Changing from private sector to social impact? 3 common job hunting questions

Recently, I've been getting a lot of messages from people working in private sector and startups who want to get a job in #socialimpact, #nonprofits, #unitednations or in our team. Here 3 of the most common questions answered! #jobadvice #careeradvice

1) How do I best apply?

Non-profits and especially the United Nations really value fairness and transparency. That's why all our new vacancies at the WFP Innovation Accelerator are generally posted online at our corporate career website https://www.wfp.org/careers/job-openings.

You need to understand that vacancies may get hundreds of applications of highly qualified people that already have the specific knowledge required for the job. Therefore, read the job description carefully. Don't be discouraged if you haven't done the job before, but be mindful that if a job sets certain minimum requirements, e.g., minimum years of experience, your chances are likely slim if you do not meet those.

The best way is to apply through the official website and be a great candidate! If you happen to be able to network, you may try that, but be mindful that it is a competitive process and you may not get any response to your networking outreach as social impact hiring managers have a lot of people reaching out!

2) Your job ad is only for a specified duration, but I am interested in a career change - do these roles also have longer-term potential?

Non-profit and UN employment contracts are different from private sector contracts in many ways. One feature of that is that a lot of jobs are short-term contracts - the same is true in our team. So the length of a contract may not mean it cannot be extended. Read the job ad and think whether this is a function that needs to continue on a longer-term basis. It may very well be extendable and the duration is purely a limitation of the HR rules that apply.

Similarly, you also need to be aware that most non-profit organisations are voluntarily funded, i.e. they rely on donations to keep operations going, so you need to understand the organisation's trajectory and ability to deliver results and raise funds. More stable non-profit organisations with short-term contracts therefore could actually offer more job security than a startup with funding issues and an unlimited employment contract.

3) I want to switch to social impact and also make the next step career-wise - how do I best do that?

The honest answer is: it's hard. Social impact and non-profit organisations are professional workplaces that value experience, performance, teamwork, diversity, etc. like many private sector organisations. I encourage you to look at this situation from an employer's perspective: Are you really the most qualified candidate who is applying? Kudos to everybody who has success with this, but for everybody else, maybe think about why you wanted to get into social impact in the first place. If you are interested in a job with meaning, how would a role in social impact - even if it's a lateral move - help in learning more skills that you will need in that next career step?

Hope this helps some of you in your thinking about social impact careers!