google and type non-profit [marketing specialist] jobs to get showered with listings in your area. Using Google is great because it scrapes data from tons of non-profit job sites.

But you can also use popular job boards to break into non-profit:

• Indeed
• Glassdoor
• LinkedIn

Final Words

There are a plethora of reasons why jumping from uni to non-profit may seem daunting.

But all it takes, is for you to decide to get involved with the non-profit sector and get some hands on experience. Once you tick those two boxes, you’ll get a chance to make the world a better place.