Non-profits
are tapping pvt sector talent — often professionals who want more
community service-oriented roles
Mumbai: After her graduation, Rachna Dhingra, a business strategy
graduate from the University of Michigan, took the predictable route:
consulting.
She landed a gig with Accenture Ltd and was assigned to work with Dow
Chemical Co., the global chemicals giant.
A dream start for a fresh grad? Dhingra didn’t think so.
Work passion: Rachna Dhingra (front)
believes that quitting her job to
work for an NGO was one of the best career decisions she ever made.
So, two years later, she gave it up and moved to India to work with the
International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal, a non-governmental
organization (NGO) fighting for the rights of survivors of the 1984 gas
tragedy.
Ironically, the group’s agenda includes urging Dow Chemical to take
responsibility for the 1984 gas leak at the plant run by Union Carbide
Corp.; Dow has since bought Union Carbide.
Despite a lot of people insisting that Dhingra was making a mistake,
she believes that quitting her job to work for an NGO was one of the
best decisions she ever made. “To me, it has never been a sacrifice,”
she says. “On the contrary, this job rewards me in ways that a regular
job with a corporate could never have.”
Many other young graduates are finding the same. Non-profits are
tapping talent from the private sector—often well-qualified individuals
who want to enter more community service-oriented roles. They are also
leaning on their business and strategic skills to run more
professionally what has been a largely unorganized sector. The result
has been higher salaries, hiring from overseas and at least one
recruitment firm targeting the non-profit segment.
“The demand is definitely growing,” says Pari Jhaveri, executive
director at Third Sector Partners, a headhunting firm in Mumbai that
specializes in recruitments for not-for-profits and multilateral
agencies.
Jhaveri’s organization has placed more than 120 top executives in the
last three years and gets at least three enquiries each day. “India is
being seen as a big platform for change, so there is a lot of action in
the not-for-profit space,” she says.
Even the compensation packages have improved in many NGOs to help make
it a viable career option.
While a first-class graduate with a master’s in social work can expect
to start off with a package of around Rs25,000, experienced
professionals can expect a lot more, though still not comparable with
the corporate world.
But those in the non-profit sector say the intangible returns are
priceless.
Chinmayi Arakali, a trained film-maker who currently uses her skills in
producing social films for rural women, says: “The best thing about
working with a not-for-profit is that you are contributing towards
making a change in society, in people’s lives. And there’s nothing
better than watching that change happen right in front of your eyes.”
Arakali works with IT for Change, a non-profit organization focusing on
the use of information and communication technologies to bring about
social change, and is currently involved with self-help groups in rural
Karnataka. Her work as a project associate involves making motivational
and educational films on health, legal rights, education and other
topics that are of relevance to rural women. Arakali says she was
always interested in developmental communication and her current role
allows her to marry her skills to her social interests.
“One of the primary drivers for the growth in interest is that the
non-profit industry itself has become more rigorous and professional.
As a result, it increasingly provides the kind of challenge and
environment that professionals are looking for,” says Jayakumar
Christian, national director, World Vision India, which is part of a
global organization that works with poor communities. This
not-for-profit employs chartered accountants, former bankers and
experts in IT.
The fastest growing segments within this space are microfinance, public
health and environment.
“Many of the non-profits in these areas need functional specialists, so
there is scope for people looking to move from the corporate sector to
non-profits,” says Jhaveri. Third Sector Partners also provides a
service called Gap Advisory to help professionals interested in
switching over to non-profits.
Still, a career in non-profits is not for everybody. According to
Dhingra, it’s important to identify your passion. “You must really
believe in what you’re setting out to do,” she says.
It is also important to do your homework, says Jhaveri. “Review the
organization and its work. Ensure that the organization is sustainable.
Check if its structure is something that you’re comfortable with. And
finally be realistic about your expectations.”
WEBSITES | NGO JOBS
www.jobsforgood.com
This is a comprehensive site for job seekers and employers in the
not-for- profit sector. Listing jobs from some of the well-known NGOs
in India, including international development agencies, firms working
in the area of corporate social responsibility, educational and
research institutions, it works like any mainstream job site, but with
exclusive focus on this niche sector.
www.idealist.org
This site has a section on non-profit jobs across the world, including
India. For fresh graduates or young professionals who are looking at
volunteering opportunities or internship programmes, options are many.
Supported by sub-sections such as non-profit career fairs, fellowship
offers and career centre, the site offers a range of information on
career opportunities, human resources-related issues for job seekers
and non-profit professionals.
www.giveindia.org
This website, which is a favourite of companies that want to do their
bit for the community, also offers good career options to those who
want to make a difference while earning their bread and butter. The
listing currently advertises eight in-house vacancies for mid-level
executives across finance, human resources, marketing and engineering.
