I've already done posts and videos on topics like what to ask on an informational interview (video version here), job search frustrations and writing a campaign resume. You can find lots of other advice here in my archives.
In searching for a topic that a) I haven't written about before b) would be helpful to job searchers and c) I am better equipped to write about now than I was 5-10 years ago when I wrote most of the advice referenced above (TEN YEARS? I am officially ancient), I thought of a question I get asked a lot. It's usually some variation of "How do I make the leap from campaigns to X campaign-adjacent field?" Today, I'm going to talk about progressive non-profits because that's what I've done and it is also where most of the opportunity to do this switching is. Specifically I want to talk about job interviews because it's something I haven't covered before and as a hiring manager I have seen my share of mistakes. Below you will find my tips for campaign staff interviewing for jobs at a non-profit.
1. Don't sound lazy. In the past I have asked a former campaign staffer "why do you want to switch from campaigns to non-profits?" and gotten some version of "I am burnt out on campaigns" or "the campaign lifestyle is too intense/crazy hours." These, in my opinion, are bad answers. They are not wrong answers. No one knows better than I do the lure of stability, work-life balance and ability to plan for the future that pulls a person from campaigns- but they're not what a hiring manager wants to hear.
The problem is that you are essentially saying "I want to do something that is less difficult, less time- consuming and/or less work" and when you are trying to get a job it is unwise to tell the person with the job to give that you are looking to do less work.
Regardless of how the question is phrased, you want to use every opportunity to discuss what excites you about this new role and what you can bring to the new organization - not what you've disliked about the things you've done in the past.
I believe in my interview for my current job I answered this question with something like:
"I've been doing this for a long time and jumped around a lot. I am looking to use what I've learned to grow a program over the long-term and make my mark on something."
Some other examples might include:
"The time constraint of campaigns doesn't always give you the opportunity to be as intentional as you'd like to be when making decisions. I'm really passionate about X (healthcare, voting rights, whatever this organization works on) and I want to be a space where I can work strategically on it."
"Because of the way they're structured organizing on campaigns can be very transactional, I love the idea of being able to take my time to invest and build relationships in the community here."
Of course your answer will depend on the job/organization but the point is your can still get across wanting more stability or a slower pace in a way that highlights what excites you about the job and what you can bring to the table.
As an addendum to this point, don't insult my best friend, campaign work. As you can tell from this blog, my social media presence and the everything about me, I friggin' love campaigns. Not every hiring manager at a non-profit will have a campaign background and fewer will be as enamored of the lifestyle as I am but especially if you are looking to work somewhere politically oriented, they may be. I have had applicants straight up diss campaign life is a misguided effort to I don't know what...bond? I had one candidate (and when I say candidate in this context I mean job candidate not candidate for office) say to me, "The campaign lifestyle is just unsustainable. No one could do it for more than a few cycles unless you're crazy." (Umm hi, hello, me, I did that.)
2. Know why you want to work here. This sounds like interview 101, right? But if you think about it candidate campaigns are all pretty similar in that the answer, at least in a general election, to "why do you want to work here" is often "Democrats good, Republicans bad. I want to elect Democrats." Even in a primary a simple "I saw the Senator speak and I was really inspired" or "I come from a working class background and it's really important to me that we nominate someone who will focus on income inequality" will do the trick.
When it comes to non-profits you may not have even been aware of the organization before you saw the job posting, so it is important to do your research and not just superficially. A meh answer is "You work on abortion and I am passionate about abortion rights." A great answer is "Well I am passionate about abortion rights because of X succinct experience/identity/reason and I am specifically drawn to your organization because you are at the forefront of on organizing for rights at the state legislative level." A thoughtful, researched answer demonstrates that you are excited about the job (even if you aren't) and managers want to hire applicants who are excited to work there because they're more fun to be around and do a better job. At worst I have seen applicants answer this question with what amounts to "I care about this issue and I don't want to work on campaigns anymore" and we have already discussed why that is no good.
3. Spell it out. I've mentioned the possibility that your interviewer could be a campaign veteran, but the opposite could be true as well. Even in at a politically oriented non-profit you may be interviewing with someone who has never step foot in a field office. Make sure to explain tasks and job-specific terminology. Make the bridge between your past experience and what you'll be doing in your new role. Your interviewer might not realize the amount of responsibility that goes into running a GOTV operation for a whole region, so include details about how many other staff and volunteers you oversaw, what they (and you) were doing and how that contributed to the campaign's overall success. Unless you know your interviewer has a campaign background define terms like staging location, Votebuilder, or caucus captain. If it turns out the person interviewing you does have a campaign background, they should let you know pretty quick in their response.
4. Demonstrate that you understand the difference between this new role and campaign work. One thing I always ask an applicant who is coming from campaign world is "how do you think working at this organization will be different from working on campaigns?" While it is true that (generally, certainly in my current role) non-profits offer greater stability and better work-life balance, they also lack some of the things I love about campaign work and have their own frustrations. For example, in comparison to campaigns where every moment is of the essence, decisions at non-profits tend to be made slooooooowly and often by committee. Campaigns, while hierarchical, also tend to give a lot of responsibility to relatively junior staff (where else in my first job out of college would I have overseen 200 people across three offices?), non-profits not so much. If you are used to, and have an affinity for, campaign life I want to make sure you're not going to be bored in a role that will be a slower burn.
In addition, even titles like "organizer" or "manager" can mean wildly different things from campaigns and even within the progressive non-profit space. Make sure you read the job description and ask questions about what the role entails so that you give thoughtful, informed answers.
5. Let's talk about salaries. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be comparing any industry's salaries as unfavorable to campaigns'. However, campaign salaries, especially on federal campaigns, have skyrocketed in the past couple of years. Primarily we can credit a) the ridiculous number of candidates and therefore higher demand for talent during the 2020 primary and b) campaign staff unions. This is great news! But, it does mean you may be taking a pay cut to move over to the world of non-profits.
That doesn't mean you won't be as well or better compensated when you factor in things like benefits and work-life balance. For example, I've never heard of a campaign with a 401k match and progressive non-profits usually have excellent and highly subsidized healthcare, not to mention accrued vacation. Unless you are applying for a cyclical position, you also won't have to account for a period of unemployment every November and December.
Your mileage may vary in either direction; I've certainly heard horror stories about toxic and exploitative workplace cultures across the progressive non-profit sector and some non-profits do pay very well, but I say all this to encourage you to do your research and think holistically about an offer and an organization when negotiating your acceptance and deciding where to apply.
That's what I have for you. What else do you want to know about? More career switching? Interview tips? What I wish I had known in X situation? Hit me up! And until next time...
Campaign Love and Mine,
Nancy
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