Transforming Unexpected Obstacles into Unexpected Opportunities: the First 90 Days of My ProInspire Fellowship

 By Brad Hamilton, 2016 ProInspire Fellow at the National Human Services Assembly

The first ninety days of my ProInspire Fellowship were filled with transition – into the nonprofit sector, into my new role at the National Human Services Assembly, and into my new life in a new city. While that amount and pace of change can make even the most adaptable person want to crawl in bed and never leave, I discovered that it offered more opportunities for learning and growth than did the previous 25 years of my life.

Removing ourselves from our comfort zone can be immensely challenging, and many of us never want to take on that discomfort. However, in doing so we enable ourselves to learn and grow professionally in ways we never would have otherwise. In my first month as the Member Services Manager for the National Human Services Assembly, I quickly realized that work in the nonprofit sector would be in sharp contrast to my four years of experience in the private sector. In reflecting on the differences, the following insights stand out about working in the nonprofit sector:

You can do more with less. The vast resources in the private sector are not always available to nonprofit employees, such as fully upgraded software systems and databases, and consultant expertise. While this can be an obstacle, it also presents an opportunity. My organization uses the most basic version of SalesForce, and as such I do not always have the best reports and analytical tools at my disposal. So what can you do when your data isn’t the way you need it? One option is to improve your Excel skills. I’ve learned how to manipulate Excel in ways that I didn’t know how to before with PivotTables, IF functions, VLOOKUP functions, and more. If you find yourself facing a lack of resources in the nonprofit sector, I recommend that you take the time to learn new skills and discover new ways of solving the issues you face.

Growth opportunities are everywhere. High turnover is another common obstacle you might face in the nonprofit sector. When colleagues leave, you may be asked to complete unfinished projects they left behind or to improve ambiguous processes that have been exchanged by so many hands. My advice? Don’t panic, but rather view it is another opportunity for growth. Messy processes and unclear directions create moments of connection, when you can reach out to your coworkers and learn more about their knowledge and skill sets. Chances are they can help you, or collaborate and brainstorm with you to identify ways to develop a clear and efficient method of completing the task at hand. This is a great way to get your creative gears moving and have a novel experience apart from the day-to-day aspects of your job. My coworkers have been an invaluable resource since starting my fellowship; without them, I would not have been able to get on board so quickly and learn as much as I have.

The biggest shock for me in entering the nonprofit sector was how different it can be from the private sector — but this is not necessarily a bad thing. It has offered me opportunity for growth, and I now possess a more advanced and well-rounded skillset than I had before. While each organization has its own internal processes, skills like Excel and learning to collaborate effectively with your coworkers to improve inefficient processes are widely applicable and will be valuable no matter what organizations you work with throughout your career. I’m especially thankful for the ProInspire Fellowship for helping me to develop these skills. While you may face more obstacles in the nonprofit sector than you did in the private sector, don’t forget that these obstacles are merely opportunities just waiting for you to discover them. Make sure to take advantage of them.

Brad Hamilton is a ProInspire Fellow with the National Human Services Assembly, where he serves as the Member Services Manager. Prior to becoming a ProInspire Fellow, Brad worked as a Business Analyst for Southern Wine and Spirits, a wine and liquor distribution company, and as a Client & Consultant Relations Coordinator at River Road Asset Management, a boutique asset management firm in Louisville, Kentucky. In his free time, he likes to go kayaking and hiking, travel to as many places as possible, and read as many books as he can.