A nonprofit organization (NGO) is a legal entity that operates for social or public benefit. Unlike other companies that work to maximize profits for their shareholders, NGOs are legally restricted from using their profits for private gain. Legally, any profits must be re-entrenched into the business and used to satisfy the organization's purpose.
There are an estimated 10 million NGOs worldwide. In the US alone, one out of every 10 employees works for an NGO. This means there is a huge amount of employment opportunities in the sector. You can be anything from an IT technician, to an HR manager, to a service provided working 1-on-1 with people in need.
It is common practice for NGOs to poach leadership from the corporate world so having a successful corporate background might actually be a positive if you are looking to transition into the NGO sector. Being able to illustrate a conviction about the solutions the NGO offers society is also important, as is an educational background in an NGO-related field like public policy or social work.
Because of what this sector represents and contributes to society, integrity is one of the most important soft skills needed. Many NGOs function from financial donations, so donors need to trust that their money is in safe hands. There are a couple of ways to show this and all other important skills and achievements effectively in a resume. This guide will focus on building 5 resumes for 5 non-profit positions. We will include individual tips for strengthening each resume as well.
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Working as a non-profit volunteer is a smart way to enter the NGO world. It affords you an opportunity to show off your dedication to the sector and the organization’s purpose, it allows you to show off your skill set and abilities, and it allows you to network with decision-makers who are in a position to offer you a full-time job.
Volunteer positions also generally have fewer barriers to entry than paying positions, so this might be a great way to get started if you do not have any relevant experience or educational background. If you do have any relevant experience in the NGO world or in anything related to a particular organization’s cause, you will want to highlight this.
As a volunteer in an NGO, almost any skills are relevant. You never know what they may need you to do, and you may find yourself working inter-departmentally. So If you are skilled at event planning and also at data entry like this applicant, feel free to include both. If you are applying for a volunteer position that is for a specified department, try and highlight the skills relevant to that department only.
When it comes to volunteers, recruiters have two main questions; ‘What can this applicant help us with?’ and ‘ Can they be trusted to do their job well?’. Showing recognition for your work as a volunteer is an endorsement that you can do both. So if you were ever awarded Volunteer of the Week or the Year like this applicant, make sure you highlight that.
A COO for an NGO takes the goals and vision of the CEO and the boards (where one exists) and creates strategies to operationalize and achieve those goals. They will then oversee the organization’s operations to make sure everything is moving in line with the organization’s vision and strategy.
This position requires resourcefulness as well as strong communication skills and integrity. An educational background in business administration or a related field will be highly preferred, as will a strong background in leading successful teams. Take a look at this strong resume sample.
This position requires a very specific set of skills. You need to show that you are experienced with managerial tools. Similarly, you need to show that you have skills in the main facets of your position. These can include budgeting, coaching, and strategy like this applicant has listed.
NGO directors are in charge of running the organization. They give employees direction and take care of different administrative tasks. This position is very involving and you may often find your working hours extending beyond the traditional 9-5 hours.
While a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree in business, marketing, or a similar field is beneficial, it is not essential. In fact, only 62.5% of NGO directors have a bachelor’s degree and only 15.4% have a master’s degree. In place of an educational background, recruiters will look for a strong background in the area of the organization’s purpose. So if the NGO is focused on health, having a strong background in the health field would be relevant and beneficial.
This position will require excellent project management skills. So show recruiters that you have successfully managed a wide variety of projects. If you can include the size of the teams you managed, this will make your resume even stronger.
Career progression and promotions show recruiters that not only are you dedicated to the field but that you have a strong work ethic and valuable skills that previous recruiters have found deserving of a higher position.
This position is very broad. As we mentioned, you could be an NGO employee in any department within the organization. The required skill set will depend on the department and what tasks you are assigned. Likewise, a related education background in the department’s field would be very beneficial. Some attractive general education fields include business administration, public administration, and nonprofit management.
Like in most positions in the NGO sector, your integrity is one of the most important qualities. One of the most damaging things that could happen to an NGO is a scandal involving an employee’s lack of integrity. This is an example of an impressive non-profit employee resume.
If the organization is in the health sector, try and limit your experience and skill set to anything related to health. This may mean you adjust your resume for each job if you are planning to apply across many sectors.
Put yourself above your competition by highlighting any certification you have received in the sector the organization operates in. This resume highlights competitions and certifications in health management.
An executive director in an NGO is similar to a CEO in a for-profit business, and their functions and status are generally the same. This is a very high-ranking position and requires excellent leadership skills to be able to manage the organization’s operations. Executive directors also work very closely with the board of directors if one exists so excellent communication skills are also essential for success.
Experience as an executive director in an NGO is the most valuable experience to be able to show on your resume. Showing skills in fundraising, project management, finance, and HR functions will also be beneficial to add.
Impress recruiters by giving actual figures of how much you have fundraised, the size of teams you have led, the budgets you have handled, etc. It makes it easy for a recruiter to understand your competency and value.
A significant part of your job is ensuring the budgets allocated are used efficiently. You will also be tasked with being at the forefront of fundraising efforts. Showing that you have done both successfully not only shows your competency but also indicates your integrity and trustworthiness when it comes to handling large sums of money.
We spoke with hiring managers at top non-profits like the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and the World Wildlife Fund to gather their best tips for creating a strong resume in the non-profit sector. Here's what they recommend:
Non-profit hiring managers want to see that you're passionate about their mission. Show this by:
For example:
Passionate environmentalist with 5+ years of experience in conservation and sustainability. Seeking to apply my skills in grant writing and program management to further the mission of the Sierra Club.
A resume summary is an optional section that highlights your most relevant qualifications for the job you're applying for. While it's not a required section, it can be a valuable addition to your nonprofit resume if you're changing careers, have a lot of experience, or want to provide context not already in your resume.
When writing your summary, avoid using an objective statement, which is outdated and focuses on what you want rather than what you can offer. Instead, craft a concise, targeted summary that showcases your skills, experience, and achievements relevant to the nonprofit role you're seeking.
The work experience section is the most important part of your non profit resume. It's where you highlight your relevant experience and accomplishments to show hiring managers you have the skills and expertise to succeed in the role.
In this section, we'll cover the key steps to write an effective work experience section for non profit jobs, with plenty of examples of what to do (and what to avoid).
The education section of your nonprofit resume should be concise and relevant to the job you're applying for. It's important to highlight your academic achievements and any relevant coursework or certifications that demonstrate your qualifications for the role.
An NGO professional’s position is first and foremost a solutions-based position. The organization exists to solve a societal problem, and you play your part in realizing that solution.. Using action verbs that emphasize your solution-based approach is a direct way to indicate your capabilities in this field. This list of action verbs is focused on this as well as the communication tasks that you can expect from an NGO professional. Using the right action verbs is an easy way to spotlight yourself and help showcase your most relevant skills in a few words.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
When looking at the skills section of an NGO professional’s resume, recruiters will need to see competency in the organization’s area of focus, strong communication skills, and leadership skills. It is a multifaceted position, and the skills list should extensively reflect the numerous tasks that one could be expected to complete.
Here is a list of recruiter-approved skills you would expect to see in an NGO professional’s resume.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Non Profit job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
