Are you thinking of getting a job in the nonprofit market? There is a great calling for it right now. More people are leaving the daily grind of their corporate jobs, in hopes of finding work that helps other people out. River Cohen is one such example. Professionals like him are a wealth of information on how to best land a job at a non-profit. Here are five tips to start your search now.

1) Seek out a group whose mission statement matches your own personal values. It is like finding a job that matches your goals and passions. You are never going to be happy doing the work as long as you view it as a “job”. The same logic applies here. Spend some time with a group that you like. Get a true understanding of what they represent before your agree to join up.

2) Put yourself out there amongst the key people who make these decisions. Volunteer at events. Make a name for yourself. The only way a nonprofit organization will take a chance on you is when they see you making the effort.

3) You cannot think in a limited way with this kind of stuff. Offer your services in areas that no one else will. Offer to mentor someone in a program. Volunteer to work on a special project. You are not going to get hired by doing the things that everyone else does. It does not have to be big. All you have to do is make yourself known within in the group. The right people will begin to take notice.

4) Most people doing nonprofit are not taking a “vow of poverty”. Some of them are due to their own economic and financial background. Most people are making pretty good money doing it. The more skills you have within an organization, the better your chances are at getting paid higher. I am not saying that you should seek a nonprofit who pays out the largest amount of money. That is not why most get into this line of work. All I am saying is that your skills will serve you in the long run. Use the skills you have accordingly. Put them to good use. The larger the organization is, the higher the paid grade.

5) You will need to adjust your job-seeking plans a bit. Not all nonprofits work the way large corporations do. There is not a formal recruiting period. You will need to know this going in. You may need to look in areas that you would not normally look in. You will have to network more than normal. Finding a good job in the nonprofit sector is more challenging than other jobs, but the effort will be worth it.