When you're hoping to make the transition from the private sector to a nonprofit organization, you may find that your typical corporate resume won't truly highlight your care for the cause. The nonprofit industry is more focused on your accomplishments, successes, volunteer work and investment for the cause than your high-priced education. Tailor each resume to the job and organization where you're applying to impress recruiters with your organizational skills, past volunteer history and your passion for the work.
Step 1
Begin every resume for a nonprofit job with a cover letter and summary, suggests the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Since the typical nonprofit job is more than just a 9 a.m.-to-5 p.m. shift with a casual interest in the company, you'll need to demonstrate your passion for the job with a cover letter that draws in a recruiter and makes her want to read more in your resume. Begin your resume with a summary that speaks of your desire to work for the organization and what qualifies you to do so.
Step 2
Detail any transferable skills that you could bring from your corporate job, suggests ResumePower. You may think that your corporate experience is less effective for a nonprofit job, but think of the things that you could help with: organizational skills, technological knowledge, accounting methods and even contacts from the corporate world. Include these in a summary of your current skills and what you have to offer a nonprofit organization.
Step 3
Highlight your volunteer experience, even if it isn't relevant to the job that you're applying for. Volunteer work is impressive to nonprofit organizations, notes The Bridgespan Group. Make sure your resume explains what organization you volunteered with, your volunteer position and how long your position lasted.
Step 4
Write about the professional results that you've enjoyed at each previous job. Instead of simply detailing the different responsibilities that you had, write about the changes that you made and how it affected the company. Instead of writing, "Maintained office-wide work order system," write "Employed office-wide organizational system for faster turnaround time." This clearly shows what you're capable of and how that affected your company positively. You want the nonprofit to know that hiring you could positively alter its results as well.
Step 5
Create a format in which your professional results are organized in the same manner as your volunteer work and results. This tells the recruiter that your volunteer work is as important as your professional successes, notes Encore Careers. Ensure that your resume is easy to read and organized so your desire and passion for the nonprofit job is on par with your past corporate experience.
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