My First Year as a Business Professional in the Nonprofit Sector
By Gillian Perron
Dear Candidate: Thank you for your interest in our organization. While your qualifications were impressive, this was a highly competitive process, and we are not able to extend you an offer at this time…”
During the eight months it took to transition from my first career in the private sector to my new role in the nonprofit community, I heard this sentiment more times than I care to remember. It was difficult, in the face of such rejection, to persevere and continue searching for the right opportunity—but I am so glad I did. Before I get too far ahead of myself, let me share my background and the experiences that led to my current role as a ProInspire Fellow working at Good360.
In the winter of 2011, I made the conscious decision to change my career path. I had been working as a Financial Advisor for nearly three years, helping people make informed, strategic investment decisions to attain their financial goals. Was I good at it? Yes. Did I feel passionate about the work I was doing? Not really. I was attending a region-wide business conference when my mentor said: “you owe it to yourself to love what you’re doing each day.” While seemingly simple, it provoked a great deal of self-evaluation.
This conversation ignited my determination to find a career where I could combine both my skills and my passion to work for a greater good. Call me an idealist, but if I am going to spend 50+ hours each week at work, it has to provide more than just a paycheck.
After months of networking, applying and interviewing, I found myself accepted into the ProInspire Fellowship; this year-long program places young leaders from the corporate sector with a nonprofit organization, and then supports their transition through monthly training and coaching. ProInspire placed me with Good360, a nonprofit that improves lives and strengthens communities by distributing corporate product donations to a network of more than 36,000 charities serving millions of people in need.
The experience of simultaneously changing jobs and switching sectors is both rewarding and challenging. While preparing to make this transition, I was told that working at a nonprofit provides exposure to many roles as nonprofit employees wear multiple hats. In hindsight, I took that advice too lightly. In my role within the private sector, I had the luxury of setting my own schedule and determining my daily tasks. I equated this variability with the challenge of the many hats I would wear in my nonprofit role and felt my ability to multitask and remain well-organized would make me immune. I was wrong.
I came to Good360 as the Manager of Business Development & Special Projects. My primary job functions (hats, if you will) were fundraising through individual marketing campaigns, seeking grants and organizing events. With time, I took on the additional cross-departmental responsibility of serving as liaison between the Marketing and Business Development departments. As promised, this position presented me with multiple roles, which I was able to juggle and prioritize with time. Approximately a month ago, however, my role shifted drastically. Due to internal restructuring, I now find myself working on a new team directly under the President & CEO of Good360; my focus has shifted to grant seeking, building strategic partnerships and finance. As I am still adjusting to my newest role and the latest hats I must wear, I find myself constantly reprioritizing and reassessing.
For me, these transitions are exciting, albeit challenging, and provide an opportunity to define my role and refine my skills. When I look back at the last six months, I see my time in the nonprofit sector as a fluid experience that has allowed me to gain exposure to opportunities and jobs that would not have occurred in the more traditional, structured roles of the corporate world. As my time in the nonprofit sector continues, I am sure I will be exposed to an even greater number of these proverbial hats, and I am looking forward to the challenge!
About the Author
Gillian Perron is a ProInspire Fellow at Good360, an organization who regularly achieves recognition from Forbes magazine as one of the top 10 most efficient charities. The mission of Good360 is to fulfill the needs of nonprofit organizations through corporate donations of unused and excess products, which drives a “win-win” solution for corporations, nonprofits, and our planet. Prior to joining Good360, Gillian began her career at Edward Jones Investments as a Financial Advisor. While supervising an office, she created clients through networking while recommending and monitoring investments as part of a tailored financial plan according to each client’s individual goals. Gillian is an active Rotarian and enjoys volunteering especially with her sorority’s national philanthropy, the Ronald McDonald House. She is a Vermont native and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Vermont, where she earned a BA in Economics with a minor in French.