AdaptingResumeNonprofit.doc

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Adapting Your Resume for a Nonprofit Job Search

If you are a prospective bridger—someone with experience primarily in business who is seeking a senior

position in the nonprofit sector—you’ll want to take a hard look at your resume and consider adapting it

for a nonprofit job search. It is to your advantage to make your resume clear, easy to follow, and relevant

to the nonprofit sector and the function(s) on which you are focusing your search. There is no single

correct way to write or format a resume for the nonprofit sector, but the following tips, questions, and

examples can help you create one that is both true to your experience and accessible and appealing to

hiring managers at nonprofit organizations.

Resume content

The keys to adapting a primarily for-profit resume for a nonprofit job search are emphasizing transferable

skills, highlighting nonprofit experience, and making the content relevant to a nonprofit hiring manager. As

you review your resume, ask yourself the following questions:

 Have I articulated my experience clearly and emphasized the transferability of my skills from the

for-profit sector to the nonprofit sector?

 Have I described fully and prominently all of my experience in the nonprofit sector, including any I

may have gained as a volunteer, board member, or committee member?

 Have I included descriptions of the companies I have worked for if their names might be

unfamiliar to someone outside my field?

 Have I removed jargon that may only be understandable or relevant to someone in my previous

field?

Resume format

While the following simple formatting tips are relevant to preparing your resume for a job search in any

sector, they too often are overlooked. Hiring managers are more likely to find your resume easy to read

and understand if you:

 Use a limited number of type styles to provide emphasis and guide the reader through your

resume, but be consistent in how you use them. For example, you may want to use bold and

italics to set off company and organization names, job titles, and/or dates.

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

 Be consistent throughout your resume with verb tense; margins and indentation; the shape, size

and positioning of bullets; and capitalization, punctuation, and abbreviations.

 Put your contact information (including email address and work, home, and/or mobile phone

numbers, identified as such) at the top of your resume to make it easy for hiring managers and

recruiters to find.

Sample resumes

The following resumes—which are the resumes of real bridgers with their identifying information

removed—illustrate a range of approaches for-profit executives might use to position their experience to

be compelling to hiring managers at nonprofit organizations.

 Sample resume 1 (Jill Cook): highlight nonprofit experience.

In her summary, Jill emphasizes the skills that are most transferable to the nonprofit roles for

which she’ll be applying. In her nonprofit section, she describes her extensive volunteer work.

Rather than simply listing each of her past volunteer roles, Jill elaborates on her experience and

is explicit about her accomplishments. In her for-profit section, Jill describes each of her past

employers, helping a nonprofit hiring manager to more quickly understand the size and scope of

her roles. She uses numbers well to make her contributions clear and concrete.

 Sample resume 2 (Diane Jackson): demonstrate ability to produce results.

By including an objective at the top of her resume, Diane helps nonprofit hiring managers to

quickly assess her for opportunities in a specific functional area (operations) and sub-sector

(education). Diane uses a consistent format for both her professional and volunteer histories,

helping the reader to focus on the content and look at her experience holistically across sectors.

She uses a “results” bullet in each job description to call attention to and quantify her

accomplishments, presenting the picture of a capable, results-oriented person who can be

effective in a variety of settings.

 Sample resume 3 (Jack Smith): emphasize for-profit and nonprofit functional skills.

Jack includes a "career profile" at the top of his resume to put his nonprofit experience on a par

with his professional history and highlight his functional skills, which are highly transferable

across sectors. In the main body of his resume, he provides extensive detail on his community

experience first, rather than crowding it into a line or two at the bottom of his resume. While Jack

has a technical background, he avoids jargon and technical specifics.

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Sample resume 1: Jill Cook

Jill Cook

31 Vista Creek Lane, Ashfield, MA 01746

Home: (508) 555-2491 Cell: (508) 555-0600

[email protected]

Summary

 Senior executive with 25 years of experience in general management, marketing, and sales.

 Strategic, results-driven leader with proven ability to create new organizations, spearhead

change, and conceptualize and execute innovative, sustainable initiatives.

 A compassionate manager with excellent interpersonal and communication skills, dedicated to

fostering a working environment that encourages collaboration and optimizes team performance.

 Many years of leadership roles in nonprofits and government. Elected official for town School

Committee (nine years). Founded two organizations to improve local education. Proposed and

worked to pass a law assisting elderly and disabled low-income Massachusetts residents, which

has been adopted by six Massachusetts communities.

 An aptitude for addressing cultural diversity. Lived in England, South Africa, and Israel. Fluent in

French.

Nonprofit Volunteer Experience

Tax Relief Fund for the Underserved Present - 1998

Founder and Member

 Founded town committee to identify and assist low-income elderly and disabled residents.

 Conceived and wrote, with State Rep. Janet Fitzmueller, first statewide bill establishing a tax-

relief fund for elderly and disabled residents (Mass. General Law, Chapter 39, Section C).

 Named Ashfield Monthly (local newspaper) “Person of the Year” in 1999 for community service.

Ashfield School Committee 1995 - 2004

Assistant Chair (elected position)

 Introduced strategic planning to school district, resulting in new curriculum programming,

significant improvements in standardized-test scores, and an annual review process for goal-

setting.

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

 Oversaw construction of four school buildings, chaired the Policy Subcommittee, participated in

staff contract negotiations, hired two superintendents, worked with town committees to pass two

tax overrides, instituted goal-based evaluation systems for administrators and teachers, and

introduced programs for at-risk students resulting in a reduction of special education students.

Massachusetts Department of Education 1995 - 1998

Vice Chair, Advisory Council

 Assisted Massachusetts Department of Education in developing strategies to advance

differentiated instruction in public schools, resulting in increased state funding and the creation of

the Office for Gifted and Talented within the Department.

Ashfield Education Foundation 1993 - 1997

Founding Board Member

 Organized first Regional Education Foundation conference in New England in 1994 to educate

communities about how to establish and grow public school education foundations.

 Helped create first capital plan to address long-term, predictable infrastructure investments.

For-Profit Experience

Paper Solutions, Inc., Lakerun NH 2004 - Present

$300 million publicly held paper converter with three divisions and multiple distribution channels in North

America.

Vice President, Marketing & Sales

 Lead 40 sales and marketing professionals nationwide. Create and implement strategy, sales,

and profit growth plans for two markets.

 Developed new-product and new-market initiatives that resulted in development of multiple new

products and product lines (several already launched) that are moving the division into untapped

markets with high profit potential.

 Improved profitability of a $120 million division from losses at the beginning of 2005 to record

profit month in October 2005 by introducing an innovative, margin-based sales incentive plan.

 Developed performance-based measurement tools to support account profitability improvement.

Moved division’s largest customer from break-even to record profitability.

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Highmark Associates, Natick, MA 1994 - 2004

Consulting firm specializing in strategy development and market research for more than 30 public and

private companies in a range of industries, including financial services, plastic, health care, and energy-

efficiency consulting.

President and Owner

 Identified new market and product opportunities for many organizations, using research tools

such as online surveys and 360-degree, in-depth qualitative and quantitative interviewing.

 Advised private equity firms on the strategic implications of potential acquisitions, as part of their

due diligence process.

 Led strategic planning projects for multiple clients, utilizing data-driven customer, vendor, and

employee feedback; projects resulted in specific annual operations plans for each company.

 Served as featured speaker on unique due diligence and research process at four national

conferences focused on corporate growth and strategy development.

Modern Office Corporation, Watertown, MA 1992 - 1994

$300 million contract furniture dealership.

Vice President and General Manager

 Led sales, marketing, and operational activities.

 Restored profitability in 18 months by reorganizing staff, introducing programs to improve morale,

instituting new compensation program and streamlining cost structure.

Vice President of Marketing, Hospital and Health Care

 Spearheaded 48% sales and profit increase in two years by establishing a channel-focused sales

and marketing division to sell health-care furnishings to hospitals and long-term-care facilities.

 Created tracking and performance measurement tools for divisional accountability.

 Introduced partnerships with leading industry manufacturers, new compensation programs, sales

training, and collateral materials.

Stellar Supplies, Inc, Framingham, MA 1982 - 1992

$3 billion, Fortune 500 office products manufacturer.

National Sales Manager, Mass Market, Office Products Division

 Responsible for U.S. sales into mass market accounts including warehouse clubs, mass

merchants, and food and drug chains.

 Within one year opened two major retailers, adding 15 products, and converted a major drug

store retailer’s business, resulting in incremental sales of $4 million.

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Market Manager, College and Mass Market; Product Manager, Ring Binders

 Created and implemented marketing and sales strategies resulting in 39% sales and 45% margin

gains in two years.

 Introduced qualitative research techniques resulting in new product category.

Education

 MBA, New England School of Business, Portland, ME; Highest Honors

 BA, Drama, Woodley College, Fairfax, VA; Cum Laude (College Year in Cape Town, South

Africa)

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Sample resume 2: Diane Jackson

DIANE JACKSON

120 Fairview Drive • Carlisle, NJ • 19618

w: 908-555-0097 • [email protected] • c: 212-555-0159

OBJECTIVE

 To apply operational leadership skills and experience in a dynamic, education-focused nonprofit

organization

SUMMARY

 Eighteen years of experience in management, strategic planning, and analysis

 Proven ability to develop a vision, achieve consensus, and deliver results in a wide variety of

corporate and nonprofit settings, with increasing levels of official authority

 Strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Independent Consultant, Carlisle, NJ

(2003-present)



On volunteer basis serve as Director for Enliven, a nonprofit organization

providing pro bono consulting services to innovative, education-focused

organizations

o Developed and executed capacity-building needs assessment and

strategic plan in preparation for expansion of a $1.5 million after-school

program; identified needed upgrades in the areas of program

evaluation, organizational communication, marketing and systems;

results: organization executed strategic plan and has expanded from

three sites to five over two years while increasing enrollment at

existing sites

o Facilitated strategic-planning meetings/retreats for three organizations

o Provide ongoing coaching and informal strategy consulting to

leadership team of local charter school founded in 2004

 Led strategic planning process for $600 million division of large financial-

services company

o Developed process to understand and assess market environment,

determine levers of client value, evaluate business strategies, and

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

implement selected plan

o Facilitated planning sessions among diverse senior management

teams with varied objectives to achieve consensus on goals,

strategies, and plan

o Results: Plan accepted by Corporate; division targeted for additional

investment; management team reported plan was best and most

integrated they had ever done; engaged to return following year to

facilitate planning sessions and to refine process to address additional

investment/growth potential

 Developed process and approach to ensure on-time compliance with new SEC

regulations for large mutual fund company

o Worked with large, cross-company task force and several external

legal firms to develop process to identify, document, and assess all

regulatory policies and procedures within six-month window

o Outlined and justified requirements for staffing, systems expenditures,

and organizational changes

o Prioritized work to be done prior to regulatory deadline vs. future

enhancements

o Results: Staffing and systems expenditures approved; project

proceeding on schedule

Fordham Investment Management Services, New York, NY

Senior Vice President (1991-2003)

Vice President (1989-1991)

Institutional

Retirement

Services Group

(1999-2003)

Headed Marketing for Large Plan Services division, which provides 401(k) plan

administration to Fortune 500 companies

 Co-led company-wide task force capturing assets eligible for distribution from

401(k) and other qualified plans

 Results: Large Plan Services gross sales increased 20% over two years;

gross rollover sales increased 25%

Retirement

Services Group

(1997-1999)

Served on management team for start-up business unit capturing assets eligible for

distribution from 401(k) and other qualified plans

 Launched and managed 70-person inbound and outbound telephone sales

and retention operation

 Results: Increased asset retention 41% over baseline; increased gross sales

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

38%; increased customer satisfaction

Tier One Asset

Group

(1996-1997)

Managed Operations and Customer Service division supporting Fordham’s high-net-

worth customers

 Developed and implemented strategy for integrating tiered service delivery

with expanded suite of investment and advice products and multi-channel

access targeted at $1 million-plus investors

 Directly managed 60-person operations group that handled all back office

processing for specialty products

 Oversaw management of 300-person phone group supporting high-net-worth

customers and products

 Launched high-end customized service and product offering aimed at $2

million-plus investors

 Managed operating marketing budget of $60 million

 Results: Achieved higher-than-average customer satisfaction among high-net-

worth customers; increased multi-product ownership; increased gross sales

Customer

Problem

Resolution

Group

(1992-1996)

Managed 200-person Customer Problem Resolution division handling customer

problem and dispute resolution across all retail products for entire customer base

 Redesigned process and organizational structure using customer input,

process analysis and competitive benchmarking to increase efficiency and

customer focus

 Empowered frontline employees to make more decisions while customer on

phone

 Redefined department “philosophy” from confrontational to customer

advocacy

 Instituted comprehensive measurement system

 Managed operating budget of $35 million

 Results: Increased customer satisfaction with problem resolution process by

over 10 percentage points; decreased average turnaround time by over one

day; doubled percentage of customers who felt that their issue was resolved

at first contact; maintained level unit costs

Various

strategic

planning and

project

Oversaw wide variety of strategic-planning and project-management assignments

involving personnel from across the company, including many inter-departmental and

cross-functional teams

 Managed implementation of two-year, $2 million redesigned customer

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

management

assignments

(1989-1992)

statement system that affected 3.5 million customers; results: increased

customer understanding score on survey about statements, decreased

statement preparation time by two days and costs by 15 percent

 Introduced streamlined systems for fulfilling customer paperwork requests;

Results: reduced time to meet customer paperwork requests by 35 percent

 Supported business plan development for several business units, including

facilitating working sessions, drafting documents, and presenting results;

results: executed over 25 business plan development projects

Markmen Consulting Associates, Boston, MA

Consultant (1988-89)

Associate Consultant (1986-1988)

 Successfully planned and executed analytical projects of all sizes in various

industries:

o Multiple acquisition/joint venture analyses for $2 billion diversified

information-services company resulting in two purchases of over $200

million each

o Development and implementation of purchasing cost reduction

program for household products/pharmaceutical products firm

o Implementation of simplified marketing/options packaging program for

Big-Three automobile manufacturer

 Interacted with all levels of client personnel and served as primary point of

contact for matters relating to delivery of service and scope

NONPROFIT, VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

The Children’s Exploration Center, New York, NY

Overseer (2003-present)

Co-Chair, Outreach Task Force (2003-2004)



Led project to develop strategy for expanding visitation from communities

outside of New York City

 Coordinated activities of 14-member task force made up of employees, board

members, and other volunteers; facilitated meetings and discussions

 Directed analysis and market research

 Developed prioritized list of tactical and strategic recommendations, including

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

new marketing messages, redesigned communications, and community

outreach programs

 Results: Task force recommendations presented to Center management and

incorporated into 2004-2005 plan, resulting in 10% increase in museum

attendance during Q1 and Q2 of 2006 and 5% increase in special program

enrollments during same period

ABCs Nursery School, Carlisle, NJ

Treasurer (2001-present)

 Manage ongoing financial and budgeting process for $200K annual budget

 Facilitated strategy and teambuilding sessions with 10-person school staff

focused on addressing and resolving issues and identifying areas for

improvement

 Led efforts to secure space after landlord of 25 years abruptly terminated

school’s lease

 Worked with landlord (local church) to develop solution that met needs of both

parties and ultimately secured long-term lease at terms attractive to school

o Developed financing plan combining fundraising, loans, and rent

concessions to fund $100,000 renovation project

o Managed renovation project, including selecting contractor, approving

design, and chairing committee overseeing work

o Results: ABC relocated to new space at their existing location at lower

rent; renovation completed on time and on budget; relations between

school and church are stronger than ever

EDUCATION

Parker College, Bristol, RI

B.A., Mathematics, 1986

REFERENCES

Available upon request

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Sample resume 3: Jack Smith

Jack K. Smith

10 Hobart Street, Waxhall, VA 22153 703.555.2459 (cell) [email protected]

OBJECTIVE

To leverage operational, management, and nonprofit experience to benefit the growth and development

of a nonprofit organization

CAREER PROFILE

Professional History Skills Community Experience

ALPHAMEG, Inc. Relationship management Washington Cares Leader

Vision One Systems Training Greater DC Food Bank Board Member

MatrixSoft, Inc. Communication

 Logistics Committee

Carter Hodges, LLP Employee development

 Nutrition Committee

Images International Organization alignment

 Building Committee

Financial management Images International Volunteer Team Founder

Operations management

COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE

Greater DC Food Bank

Leading hunger-relief organization supplying food to hundreds of community food pantries across greater

Board Member October 2002 – Present

 Provide oversight and support around policy development, organizational alignment, and fiduciary

compliance

Committee Member September 2001 – Present

 Logistics Committee: hire consultants; evaluate distribution network, capacity utilization, and

future capacity needs; identify short- and long-term improvement opportunities

 Nutrition Committee: work with staff to determine nutritional guidelines for food bank activities

 Building Committee (2001-2003): determined new facility strategy; recommended

methodologies and plans to Board; hired architects and contractors; executed plan

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Washington Volunteers

Volunteer clearinghouse that engages DC professionals in projects that support and enrich local

organizations

Project Leader February 1999 – Present

 Lead and coordinate monthly projects with variety of local organizations

 Utilized opportunity to familiarize self with DC’s non-profit sector

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

ALPHAMEG/Vision One Systems, Springfield, VA

Supplier of advanced process-control software for microelectronic manufacturing industry

Deployment Services Manager March 2002 – Present

 Manage $8M annual revenue, global professional services, customer relationships, and accounts

receivable

 Work strategically with client executives to establish and deliver process control roadmap

 Participate in new customer sales process; negotiate and close contracts with current customers

 Led teams to develop pricing strategy and quote and sales process

 Worked with teams to develop product lifecycles, generic project plans, legal and sales

documents

 Managed systems integration for order processing with ALPHAMEG, developed and delivered

training

Account Manager October 2001 – March 2002

 Oversaw $3M in annual revenues, customer relationships, projects, and resources

 Developed forecasting process and tool utilization; trained sales and account management teams

MatrixSoft Inc., Hunterton, MA

Vertical application service provider offering integrated best-of-breed solutions for high-tech equipment

manufacturing industry

Director of Account Management March 2001 – July 2001

 Managed $1M in annual revenues, customer relationships, projects, and resources

 Worked strategically with account executives to establish and deliver technical roadmaps

 Communicated with all MatrixSoft organizations to effectively execute customer solutions

Business Consultant: Pre-Sales Engineer July 2000 – March 2001

 Collaborated with sales team on presentations for complex sales cycle

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

 Demonstrated software capabilities, sold software features to array of US software companies

Carter Hodges Consulting, Boston, MA

Global business and strategy consulting firm

Manager September 1998 – July 2000

Client: $120M speaker design and manufacturer

Projects: Inventory Assessment, Product Development Process Design, and Master Scheduling

Specific Role:

 Conducted inventory assessment through interviews and data analysis, identified root

causes, and presented and sold solutions to client CEO and executive team

 Managed product development process design, working closely with CEO and VP of

engineering; created workplans; guided consultants through research, interviews, and

workshops with 70 client employees and final development of new engineering process

Client: $300M medical devices manufacturer

Project: VantageSoft/Business Process Assessment and Improvement Plan

Specific Role:

 Conducted business, manufacturing, and VantageSoft assessment of seven divisions

with team through use of individual and cross-functional interviews as well as systems

analysis

 Developed and presented findings and opportunities to client executive team

Client: $150M exercise equipment manufacturer with plants in MA, CA, and MN

Project: VantageSoft Software Implementation

Specific Role:

 Oversaw Order-to-Cash, Product Configurator, and Engineering module implementation

 Managed implementation of MN plant, including staffing, workplans, and client meetings

 Trained client on new processes and paperwork responsibilities; transitioned role to

“super-users”

Images International, Pittsburgh, PA

Global company producing photographic materials and equipment

Manufacturing Manager, Dispersion Manufacturing August 1995 – August 1998

 Managed $58M continuous chemical flow process and 22 employees

Group, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

 Developed and maintained Annual Operating Plan (financial), capacity model, performance

matrix, employee commitment plans, employee development plans

 Reduced process waste by 43%, defects per unit by 48%; managed large capital projects

Flow Team Manager, X-Ray Cassette Manufacturing January 1994 – August 1995

 Managed business of 40 empowered employees manufacturing medical product

 Reorganized planning system, reduced delivery time by 50%

 Initiated supplier improvements in delivery and quality through matrix measurement system

MRPII Project Leader, Carton Manufacturing June 1993 – January 1994

 Managed project; organized presentations, data, and audit

 Achieved Manufacturing Resource Planning "Class A"

Process Coordinator, Carton Manufacturing June 1992 – June 1993

 Interacted with offset printing, die cutting, and gluer operations

 Overhauled operations information flow and Bills of Material

EDUCATION

Connecticut Polytechnic Institute, Hartford, CT M.B.A. 1998

Executive Master in Business Administration

University of Southern New England, Concord, NH B.S. 1992

Major: Industrial Management

Minors: Manufacturing Management, Industrial Engineering

Bridgestar (www.bridgestar.org), an initiative of the Bridgespan Group, provides a nonprofit management

job board, content, and tools designed to help nonprofit organizations build strong leadership teams and

individuals pursue career paths as nonprofit leaders.