Development director jobs, or fundraising jobs, are widely needed, especially in the university, college, hospital, and nonprofit fields. Colleges and universities which have a development director and need entry-level fundraisers are looking for energetic people who have good communication skills and great people skills.
Hospitals raise funds for new wings, equipment, and care facilities, and their fundraising directors need people to handle tasks such as finding venues for fundraisers, being responsible for invitations, and creating guest lists. Nonprofit organizations that have development directors will need entry-level fundraisers who can help them come up with ideas that don’t cost much, yet return big profits.
So, if you consider yourself an enterprising, organized person with great communication skills, you might want to work in fundraising yourself. If so, read on for our top ten tips for finding an entry-level fundraising job.
1. Get your resume together and make sure you highlight your communication and organization skills. Perspective employers will be looking for this. Include good references who can vouch for these skills.
2. Dress for success. To get that entry-level fundraising job, you’ll need to make a good impression, so wear the best outfit you have when you interview. Your employer will expect you to shine when meeting with people and attending events.
3. Catch up on who’s who. If you’re familiar with the area you live in, catch up on who has the money in town. These names are important in any fundraising job, so if you do not know them, ask you new employer for a list and study it hard. You should also do this if you are new to an area.
4. Learn what events work and which ones do not. There are many ways to fundraise, whether through an annual gifting letter or an annual ball event. Not everything works for every organization, so review past fundraising projects that the company you want to work for has held, and mention them in your interview.
5. Show off your meet-and-greet skills. If you want to land a fundraising job, when interviewing, be peppy and provide a good, firm handshake. The job you seek will require you to meet and greet many people, so make sure you let the skills you have shine through in the interview process.
6. Attend some fundraisers. While you may not be able to get into exclusive events, there are many fundraisers that are open to the public. Go to as many as you can and meet your potential counterparts. Ask questions of them and advice on how they got their entry-level fundraising jobs.
7. Check out more than one entry-level fundraising position. As we discussed, there are many ways to fundraise, so if working for a nonprofit or school doesn’t interest you, check around to see what job duties are included in other fundraising jobs.
8. Be willing to travel. Many fundraisers have alumni who like their fundraising events held in various locations. Make sure, then, that you have dependable transportation and are able to transport materials to a fundraising location. If you mention a willingness to travel option in your interview, it will help you.
9. Take a golf lesson. This may sound silly, but many, many fundraisers are held at golf courses. People like to play golf to fundraise, so if you can use your own golf skills, you’ll be a hit.
10. Seek out fundraising venues prior to your interview. If you’ve attended some fundraisers prior to your interview, you’ll be aware of the most utilized venues that organizations use to fundraise. Even if you haven’t attended any fundraisers, find out which venues are most desirable and mention them in your interview.
With these top ten tips for getting an entry-level fundraising job and good interviewing skills, you should find it easy to land the job of your dreams.
Now, you may be asking yourself, “Where can I find entry-level fundraising jobs?” At FundraisingCrossing.com, a division of EmploymentCrossing, they’ve searched throughout the Internet for available fundraising jobs and have placed them into one easy-to-search database.
At FundraisingCrossing, you’ll also find Job Profile Videos from fundraising experts wherein they discuss how to land a good fundraising job. Along with these videos, you’ll find many articles that discuss every aspect of fundraising and what will be expected of you when you land that entry-level fundraising job.
If you have great communication skills, are organized, and consider yourself a people person, an entry-level fundraising job may well be right for you. So visit FundraisingCrossing today to see what jobs are available!
