Alum Book Review: How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar: 50 Ways to Accelerate your Career

When I was in 6^th grade, my biggest fear was of wasting my life. I was a strange kid.

I even wrote a long, sappy poem about it.

Re-reading that poem in the midst of a recent closet-cleaning exercise brought a bit of chagrin, but also a realization: living intentionally has been the hound at my heels for most of my life. And, in learning to fill the “unforgiving minute,” I’ve learned lots of great tools and some lessons on how to apply them well.

So I admit that I looked at Rosetta Thurman and Trista Harris’ new book, How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar: 50 Ways to Accelerate Your Career, with cautious curiosity. There are many great books on professional development, and most are helpful as guides to begin thinking about a topic you have never seriously considered. Would it be helpful for someone who has already been proactively crafting their own career? Even more, for someone who has received ProInspire’s monthly trainings and who now delivers some of them in the role of Program Manager?

In a predictable turn for a blog entry, but also with complete sincerity, I have to say that I did find it to be very helpful. How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar is neither too basic, nor too lofty – it meets the reader where she or he is. This is because it does two things very well: 1) introducing the reader to a number of helpful tools concisely and 2) explaining how those tools work in the nonprofit sector. That helps at any stage of a nonprofit professional’s career, especially when most available resources were developed within the context of the business world.

So, for example, if you have just begun to explore the world of nonprofits and the fact that you can take charge of your career, this book can help you:

• Shape a vision of your own career path through real-life stories of successful professionals
• Get acquainted with powerful tools and organizations you should know about
• Understand how an organization’s size will affect your work experience
• Learn how to volunteer thoughtfully

But, if you are already working in the sector, the book can help you:

• Seriously consider new, helpful tips (the book is structured around 50 tips for accelerating your career; despite all the great trainings I’ve received, I had never considered at least 18 of them)
• Better understand the nonprofit life and world (Why are conferences so important? How or why should I lead a committee? Why should I join a professional association?)
• Think again about those challenging, “common sense” things you should already do…but don’t (like ditching the martyr lifestyle, minding your money, and clearing off your plate)
• Remind yourself of why you strive to keep certain things sacred (for me, that included scheduling time to reflect)

How to Become a Nonprofit Rockstar is helpful to such a wide audience, however, because it is not an instruction manual. This book is a pile of precise, valuable tools that the authors put in your hands. You are in charge of your own project and you have to come up with your own plan.

What does that mean?

Here are a few of my thoughts on maximizing the value of reading this book:

1. Figure out what you are passionate about, and apply the tools to help you refine your thoughts: While Rosetta and Trista give you some tips on career exploration, the book is mostly about career advancement. If you use the tools without knowing what you like to do, you will either do a sloppy job of it because of your lack of enthusiasm or invest heavily in something you don’t really want to do.
2. Once you are excited about your project, read Chapter 6 (“Planning for Balance”), and put it into action: Rosetta and Trista throw a lot of great advice at you, which will take thoughtful consideration and good execution to yield results. Make sure that you make time for them.
3. Finally, after reading the book, select the tips you want to implement immediately, this week, this month, etc.: A lot of these tips seem simple, but take thought and concerted effort to execute well. To add to that, many of them involve life choices that you will have to keep making (e.g., always teach, always learn). However you want to prioritize these and in whatever way you are planning to ensure that you continue doing them consistently, have a plan.

I hope you pick up this agile, helpful book. It is readable, full of great stories and maxims, and it will get you energized about becoming the rockstar you want to be. Follow this link to take advantage of a 25-percent discount for our readers only.