Anyone ever swap careers from Corporate to Non-Profit or some other Cause: If so, how?

I worked in the food industry for a while before returning back to school to get a degree in tech thinking it would be my path to a better life. While at first I thought where my career was taking me provided exactly that, I’m absolutely miserable working a corporate job in tech. I’ve seen several layoffs, AI is taking over, and the perpetual culture of playing several roles is killing me. I’m tired of being overworked, stressed, and given more and more responsibility for such trivial matters as selling more of X thing. This is not what I want to do for the rest of my life and I would way rather put in this type of effort for something worthwhile even if it means making less money.

The problem is I am so overwhelmed that it is hard to think of a way to change this. I keep saying I want to bring my experience to a non-profit or charitable cause, but I am unsure on how I can bring my tech/project management background to such a cause or how to sell myself in that way. I’m also debating going to get my masters to be more aligned with this change in career, but it’s a similar case of not knowing the best route. For anyone out there who has made this type of career change regardless if it was in tech, I would appreciate any wisdom shared.

coffeetest,

I’ve been in the nonprofit/ngo world for decades now, tech, tech-oriented or tech-adjacent. I started my career in corporate and let me tell you I did truly hate it beyond my ability to express. I could have found a better job in for-profit but the fundamentals would be the same and I believe for me, at best I would have tolerated it. Would I go to work each day saying to myself this is all worth because I am helping others have better lives?

My transition to nonprofit was one of an accidental, happy discovery but that came at a cost of some personal dramatic, and traumatic events which I will not bore you with. I never knew you could work for a nonprofit, or even what a nonprofit was. So few things:

  1. There are all kind of nonprofit, micro to huge. KaIser permanente ($100B/yr) is a nonprofit. The all volunteer org down the street that distributes sanitation packs to homeless may be a nonprofit. Some churches are nonprofits.
  2. Some nonprofits are incredibly well run and others are horrendously disorganized. Generally, larger orgs are better run but more corporate in style and smaller ones less so, but that is not always true.
  3. A career in the nonprofit world is entirely possible. It is usually true that pay is less than corporate but that is not always true even. If you value money over all other factors, then you are probably barking up the wrong tree. If being a happy person is higher up on your list, nonprofit is worth considering.
  4. “The great thing about nonprofits is that you don’t have to worry about money!” hahahahaaaa hhaa cries. Most nonprofits deal with an unending battle for funding in one way or the other. It doesn’t mean they are necessarily unstable as orgs but funding comes and funding goes and most manage funding from multiple sources. For those involved with that aspect, it is a constant consideration.

As far as how to make the jump by far the best thing you can do is you have the capacity, is to volunteer at one that has a mission that appeals to you. It doesn’t matter what you do as a volunteer. Go and see how it feels to you. What are the people like? What do you think of the work of the org? Caring about the org and its mission is the thing to assess first. Then see what opportunities there are. Many nonprofit are network oriented, so as you get to know them and they get to know you, doors may open that others are not even aware of.

idealist.org and workforgood.org and I am sure there are many other places to explore.

JCPhoenix,
@JCPhoenix@beehaw.org avatar

I went from non-profit to quasi-governmental (which is still non-profit), to for-profit, and then back to (my original) non-profit. In like a span of 2yrs. In total, I’ve been in non-profit for like…18-19yrs now?

Like someone else said, there’s no money in non-profit. I’m a one-man IT department for a company of like 15. Along with doing other vaguely-IT or outright non-IT stuff. I get paid $65k (I am in the LCOL US Midwest).

This job, compared to my brief 18mo experience in for-profit, is a lot more relaxing and chill. I wasn’t overworked at my for-profit job, but I definitely got frustrated with the profit motive being the most important thing. Whereas in a non-profit, quality of service is more important. Sure, any business – for-profit or non-profit – needs revenue in order to grow, but revenue generation is not the same as a profit motive.

However…Do be aware that not everything is better in non-profit. Some of my past coworkers left our non-profit to go to for-profits…and it got way easier for them. I don’t know if that’s something specific to where I work where some people kill themselves for this job, or if all non-profits are this way. Perhaps that’s just a job to job thing, regardless of non- or for-profit.

Icarus,

I’ve been at my current job, which is a nonprofit in the social services industry for 10 years. I didn’t intentionally choose this industry but j found I’m very comfortable here. It can be a stressful job at times, but what job isn’t.

Theres no money in most non profits. However I’ve never hated my job the biggest downside aside from salary, I don’t have the budget, tools, or resources to do what I’d like at times. I also tend to wear every hat in our small IT dept. A distinct difference I’ve found in the non profits I’ve worked for is company culture is so much better. Ymmv depending on the industry and size, but people who stick with the company are usually in it for the mission. This tends to weed out the “bad eggs”.

I have a hard time stepping away from my job even tho j could easily make $50k more at a for profit company. I’m not sad about my choices even tho I’d certainly like to be paid more. I don’t live to work though, and the job doesn’t demand it of me so it makes for a decent work/life balance.

Tulko,
Tulko avatar

I just recently found this website https://80000hours.org/
Might be worth a check.

Eryn6844,

find a better IT job, find a better company. they are not all like you mentioned. Move out of your state. also get out of debt and have a nest egg of money so you do not have to rely on a shitty job, and be picky. See Dave Ramsy

HumbleFlamingo,

Have you ever considered working in Higher Ed? We’ve got tech jobs. The pay could be better but the working conditions and benefits are generally good. Layoffs are rare, and layoffs in IT are basically unheard of.

Dymonika,

Passwords will always need to be reset!

HumbleFlamingo,

While true, we do have way more going on that password resets. We’ve got DBAs, software devs, Devops.

luciole,
@luciole@beehaw.org avatar

Do you like tech? If you actually do, you might bank on those existing skills and look for another workplace. IT is everywhere and there are places where it’s fun. You could ask yourself what’s a mission you would care about and start looking for workplaces that are connected and that give the right vibe. Personally I build web stuff for education and I’m a happy camper.

Strayce,

Pretty much what @GreyShuck said.

I jumped ship from corporate IT to nonprofit food relief. I was lucky to be in a good enough financial position to just quit and start volunteering. When opportunities came up to take on more responsibility and training I took them, and eventually got taken on as paid staff. That NFP eventually folded and I’ve been thru a few different for-profit jobs since, but I always try to have at least one volunteer gig going, just to keep a foot in the door.

HubertManne,
HubertManne avatar

Ive done sorta the opposite. I started at a university research lab. It was great but I like doubled my pay by going private sector. I don't really mind it. Only one place I worked was particularly bad and it did not last long. All the same its so awesome to work with real meaning.

GreyShuck,
@GreyShuck@feddit.uk avatar

I did in my late 20s after working in IT. I didn’t know what I wanted and wasn’t planning on non-profit or anything as such, but jumped ship, did a range of random things before spending some time volunteering (at something that was not in any way IT related)- which was the critical thing. That put me in a spot to A) show some commitment and B) get some training as it was offered. A paid post followed in due course after that.

That is a very simplified version, but volunteering was definitely the critical element for me.

Since then, I met plenty of other people who made the jump. Some simply moved with their existing skills to an equivalent role in a charity - and there are plenty that need project management skills - whilst others have taken the same route as me and spent some time volunteering.

Volunteering means you don’t get paid for some time, of course, so you have to either live off savings and/or find a live-in role and/or work part-time or something and you probably need to downsize one way or another, but people find a way and make it work.

Of course once you are in a role with your chosen cause, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be away from being overworked, stressed and given more and more responsibility. It is a trope that working for a charity means that you don’t do it for the money and you work waaay longer than the official hours say.

Certainly my role at the moment, with a large charity, is the most demanding I have ever had and there is basically nothing left at the end of the month for savings: I am just keeping afloat. For all that though, there is no way at all that I would go back to a for-profit role, and I have never looked back for a moment. The culture is totally different and leagues better.

WaterLizard,

I’ve heard that about charities and non-profits; it’s just the nature of the work they do. I am worried about the grass not exactly being greener if I were to go that route. But at the same time if I found the right one, I know I would feel more motivated for the work if it was for a good cause. I’ve had to put in the crunch and grumble over last minute changes, but it’s one thing if it’s for keeping up with a competitors marketing promo vs assisting a system to support refugees. I like working with people, but I hate it when those people are profit driven.

GreyShuck,
@GreyShuck@feddit.uk avatar

Yes, definitely. Why you are doing it makes all the difference.

There is - in my experience - a good deal of how you - and the organisation in general - do it too, and that accounts for much of the cultural difference. Charities tend to treat staff (and volunteers - since so many depend on vols) as people rather that resources much more, although there is also a tendency for the cause to outweigh everything, which can lead to staff, particularly, being expected to commit totally around the clock, and sidelined if they don’t. I have only encountered a few organisations that do this to a problematic extent really though.

autumn,
@autumn@beehaw.org avatar

hello from another person in tech! i’ve always gravitated toward companies that do work for nonprofits. i’ve been at my current job for almost six years, and the only reason they’ve been able to keep me is that (most of) the clients aren’t soul-sucking. we do a lot of work for nonprofits who have causes i believe in, and that helps out a bunch. it’s also a small, family run business (two guys who met in college about 15-20 years ago and grew the business from there). i’ve worked at less nonprofit-focused places, and i always felt drained.

i would find out which companies are doing your kind of work for the nonprofits you care about and go from there.

WaterLizard,

Thank you for sharing your own experience. While part of me wants completely out of tech, I really think the right company culture plays a role in that. I wouldn’t mind staying in the field if I found something similar to your own job.

Out of curiosity, how did you find your current job? I’m used to using LinkedIn, but I feel it has become very Facebooky and very corporate America. I’ve heard of Dice and Indeed, but haven’t heard if one is better than the other for these types of jobs.

autumn,
@autumn@beehaw.org avatar

the company i was formerly working for decided to get rid of their web dev and design departments (including me). i had already had some contact with two of the folks where i work now on other projects, so i knew their work was well done and smart. i demanded the company who was letting me go to get me an interview there, since they were old college buddies.

in a nutshell: luck and happening upon the right people. whenever we have openings, i always press any of my friends who are unhappy in their current jobs to apply, because it’s by far the best place i’ve worked.

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