Changing Careers

Q. I have been a corporate-litigation lawyer for more than 20 years. I have substantial experience in corporate and employment law, and managed a firm of approximately 50 employees. I am now interested in changing careers entirely and wish to enter the nonprofit world, either as an executive of some sort or, less ideally, as a lawyer. Do you have any suggestions for the best approach?

A. Even with your impressive credentials and experience, you might find it difficult to make the case for a direct leap into a nonlegal, executive-level position at a nonprofit organization. As it is for anyone planning to make a transition from the for-profit world, it is important to realize that charities are not only looking for employees with specific skills but are also looking for people who have direct experience and knowledge of the nonprofit world.

So, when you are applying for a position, you’ll definitely want to show that you know what you’re getting yourself into. For example, you’ll want to make it clear that you are not expecting a slower pace of life as a result of your career change, says Dave Kaus, business manager at the National Endowment for Financial Education, in Greenwood Village, Colo. “The workload just does not decrease in a nonprofit-organization environment,” says Mr. Kaus, who previously worked in the for-profit field. Compared with the corporate world, “there’s fewer support staff, and the work time for an individual is about the same or even longer than in a for-profit environment.”

To gather more perspective, talk to people who have made the switch from for-profit to nonprofit, advises Gordon Garrett, division manager at the Lions Clubs International Foundation, in Oak Brook, Ill. Mr. Garrett went to work for the Lions Clubs after a career in corporate sales, and says he was struck by the differences in the two working environments’ cultures. “I was used to being driven by quarterly profits. I don’t miss that,” he says. At a nonprofit group, he says, a sense of urgency is spread out throughout the year, rather than intensifying as the end of a quarter approaches.

Although you have indicated that working as a lawyer is not your first choice, you might find it easier to seek a legal position at a nonprofit organization. Your corporate-litigation experience may not directly correlate with the skills required in many executive nonprofit positions, such as fund raising, says Virginia Strull, cofounder and vice president at Professionals for NonProfits Inc., a New York recruiter. But once you have gained charity experience, says Ms. Strull, you’ll have a far easier time making your case for a nonlegal executive position. If you’re seeking a legal position at a nonprofit organization, you should probably concentrate your search on larger nonprofit groups — many smaller to midsize organizations tend to hire lawyers rather than maintain one on the staff, says Mr. Kaus.

If you can’t stomach the idea of working as a lawyer for another second, you can also build your experience and knowledge of the nonprofit world by volunteering or taking a course in nonprofit management. Also check out What Can You Do With a Law Degree? A Lawyer’s Guide to Career Alternatives Inside, Outside & Around the Law, by Deborah Arron, which covers nonprofit jobs (Niche Press, $29.95) and The Lawyer’s Career Change Handbook: More Than 300 Things You Can Do With a Law Degree, by Hindi Greenberg (Avon, $14).