One Creative Way into Non-Profit Work

It's a common story: idealist college grad wants to get a job at a non-profit organization, and disregard financial prosperity and even practicality to make a difference in the world.

But it can be difficult to get your foot in the door in the non-profit sector. A degree alone is often not enough to qualify you for employment. Even entry-level jobs seem to require a year or more of "real world" experience. You've got the drive and ambition, but need a way to support yourself, and volunteer work and unpaid internships just aren't going to cut it.

The summer after I graduated from an elite mid-western university, and I hadn't had a whole lot of interesting job offers yet. I had applied to dozens of non-profits throughout my senior year, but always seemed to be under-qualified. It didn't seem fair- I had worked hard in school, had the drive for the job, and was more than willing to start from the bottom and work my way up. I had a few interviews, but nothing materialized. I decided on a whim to accept a position as an AmeriCorps*VISTA. A few weeks later, I packed my bags, moved across the country, and found myself in a new city working at a non-profit in a position I loved, with so much responsibility.

I'm here to tell you about an option I had initially disregarded. AmeriCorps is a nationally-recognized service program, generally setting volunteers up with a year-long position at a non-profit organization, public agency, faith-based or community organization. It's sometimes referred to as the "Domestic Peace Corps." The main reason I ignored the AmeriCorps job postings for so long was the meager living stipend- usually around $1000 per month. But I found that the program had so many other benefits that it was worth it to look into it a bit more.