Charity Sector Jobs Advice

Charity Job advice for people wishing to
work in charities and throughout the third sector and civil society

Thinking of moving over from the private sector 

If you are thinking of moving over then do a lot of research. There is so much listed on google we won’t go into detail, but a good way to start is typing in your current area of work and then adding charity after it. For example, project management in charities. We receive many applications from candidates who simply write a dear sir letter saying they want to work in the charity sector. Great! but generally these types of round robin letters are not going to win you any favours. Writing a Dear Sir/Madam letter shows you haven’t even done the basic research to find out who to write to and secondly by saying you want to work in the charity sector without any elaboration is a bit like saying I want to work in the private sector. What does it mean!

Think about what you want to do and how much you need to earn. It’s no good just sending your CV to a charity or agency saying you would like to work in the charity sector without knowing what area you wish to work in, and why a particular charity should employ you. List your skills and tell them why these skills are particularly useful. What added value can you bring to an organisation etc. For example, if you want a career in fundraising but you are currently working in sales, mention that you are great at securing orders and you could do the same by securing funds! 

This may all seem obvious but many organisations receive CVs from people not really knowing what they want to do, just that they want to “do good” or “make a difference” That’s great, but it won’t get you a job unless you have the skills they need and you have spelt them out.

Sector salaries

Salaries in not for profit organisations are as varied as the jobs on offer, however, surprisingly competitive with many private sector positions. Salaries ranging from £30,000 to £60,000 are not uncommon. However, senior position salaries are still lagging well behind the private sector, particularly at Director level. I doubt this will change so think carefully about your future. This is not a sector to get rich in! but you will be expected to work as hard as someone earning 3 times your salary. Of course job satisfaction can be much higher in the charity sector, but do not take that for granted. Every charity is different, like the private sector there are good ones and not so good. Choose carefully, your career could depend on it.

Already working in the Third Sector?

If you are now looking for your next move then make sure you articulate your skills and experience (with examples of success and please make it jargon free. Keep it short and precise and know exactly what you want and why you are applying for a particular position. If you are asked to send in your CV keep it to two pages. Bullet point as much as possible and highlight your main responsibilities and successes. If an employer is interested they will ask for more information. Remember an employer will receive dozens of CVs or applications so you need to make sure you grab their interest immediately. They are far more interested in knowing your recent successes than what achievements you did in school or university. Remember charities may exist to make a difference but they are also run on business lines. They want to employ successful and motivated people just like any other type of organisation.

If there is a particular cause that you wish to be involved in why not phone up those charities working in that particular area. Yes phone them up and talk to the person that you think would be your line manager, it can do no harm and they may know of a vacancy in another organisation. You never know there may be a vacancy in the charity you call. While we are on the subject of calling, please call, do not email. Email is becoming very impersonal. Use the phone because most people won’t!

New to work or just left University?

All of the above applies to you to. It’s a great sector to work in with perhaps some of the most interesting jobs in society. There are many very large recruitment specialists you can contact who may be able to help you. Here are a few of them TPP; People Unlimited; Charity Recruitment; Harris Hill; ProspectUs.