Adam Hayman
Ryan Smith leads a nonprofit recruiting firm, which means he sees nonprofit hiring from the inside out. He’s involved when organizations are deciding who to hire, and when candidates are trying to decide whether a role will support them or slowly grind them down.
His perspective cuts through a lot of the assumptions people bring into nonprofit work and offers a more grounded way to think about entering the field.
Let’s get into the interview.
With nonprofits, especially smaller ones, there’s often a lot of ambiguity baked into every role. These organizations are frequently under-resourced and understaffed, which means roles tend to be more expansive and more fluid than the title or description might suggest. You might be hired to oversee one lane, but end up covering three.
For some people, this is exactly what they’re looking for. You get exposure to work you’d never have the opportunity to touch in a larger, more well-funded organization. For others, though, it can feel overwhelming or even exploitative over time. It’s worth thinking carefully about whether that level of ambiguity and stretch is something you’re genuinely excited by, or something that would wear you down.
Successful candidates know how to translate their experience instead of just listing it. You’re trying to connect with a hiring manager who lives and works in the nonprofit sector, so you need to meet them halfway. If you show up talking about shareholders and market dominance, you’re probably going to get some puzzled looks.
Do your research and think about how your skills and experience map to what this specific organization actually does. Strong candidates also show humility and a learning mindset. Nonprofit hiring managers aren’t looking for someone who shows up with “I know better because I’m from the private sector” energy. They want people with tangible skills, curiosity, and a coachable attitude. Be a kind human, not a jerk robot.
Two big things: grit and self-direction.
Hiring managers often worry about whether someone will stick around when things get hard or messy. Questions like: Will this person quit if I’m busy and can’t support them closely for a week or two? Will they freeze without constant direction, or just watch YouTube until someone tells them what to do?
If you’re interviewing, think about times in past roles when you’ve had to persevere through challenges or figure things out on your own. Be ready to talk about those moments. They matter more than people realize.
Before evaluating the organization, evaluate yourself. What are you actually looking for in a professional home? What are your priorities, limits, and non-negotiables?
Once you’re clear on that, shift your focus to the organization. How do they talk about the person who held the role before you? During interviews, does the hiring manager seem frantic and overwhelmed, or genuinely present and thoughtful? Do they have a clear vision for what this role is meant to do, or are they simply desperate for more bodies and capacity?
Those signals are often there if you’re paying attention.
Nonprofit work is not a moral test.
One of the great tragedies of our time is that people working to make the world better are often paid less, and sometimes respected less, than influencers selling magic green powder and mushroom coffee. You do not have to accept poverty wages, chaos, or poor leadership to “prove” your commitment to a mission.
It’s true that nonprofit salaries are lower on average, and the work can be messy. But you do not have to become a human punching bag to do meaningful work. If you want to devote your life to improving your community, you still deserve to be fairly compensated, appreciated, and supported. Otherwise, you won’t last very long.
