They Pay People to Work Here? The Role of Volunteering on Nonprofit Career Awareness and Interest

Abstract

Individuals have several possible points of introduction into the nonprofit sector, including parental socialization, volunteering, and academic engagement. However, little is known in regard to how individuals learn about the nonprofit sector as a place of employment and become interested in nonprofit careers. Individuals are often exposed to nonprofit “work” for the first time as a volunteer. This research examines the particular experiences nonprofit employees had prior to their entry into the sector that may have influenced their selection of a nonprofit career. Results of this mixed-methods inquiry indicate that volunteering is an important conduit, as it allows people to see that paid employment exists in the nonprofit sector and allows them to better understand the various career options and career trajectories available to them. Finally, this paper discusses the practical implications for nonprofit practitioners and academic advisors, and their roles in connecting service to career.

COVID‐19 as a nonprofit workplace crisis: Seeking insights from the nonprofit workers' perspective

“…This research conceives that a worker's decisions about their career are not strictly based on rational decision-making, but also influenced by chance events (Bright et al, 2005). In the nonprofit context, several researchers have investigated the role of chance events in nonprofit career decision-making (Flanigan, 2010;Nelson, 2018;Schlosser, McPhee, & Forsyth, 2017), but this research is limited to how these incidents influence the decision to opt into the nonprofit sector, organization, or position (i.e., sector choice), not how chance events effect how workers think about staying in the nonprofit sector (i.e., sector commitment). Further sector choice and commitment have been used as one and the same in prior literature, yet a chance event may pose a trigger that someone may still have nonprofit sector commitment but be led to make a choice that directs them to a different sector (e.g., being laid off from a nonprofit job).…”

Introduction to the Issue

“…Next, in the article by Lee (2018), we see how transitioning ideas about the role of government can affect the content and quality of training programs in the civil service. Finally, in the article by Nelson (2018), we learn about why young people transition into the nonprofit workforce. Specifically, Nelson (2018) examines the experiences (whether school-or work-related) that young nonprofit employees have prior to their entry into the nonprofit sector.…”

“…Finally, in the article by Nelson (2018), we learn about why young people transition into the nonprofit workforce. Specifically, Nelson (2018) examines the experiences (whether school-or work-related) that young nonprofit employees have prior to their entry into the nonprofit sector.…”

A woman's place is in the lead: a narrative research study exploring nonprofit women leaders' experiences in getting to the corner office

“…That same study showed that nonprofit leaders believed that their professional skills and experience outweighed their missionfocused skills and experience when it came to being selected for an executive role. Nelson (2018) surveyed 337 young nonprofit professionals and found that half were unaware of the nonprofit sector when they were first considering a career, and only 8% were planning for a career in the nonprofit or public sectors. Of those surveyed, 35% knew they wanted to be in a helping career, but 46% said they had planned on something else.…”