Cambridge Assessment’s Top 5 Job Hunting Tips

Written by James Digby - Group Talent Acquisition & Employer Brand Lead at Cambridge Assessment

There are advantages and disadvantages to working in each and every company. It is often hard to know what a company is actually like to work for and whether you will enjoy working there yourself. When there are so many options to pick from it can be quite easy to rule out a company due to pre-conceptions of what they, or their sector, are like.

When considering a job move, being open minded can lead to some great surprises that perhaps remove some of your previous impressions.

How do for-profit and not-for-profit organisations differ?

It’s worth mentioning that for the vast majority of not-for-profit organisations surplus revenue is still highly important. This can only come from hard work, being competitive and being good at what you do. In this respect there are similarities between the not-for/for-profit sectors.

As a recruiter or candidate making the move from for-profit to not-for-profit recruitment then there are a number of differences that should be taken into account. When a recruiter fully understands these differences they can become more efficient in attracting the right people. For a candidate understanding these differences can help you make the right career move.

The top 5 things to consider when recruiting or applying for a job in the not-for profit sector are:

1. Philanthropic motivations tend to be at the very core of not-for-profit organisations. When building an employer brand, taking this into account is essential, as you are looking to recruit candidates that have the same motivations as your organisation. It’s also a great reason to join a company with many surveys showing that making a difference in people’s lives is one of the top motivators for a lot of candidates.
2. Interesting people. Not-for-profits are often packed with the best and brightest candidates the market has to offer. Working with people who want to work towards a higher goal is a great experience and its brilliant to be surrounded by such passionate people.
3. Internal job opportunities are numerous. Being good at what you will do can lead to a range of new opportunities internally. Over 35% of our roles are offered to internal candidates which means we get a great mixture of internal talent and external talent within our departments.
4. Doing a role that you love is great. Find a role that you love and go from there. Often there is an opinion that not-for-profit work doesn’t pay well, doesn’t provide good benefits and is old fashioned. This isn’t the case; review the company benefits, contact the recruitment team and work out what the total benefits package is worth to you.
5. You can learn a range of new skills. Many not-for-profit organisations will provide opportunities to work with a range of colleagues take part in numerous development opportunities and generally get dug in to trying something new. LinkedIn company pages are a great way to see what opportunities you will have with an organisation to pick up new skills, progress your career and work with highly knowledgeable colleagues.

A good rule of thumb when picking a job is to choose something you enjoy doing, this could be in either sector. If you had previously thought that not-for-profit was something not for you then I would recommended reconsidering. There are great opportunities within such organisations and they are forever looking for talented new candidates.