June 11, 2009 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Q. I’m about to retire after 30 years spent working in information technology for state government. I’d like to spend the next few years applying my professional expertise to the work of a charity, but I’m daunted by the specific skills required in the job descriptions I see. How do I start my search?
A. First off, don’t worry about being cutting edge. “Technology moves on,” says Bill Robertazzi, director of information technology at the Atlantic Philanthropies, a New York grant maker. “No one’s going to have every specific software skill.”
But you do need to show that you’re interested in the charity world beyond wanting a job. Offer to work as a volunteer as a way to get your foot in the door, learn about how nonprofit organizations work, and give yourself an opportunity to meet people and make connections that may lead to a job, Mr. Robertazzi says.
You should have no trouble finding charities that want to make use of your services, he says. If you’ve been a hands-on technology worker, he suggests you could help a charity set up a wireless network, select fund-raising software, or write reports from a financial database. If you have managerial experience, he says, you could advise a nonprofit board of directors on strategic planning related to technology.
As you look for jobs, use the Web creatively in your search, says Megan Keane, who manages online forums for TechSoup Global, a San Francisco charity that provides technology support for other nonprofit groups.
She suggests keeping an up-to-date résumé on the social networking site LinkedIn — and on your personal Web site, if you have one — and attending professional events you learn about from sites like Upcoming Meetup. Participating at such events not only helps prospective employers put a face to a name, she says, but “it demonstrates that you’re interested.”
As you look for a position, keep in mind that many nonprofit groups don’t have the money to hire people who work exclusively on technology, says Carol Cummings, founding executive director of NPower Texas, a nonprofit technology provider in Austin, Tex. She says you might consider expanding your search to look at nonprofit groups like NPower that offer technology services to other charities.
To make your case to nonprofit employers, Mr. Robertazzi advises, “translate your experience into things they can use.” For instance, demonstrate that you’re a quick learner who has mastered new software, that you know how to innovate, and that you’ve used technology to solve business problems.
Even more important, he says, choose charities for whose cause you have a passion, whether it’s climate change, animal rights, or homelessness.
“You can talk to people about their mission as well as technology,” he says. “You’re not just a person who wants to work at a nonprofit because you think it’s easy.”
