Nonprofits play an important role in positive changes happening within communities and around the world. To continue making an impact and to help with their important work, they need the support of a great team. For this reason, GrantWriterTeam wants to make sure the people interested in assisting these organizations get the chance to be a part of the change.
This starts with helping applicants write a top-notch nonprofit resume.
Maybe you’re new to the nonprofit world or maybe you have a long list of prior nonprofit jobs. Regardless, making sure your resume presents well is imperative to finding a nonprofit job. To ensure your resume is in top form, GrantWriterTeam will be sharing 7 resume tips for all nonprofit jobseekers.
1. Research the Nonprofit Prior to Applying
Doing some research will make all the difference when writing your resume. You want to make sure you know everything about the organizations and the jobs you are applying for before you send in your resume. This includes their mission statement and any past work they have done.
This will help you know what is necessary to include in your resume and what might be best to leave out altogether. Specifically, you want to tailor your resume to fit the goals of this nonprofit and showcase the talents you have to help them reach their goals. Not only will this show that you took the time to do your homework, but it will also help further on in the interview process.
2. Include Volunteer Work
While it is true that a traditional resume is mostly made up of three parts: previous employment, relevant skills, and your education history, nonprofit resumes are a little different. In addition to these elements, you also want to include any volunteer work you have participated in during the past.
For other jobs, this might be something you choose to take out to save space on the page. But for nonprofit jobs, volunteer work makes up a large part of a nonprofit’s everyday work. This is why nonprofits really want someone who has had experience as a volunteer. They want someone who knows how to work well with others, follow directions, and communicate with community members and residents in a professional and helpful manner.
3. Highlight Your Flexibility
When crafting your resume, you want to show that you could be useful in multiple positions. Nonprofits have many different tasks to complete on a daily basis, so showing your flexibility and eagerness to go where needed is crucial.
Maybe you have had experience with social media and can handle their crowdfunding campaign or daily posts? Or Maybe you have hosted events before and want to be involved in planning their next big soiree? Whatever your skills are, it’s important that you’re clear about how they will benefit the nonprofit. Give specific examples about where you would be a good fit.
4. Include Current Contact Information
Do not forget to include current contact information in your nonprofit resume. Without this, the organization will not be able to reach you for any follow-up questions or interviews. It won’t matter how good your resume is, if the nonprofit cannot get in touch with you to tell you the job is yours. This includes an up-to-date phone number, email address, and website (if you have one).
5. Keep Format Simple
It might seem fun to use a variety of colors and fonts on your resume to make it stand out from others. However, you really want to stick to simple fonts and formatting to give it a clean, easy-to-read look. Having too many colors and fonts can make your resume seem busy and unprofessional and can distract the readers from what is actually on the resume. Additionally, make sure to have a proper amount of white space on your resume to help improve the look. You don’t want it to be blank, but you don’t want it to feel crowded either.
6. Keep It Short and to the Point
When writing your resume, you may feel like you need to include as much as possible to highlight all of your strengths. Actually, it’s actually best to keep the amount of details to a minimum. You don’t want to overwhelm the person reviewing your resume. Most resumes should only be one-page in length. This means you need to narrow down your experience and skills. Only include details relevant to the job you are applying for at the time.
7. Proofread!
One of the biggest tips to keep in mind when writing a resume is to set aside time for proofreading. This could be the step that saves your resume from the rejection pile. Mistakes happen, but that shouldn’t be the reason you miss out on a great opportunity.
Catching these mistakes before they reach the person reading your resume will save you from looking unprofessional and sloppy. If you need a fresh pair of eyes, you might want to try sending the resume to a friend or colleague to look over and get their feedback.
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We hope these tips will help you create a winning resume! If you are looking to make a difference in the nonprofit world, don’t give up! There are plenty of opportunities to be a part of their work. If you strike out with one organization, try another.
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