Thinking of jumping onto the NFP ship? Here’s what you need to do

If you’re getting tired of your corporate gig, a job in the for-purpose sector could be the refresh you need. But where do you start? We asked former corporate-whiz turned World Vision CEO Claire Rogers for some advice. 

What do you want to achieve?  

Think hard about what exactly you’d like to get out of a for-purpose job and working in a social sector organisation, beyond just helping people. 

“I would encourage exploring this idea, because everyone wants to contribute to society and to our global context, but why specifically do you want to express your skills in that context?” Claire says. 

“If you do this, it will be a much richer conversation with the organisation you’re looking to work for.” 

If it’s a change of pace you’re after, maybe this one isn’t for you 

The idea of working for a charity might seem nice, but you’re going to be working just as hard, if not harder, than you are at your corporate job. 

“One of the big challenges of our work is that it’s never done. At World Vision we’re trying to bring life in all its fullness to every child, and so when you finish a project, you can’t say that your job is done,” she explains.  

What about your CV? 

If you’ve got a whole lot of “corporate specific” skills, don’t leave them out of your CV because they might actually come in handy! 

Having an understanding of how a charity runs is also a good way to get your foot in the door. 

“I had worked with an NFP on the board, which was definitely helpful,” she says. 

“Finding small ways to work with organisations such as volunteering can also give you a good insight into how they work, how they’re different, and how you can apply your corporate knowledge to a not-for-profit context.” 

You probably know more than you think you do

If you’ve been working in finance for the last decade, you are probably not going to be an expert on delivering aid programs, but you will have skills that are still useful. 

“When I moved into the for-purpose sector, I realised they had a lot of development experts, but I could bring something new and different, particularly around technology and embracing a digital transformation in the organisation,” Claire says.