Being ambitious and wanting to advance your career is a healthy motivation. After all, self-actualization is indeed listed within Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Unfortunately, in the nonprofit sector it isn’t always clear how to do this.
In my experience, the key to getting noticed in nonprofits is to emphasize your soft skills, such as personality and emotional intelligence, that align with the organization, rather than just your hard, or technical, skills. Here are some of the points I personally look for when I am considering someone to promote from within my team:
Be good at your current job
If you cannot demonstrate your ability to do your current position well, it will be difficult for any supervisor or manager to envision you for career advancement.
Smell that team spirit!
Helping and fitting in with your team shows your ability to maintain a strong work relationship. Sharing notes, templates, resources, articles and/or knowledge with your team also shows that you want to see your colleagues grow and thrive alongside you.
Be friendly with everyone & radiate positive energy
I am not saying that you need to be sickeningly friendly and start skipping in the hallways. I’m just saying it is always good to be friendly and positive with everyone, in and out of your own department. This also means that when work gets tough and deadlines are looming, approach it with a light but productive demeanor, rather than moaning and groaning throughout.
Show passion for the organization’s cause, social development & community building
This is key if your intention is to truly move up within your nonprofit organization. This could mean reading relevant articles and sharing the information with your co-workers. It could also look like attending networking events, workshops or round table discussions that are relevant to your organization’s cause. Volunteering to be a board member for a nonprofit or charity is another great way to demonstrate your passion for community building while also gaining leadership experience.
Raise your voice in meetings & be ready to implement your ideas
Nonprofit workplaces are generally quite receptive to staff who voice and share innovative ideas. That said, oftentimes staffing is limited, so be ready to follow through with the implementation of your idea. This will also show your ability to take initiative and responsibility for projects, which are key skills for supervisors and managers.
Be flexible & helpful in your department
There may be times that management will ask for volunteers for events, projects or other tasks. These are opportunities to help your team, but also to demonstrate your adaptability and flexibility. Try to volunteer and be helpful whenever possible.
Strengthen your administrative & reporting skills
Showing that you can create professional documents with impeccable formatting, while also possessing a strong understanding of data analysis, will put you ahead of everyone in your manager’s eyes.
Enhance your skills or credentials
If there are any skills you believe will increase your chances of advancing your career, then it would be beneficial to invest in some courses. Once you’ve completed them, don’t keep it to yourself. Put it on your LinkedIn profile, your resume, and casually tell your supervisor.
Make it known that you want to advance
It’s not a good idea to keep your career goals a secret from your direct supervisor. Try talking about opportunities for advancement at performance reviews or private conversations with your manager. Planting a seed like this won’t always result in instant feedback, however it may encourage your supervisor to consider you as a candidate if openings become available in the future.
Think career advancement, not money (in the beginning)
Although earning more money is often a part of wanting to advance a career, nonprofit organizations often do not have a large budget allocation for this. I have seen some advancement that has only increased salaries by $1 or $2 per hour but that offered incredibly valuable experience or a great job title and were excellent stepping stones for future opportunities. Compensation will be personal to every individual, but if possible, don’t be afraid to consider other advantages besides salary.
Demonstrate How You Can Think Ahead
An employee that can demonstrate that they can think ahead ie. anticipate repercussions of decisions or actions, are more likely to get noticed by their Supervisor or Manager. For example, when I saw employees recognizing delicate situations, understanding that decisions and actions could have consequences that affect clients, the team or the organization in the long term – that staff member immediately graduated to a position of respect and trust in my mind.
Work like a duck
As the old adage goes; “Above the surface, look composed and unruffled. Below the surface, paddle like hell!” There may be a lot of multi-tasking and juggling that you do at work that would make it difficult to always appear composed and unruffled. However, if you are at all able to make it look ‘effortless’ some of the time – You’ll be gold.
I hope you find these tips helpful. Happy paddling!
Wanda Kusumajuda Pichette loves to see people advance and GROW in their careers! That’s the reason she founded GROW Career Development www.GrowCD.ca, a learning portal for career development education that has free mini courses and peer-reviewed professional development courses which can be used as continuing education credits. With over 10 years of experience as a Career Strategist in government-funded employment programs, she has obtained the CCDP designation (Certified Career Development Practitioner) and was nominated in 2021 for the Experienced Career Practitioner of the Year award by the BC Career Development Association. In 2019 she was honored with the Outstanding Career Leader award by the Career Professionals of Canada. Read on about Wanda at www.WandaKP.com or on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/wandakp/. And check out www.GrowCD.ca to view current course offerings and subscribe to be notified when new topics become available.
