The Nonprofit Career Guide: How to Land a Job That Makes a Difference

By Shelly Cryer

Book Overview

FINALIST 2008 Book of the Year Awards, Career Category, ForeWord Magazine

A must read for anyone hoping to launch a nonprofit career! Nonprofits need talented, creative people with all types of skills and experiences. The Nonprofit Career Guide will help you find the best opportunity for you and your interests. This hands-on guide is filled with practical advice from real people working at all levels of diverse nonprofits. In detailed profiles, you'll find out what their work is like, the career paths they followed, and what they look for when hiring new staff. Besides getting a sense of the scope and range of work opportunities, you'll find the most up-to-date information on how to:

Prepare for a nonprofit career Conduct targeted job searches and network effectively Handle interviews with aplomb Write persuasive cover letters and stellar resumes Negotiate a competitive compensation package.

With The Nonprofit Career Guide, you'll get the competitive edge you need to land a great first job and build a rewarding career in the nonprofit sector. Published by Fieldstone Alliance in collaboration with American Humanics.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0940069598
• ISBN13: 9780940069596
• Release Date: August 1970
• Publisher: Turner Publishing Company
• Length: 284 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.5" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

Great resource

As a recent high school graduate, I felt I was having a small mid-life crisis. I knew vaguely what I wanted to do with my life, I suppose: I knew I wanted to help people who really needed it. However, I had no idea what my job would actually entail, or how to go about getting my foot in the door. The more I tried to research my options, the more I realized that the career I want is one that is not discussed to any great extent, let alone one that is the focus of great self-help books. The books that I could find were difficult to read, and weren't really aimed at people like me who are just beginning the job hunting game. And then, luckily, I flipped through Shelly Cryer's book "The Nonprofit Career Guide: How to land a job that makes a difference". This book was different from the others I'd read in that it seemed to be geared towards a less knowledgeable audience-students like myself who know they want to help people on a personal level, but don't know much more than that. The "Career Guide" was easy for me to read and follow, but still gave valuable information. Most of my general questions about working in the non-profit sector were addressed in the very first chapter of the book. Even a question that I felt a little guilty even considering; namely, "Yes, it's great that I want to be a part of this sector, but how will I earn money to support myself in the process?". After my basic questions were cleared up, I felt free to flip around the rest of the guide and consult the chapters that I felt were most relevant to me. My favorite features of the book were the 19 profiles of actual people who work in the non-profit sector. It was really nice to read about someone who is actually doing what I want to do with my life. The interviews don't feel stiff, and I had my more specific questions answered on what felt like a more personal basis. Questions like, "What do you know now that you wish you had known?", "What do you look for when hiring a new employee?", and "Describe a workday" made the interviews extremely helpful to read. The profiles also highlight the career and educational paths followed by the individuals, which is incredible information to know if you're wanting to follow in their footsteps. After reading "The Nonprofit Career Guide" by Shelly Cryer, I feel prepared for, rather than intimidated by my career of choice. Not only do I know what I need to do to get there, I know what I'll be doing once I'm working and how to make sure I succeed when I land my dream job. Kelsey T.

Outstanding Guide to Careers in the Nonprofit Sector

The Nonprofit Career Guide: How to Land a Job That Makes a Difference For anyone interested in learning about or pursuing a career in a nonprofit organization this is a must reading. The book is clearly written and provides a wealth of information about the nonprofit sector. Most people would be surprised to learn about the wide variety of fields that nonprofits serve -- from the traditional role of providing services to the underserved to developing affordable housing for the poor and groups with special needs to the Arts and Cultural Affairs to health care organizations and organizations involved in promoting social entrepreneurship. A nonprofit organization may be a one person effort to help their community or a mega corporation like the United Way or the College Board. This guide is useful for college students who are exploring career choices and for more seasoned professionals who may be considering a career change. It is also useful for individuals who want to remain active after their primary career is over and "give back" through service and are looking to learn more about the nonprofit sector. The book reminds us of the importance of service and serving others. It highlights how important mission and purpose of organizations that make up the nonprofit sector in the US. I will be using it as part of my course on nonprofit management for undergraduates to help them gaining a deep understanding of the organizations they will work at while completing a 150 hour field work requirement. At $16.50 this book is a great bargain.

A Must have Career Guide Reference

Shelly Cryer has compiled a useful tool for college students who are examining their options following graduation. The Non-Profit Career Guide - how to land a job that makes a difference, serves as a nuts and bolts directory that can prove useful for entry into the world of Not for Profit organizations. This manual is laid out logically and is easy to use. The appendix and endnotes are of particular help to first-time job-seekers or even those making a career change. A must have for your Career Guide Reference Collection! Gabriela A. Cipollone Reference Librarian, Iona College

One of the best career guides out there

I never thought I would review a career guide, but this one deserves it. As a student, I found this guide to be indispensable. Not only does it thoroughly cover the non-profit sector, but it also offers advice and insights that can be applied to any sector. Cryer begins by profiling the sector and highlighting future trends. Notable is the observation that salary in the nonprofit sector depends on field of work and size of organization--in certain fields, nonprofit pay is higher on average than that of their private or public sector counterparts. Furthermore, as the sector grows in prominence, more attention is being paid to salary as a means of recruiting talent. Other trends include a growing need for leadership and increased diversity. The meat of the book is in lively chapters covering sector subsections (arts, education, health international, etc.) and job functions (management, communications, development, consulting, etc.). Its snapshots of different people working in the industry provide a good sense of what to expect from the different avenues the sector has to offer. This book made me see my career options in a new (and organized!) light.

Why I Hate All Career Guide Books

I do hate all career guide books. Except this one. Short. Focused. Keeping it real. And no worksheets. As an executive working for top Human Resources management in a Fortune 100 company, I have read many career guides. And I have been asked to recommend career guides by concerned friends, usually for their kids. And they are all padded, boring, time-wasting books. Especially the ones with tests and worksheets. Did I mention I hate worksheets? Here is a book based on a special perspective -- Shelly Cryer is a professional who is in the streets 24/7 with the real people who really know what it takes to work in the nonprofit sector. She is an expert communicator, and impatient to get her ideas across to you -- you'll feel like she is talking to you as a best friend with inside information as you read. And it is a pleasure to finally read a book not filled with true, but tired tropes about networking and how to inflate your resume. This book is down in the trenches where a good first impression counts, but communicating accurately and tersely gets you noticed. Nonprofits after all have to do more with less, and that includes less time for fluff. Here are two examples which I know to be true from experience, and have never seen in another career book: Do not use the static-ridden, dead-voice cell phone for outreach, stick with a conventional land-line for important calls to get your human nuances across. And here is a big clue, email is a great way to communicate instantly, but do not take any less time crafting your email than you would a serious business letter. How true; email's spontaneous nature seems to sap politeness and logical structure from so many communications I get. The index. This book has an index. Why should a slim volume like this (less than 300 pages) need an index? Well you can not live without Google can you? Think of this intelligently indexed book as having a built in search engine. So many books skimp and think they can get by with a table of contents with cute chapter titles. This book is hard-hitting, with career profiles and interviews with true leaders in the nonprofit sector about their own careers. As proof that Shelly Cryer is saying "yo listen up my peeps!", each chapter has a quick review at the end which makes you really think about what you have just read. Not just the usual warmed-over summary, but a superb safety net to make sure you have caught on. Want to do good in the world? Want to wake up happy to go to work every day? Buy this book; you may find your life's calling here.