Insights

Beyond the Resume: Crafting a Nonprofit Portfolio

Apr 06, 2026

In the nonprofit sector, we often fall into the "duty trap." Our resumes become long lists of responsibilities: managed a team of five, wrote quarterly reports, coordinated annual gala, oversaw youth outreach program. While these bullet points tell a hiring manager what you did, they don’t tell them how well you did it, or more importantly, the specific impact you left behind. In a landscape where skills-based hiring is on the rise and...

AI and Your Nonprofit Job Search: How to Stand Out

Aug 26, 2025

By Emily Walsh If you’ve applied for a job recently, especially at a larger nonprofit, you’ve probably interacted with artificial intelligence (AI)—possibly without even realizing it. AI-powered tools are quietly reshaping the hiring process across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. They’re being used to screen resumes, assess fit according to prescribed guidelines, match candidates with open roles, and sometimes even conduct...

Do’s and Don’ts for Connecting with Recruiters—Spend Your Energy and Time Wisely

Jan 04, 2025

By Jessye Kass Karlin is the Founder of Jessye Kass Consulting “Message recruiters” was the networking advice you received… but what does that mean? “I always write to recruiters, and I never hear back!” “Recruiters never respond to me!” Have you said this or heard this before? If you’ve felt frustrated by tons of advice about your job search, you’re not alone. If you feel demoralized by your search, you’re not alone. If...

What Do Career Coaches Do, and How Do I Pick the Right One?

Jan 25, 2024

by Jessye Kass There are many reasons you might work with a career coach at some point in your working life. Career coaches can help you identify transferable skills. They can also help you translate your professional story for a career change to another industry . They can also help you develop a networking strategy or prepare for interviews. Here are some questions and insights to help you find clarity in when to find a...

5 Signs You Need to Hire a Career Coach

Jan 25, 2024

by Jessye Kass What Is a Career Coach? A tear rolled down Joe’s cheek when I asked him, “What are you most proud of in your current role?” “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m crying! I just… I feel so lost in my current role,” Joe shared, visibly embarrassed. “Absolutely, no need to apologize. We spend the majority of our lives working, and when we experience pain points or lack of direction within our work, it can affect us deeply....

Adding Volunteer and Board Service on Resumes Can Boost Your Job Prospects

Jul 08, 2022

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service , candidates with volunteer experience are 27 percent more likely to get a job after being out of work than those who did not volunteer. Many hiring managers, particularly those in the nonprofit sector, have a deep appreciation for candidates who give their time to organizations that are meaningful to them. “Volunteering sends a strong message about your commitment to a...

Organization Culture, Finding the Right Fit When You Are Job Seeking

Jul 02, 2022

Impact Opportunity had the chance to speak with Kristin Brennan, Executive Director, Career Exploration and Development at Bowdoin College, to get her advice on learning what organizational cultures are best for you when exploring a career or job change. What can you do to determine what kind of culture or environment works best for you? Kristin Brennan : Organizational culture is important to me. Not only because I advise other...

Mind the Gap: Best Ways to Explain Employment Gaps on Your Resume

Jun 30, 2022

A gap in employment may seem like an awful, gaping chasm of emptiness on what otherwise would be a spotless testament to your skills and ingenuity—your resume. Fortunately, resume gaps are more common than ever. In 2021 alone, more than 47 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs during what is being called the Great Resignation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics . Reasons Americans are leaving their roles range from...

Networking and Informational Interview Questions

Apr 12, 2022

Impact Opportunity had the chance to speak with Kristin Brennan, Executive Director, Career Exploration and Development at Bowdoin College, to get her advice on conducting successful informational interviews when exploring a career or job change. She also provided the following questions you might ask during an informational interview or networking opportunity. Start with a softball, something easy and enjoyable for them to answer....

Considering a Job Change? Get the Most Out of Informational Interviews

Apr 12, 2022

Impact Opportunity had the chance to speak with Kristin Brennan, Executive Director, Career Exploration and Development at Bowdoin College, to get her advice on conducting successful informational interviews when exploring a career or job change. What advice would you give someone looking for a job or considering a career change? Kristin Brennan: The first question I would ask is, do you know what you're looking for? It can be...

How Powerful are Cover Letters in Your Nonprofit Job Search?

Mar 01, 2022

Despite gaining popularity in the second half of the 20th century, we know cover letters have been around for hundreds of years. According to The Atlantic , legend has it that the Renaissance artist (and lesser-known inventor, architect, and scientist) Leonardo da Vinci created the first CV when he applied for a job from the Duke of Milan. In the 1930s, the term “cover letter” started to pop up in newspapers, with a general idea that...

Top Questions When Switching Sectors from For-Profit to Nonprofit

Feb 01, 2022

Changing jobs and switching sectors at the same time, from for-profit to nonprofit, can seem like a daunting task. Here are answers to questions frequently asked by those switching careers from the for-profit sector to one in the nonprofit sector. I want to find a career where I can make a difference in the world. How do I get started looking at jobs in the nonprofit sector? Many sector-switchers, especially those just beginning to...

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