Working Abroad

Q. I am moving to New York from London, where I had extensive experience working with elderly volunteers and managed a national fund-raising board. What are the best ways for me to apply this experience in the U.S. nonprofit job market?

A. Your experience with elderly volunteers could serve you in good stead over the coming years. As the nation’s 78 million baby boomers enter their 60s — the eldest boomers are now 58 — the number of older Americans, and their prevalence in the volunteer pool (along with their need for services), is expected to soar. By 2010, the number of American older than 65 will total 39 million, an increase of 17 percent since 1995. Between 2010 and 2030, the population aged 65 and older is expected to grow by 75 percent to nearly 70 million, according to projections from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Aging.

But while your skills are in growing demand, you will still need to convince employers that you can bridge the subtle differences that exist between charities in different countries.

“People worldwide share common traits — but cultures can be quite different,” says Ann Lacour, director of development for Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New Orleans, which works on many projects benefiting seniors. “It is important that you show you are capable of moving between different cultures and that you understand the different standards inherent in them,” she says. (For more on bridging cultural gaps, check out this previous edition of Hotline, and this profile of an American fund raiser who works for a London charity.)

Ms. Lacour suggests that you start your job hunt by searching for nonprofit organizations that most closely match your previous experience. Perhaps there’s an American branch of the organization you worked with in Britain? “Be sure to clearly relate your overseas experience to the local need,” she advises. “Don’t focus on geography. Focus on your skills and successes instead.”

You might make your job hunt easier if you augment your London experience by building a track record with a charity in the United States through volunteering. To find nonprofit groups in your new hometown, check out the opportunities that you can search by ZIP code at Volunteer Match or Volunteer Solutions.