Identifying Organizations & Jobs of Interest

Before we go to an expanded list of sites and resources that list jobs, I want to discuss Avoiding Online Job Search Hazards.

Unfortunately, new technology has created some new hazards, like protecting your privacy, job hunting without getting fired, and managing your online reputation. Old hazards have morphed into new versions, particularly related to scam jobs, scam job boards, and employer identity theft. Job-Hunt.org.has some terrific Guides to help you navigate these tricky waters:

  • Guide to Protecting Your Privacy
    In an online job search, smart job seekers take precautions to protect their privacy. This Guide explains why and how to do that.
  • Guide to Avoiding Job Scams
    Unfortunately, people in a job search are exposed to a number of scams, and without knowing what you might be facing and how many of the scams operate, you can be badly hurt by them. So, read this Guide to understand how to spot and avoid online scams in your job search.
  • Guide to Personal Online Reputation Management
    Employers and recruiters use the Internet’s search capabilities to research potential job candidates. What they find can make the difference between being considered for a job and being ignored. So, today, online reputation management is really not optional. This Guide offers the why and how to protect your reputation online.
  • Guide to a Stealthy Job Search
    Employers are not usually happy to discover that an employee is job hunting. Often, that employee loses their job immediately or has a very uncomfortable discussion with their boss. Unfortunately, today, it is easy for employers to discover that an employee is job hunting. This Guide offers help to avoid that situation.

I strongly urge you to keep all of those articles on internet job search safety close to you as you begin going to websites and job boards that might not have your best interests in mind.

Resources for Finding Jobs in a Variety of Common Good Sectors

What follows are sources of information and listings that might help you find organizations and jobs of interest in multiple Common Good sectors. I am either already familiar with these resources or I found them by researching on the internet using keywords such as “nonprofit job listings” or words that relate to specific Common Good sectors like “healthcare” or “education” or “unions.” I encourage you to look through these resources even if you have a very specific Common Good sector that you want to approach. That being said, if you are driven to go right to the Resources for Finding Jobs in Specific Common Good Sectors section that follows, then go for it.

Continuing with the theme of taking an expansive view of what Common Good means to you personally, I encourage you to converse with people whose opinion you trust in regard to organizations and leaders that promote the Common Good, through actions to their employees, and in general. There are employers in traditionally toxic industries that buck that stereotype and treat their employees and clients with Common Good respect. I would ask you to be open to considering suggestions from folks you trust when they happen to mention an industry or particular employer toward which you have a negative predisposition. Hear them out as they reply to your question, “I am looking at career options that serve the Common Good; any ideas?”I would also recommend that you be open to asking those whom you trust about whom they both trust and respect as leaders and individuals. I have coached and done leadership-development consulting in some very toxic companies over the years because a particular leader had contacted the consulting firm I was working with and had asked to speak to us. When we met, he or she explained that although their corporate culture was not a positive one, they wanted, as leaders, to do whatever they could in their power to improve the work environment for the individuals for whom they were responsible. In many cases their span of control covered thousands of individuals.

I would consider them to be Common Good leaders, in the expansive way I have used that term since my first mention of it in the Welcome: An Introduction to this Site. They were courageous, often putting their jobs in jeopardy to support what they thought was right for their employees, clients, or the world in general. I know of individuals who approached and were hired by people like this, and their comment as we closed out our work together was, “I never in a million years would have thought I would be working at XXX. But I am energized to work with that leader and have a positive impact.”

An article in Inc magazine titled – The 16 Best Job Search Engines in 2019 began with LinkedIn. “With more than 575 million users, LinkedIn is the world’s most popular social media network for professionals.” Other top job search engines are indeed.com, linkup.com, and simplyhired.com.

These sites not only list jobs, but they provide dozens of articles and other information regarding how to do an effective job search. The more useful the information they provide, the more likely job seekers will be to return to their site and employers will be to list jobs with their site.

Consulting firms to the Common Good sectors often provide very current information about Common Good leadership, job listings, and resources for the same reason I mentioned in the previous paragraph about search-engine sites. Both firms mentioned below do this and are worth looking at, whether you work with or research Common Good employers with the goal of approaching them. I will revisit these two firms when we get to the Be a Common Good Leader section.www.compasspoint.org – From the homepage: “Compass Point intensifies the impact of fellow nonprofit leaders, organizations, and networks as we achieve social equity together. We believe that nonprofit organizations and leaders need relevant support that builds on their strengths, experiences, and achievements and that those individuals and organizations that invest in increasing their leadership and management capacities are better poised to achieve progress.” The Compass Point site contains dozens of articles, templates, and other resources regarding the nonprofit sector.

www.bridgespan.org – From the Our Mission page – “We work to build a better world by strengthening the ability of mission-driven organizations and philanthropists to achieve breakthrough results in addressing society’s most important challenges and opportunities.” From the About Us page – “The Bridgespan Group is a nonprofit advisor and resource for mission-driven organizations and philanthropists. We collaborate with social sector leaders to help scale impact, build leadership, advance philanthropic effectiveness, and accelerate learning. We work on issues related to society’s most important challenges of breaking cycles of intergenerational poverty, providing effective safety nets, and ensuring core human and civil rights. Our services include strategy consulting, leadership development, philanthropy advising, and developing and sharing practical insights.” I have used The Bridgespan Group’s articles, research reports and surveys for a number of years. They are extremely professional and informative regarding how to lead and support successful nonprofits. We will be visiting them again.

Organizations that evaluate nonprofits provide a wealth of information about their stability, structure, resources, and much more. These sites are particularly helpful at both ends of the job search/career exploration process: for identifying charities you might want to research and also after you have identified employers of interest and are beginning to approach them for information or job interviews.www.charitynavigator.org – Charity Navigator – From the Mission page: “Charity Navigator works to guide intelligent giving. By guiding intelligent giving, we aim to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace, in which givers and the charities they support work in tandem to overcome our nation’s and the world’s most persistent challenges.” Their Top Ten lists, available from their homepage, include Most Frequently Viewed Charities, Charities with the Most Consecutive 4-Star Ratings, Consistently Low Rated Charities, Charities in Deep Financial Trouble, and many more.

http://greatnonprofits.org – From the About page: Great Nonprofits is the “leading developer of tools that allow people to find, review, and share information about great—and perhaps not yet great— nonprofits and charities.”

www.thenonprofittimes.com – The NonProfit Times: Provides excellent articles and a yearly listing of *** Best Nonprofits to Work For.

www.npconnect.org – Nonprofit Connect: This is an example of a local nonprofit resource in Kansas City that provides resources for people who live in the Midwest. Their resources however, like The Nonprofit Career Guide: How to Land a Job That Makes a Difference could provide assistance to any Common Good job seeker. Every state has these resources, which can be identified by searching terms like “nonprofit resources in (your state of interest)”, or “environmental job listings in (your state of interest).”

As I have suggested previously, as a career counselor, I have always encouraged folks I was coaching to take an expansive view of career exploration. This site is an example of an employer that supports the Common Good through technology solutions. As I have said previously, and will emphasize again, I would encourage you to have an open mind about the types of places you might work that relate to the Common Good. When I went on this site there were 6 job listings, all technical. If, for example, you are an engineer or an IT professional or an accountant with a social conscience, choosing to work for an organization that supports the Common Good might be a good way to combine your technical skill with your socially conscious values. There are many of these organizations out there, and the resources on this site are designed to help you find them.

www.nationalservice.gov – From the homepage of CNCS: “Established in 1993, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans in service through its core programs—Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and the Social Innovation Fund. As the nation’s largest grant maker for service and volunteering, CNCS plays a critical role in strengthening America’s nonprofit sector and addressing our nation’s challenges through service.”

www.nonprofitquarterly.org – Nonprofit Quarterly: A comprehensive gathering of news related to the nonprofit sector.

www.nonprofitjobs.org – From the homepage: “Nonprofit jobs is an online meeting place where not-for-profit employers and management personnel can meet one another…Any user who visits this website can search job opportunities.”

www.councilofnonprofits.org – National Council of Nonprofits: When you are on their homepage, click on Nonprofit Careers and you will be on their job-listing page, which says the following, “Welcome to the Nonprofit Job and Career Center hosted by the National Council of Nonprofits. Whether you are looking to take the next step in your career, make a transition into the nonprofit sector, or fill an open position at your nonprofit, this is the place for you.” This site also lists state resources and contact information. I encourage you to go to both the state nonprofit association where you live or want to work and other state association sites. As an example, what follows is a very strong state site that provides resources that are relevant to anyone looking for a Common Good job.

www.njnonprofits.org – The Center for Nonprofits – From the homepage: “The Center for Nonprofits is the only umbrella organization for all New Jersey. Since 1982 the center has provided advocacy, resources, training and information to strengthen non-profits and help them thrive.” I am including this state’s information because, when you click on Announcements and then click on Job Listings, you are provided with not only information about NJ jobs, but links to a robust selection of Nonprofit Job Resources. This is a very rich site for that reason alone and I would encourage you to visit it no matter where you live.

www.aarp.org – AARP: This site is loaded with job-search resources geared for older job seekers, but I encourage younger readers to go to it as well, since many of the articles and job listings are relevant for those with less experience or who are younger. Go to the homepage, click on Work and Retirement, then click on Your Job Search, and you will access multiple practical resources. For example, they do a survey every year for the Best Employers for Workers Over 50, and there are 50 listed. They also have a listing of Top Ten Companies Hiring This Week. Each of the ten lists the number of openings, a description of what the company does, and an employee review of the company. They have also contracted with different search engines like Career Builder and Indeed that allow you to search by job title, industry of interest, location, and other variables.

http://www.weddles.com – WEDDLE’s – From the homepage: “WEDDLE’s is all about your career success! But you’ve already heard that kind of claim before. So, what’s different about Weddle’s? Whether you’re a Job Seeker, Career Activist, Employer, Recruiter or Employment Site Professional, we’ve created a collection of totally original, extraordinarily effective resources designed especially for YOU. They provide knowledge you need and the support you deserve to be the best you can be…today, tomorrow and into the future.” As they say, there is a lot of very creative and original content on this site, so it is well worth visiting. I would strongly recommend you check out their Weddle’s User’s Choice Awards winners, as voted by the visitors to the WEDDLE’s site. These choices are described as, “The Elite of the Online Employment Services Industry.” The listings of employment-related sites include some of those that I mention on my site but many that I do not include. Disclaimer: I have no relationship with Peter Weddle, the owner of this site, even though we both worked in the past, but at different times, at the same human resource consulting firm.

http://ynpn.org – Young Nonprofit Professionals Network: This is a phenomenal resource for existing nonprofit professionals and those who would like to be. Their research section provides a study on “whether emerging leaders in the sector were remaining in the sector” and a link to a “series on the struggles that face young nonprofit professionals.” Those reports alone would be worth a visit. They also provide a very comprehensive list of links to Sector Resources, grouped into General, Talent & Leadership Development, Coaching, Career Development/Job Postings, Education, Civic Engagement/Advocacy, Finance, Fundraising, and Governance. And there is a lot more; this is an energized, practical, and worthwhile site. Even though the word “young” is in their site title, I would encourage anybody interested in Common Good careers to visit this site; it is that comprehensive.

cogenerate.org/ – Formerly Encore – Here is information from their About Us section: “Encore.org is building a movement to make it easier for millions of people to pursue second acts for the greater good. We call them ‘encore careers’—jobs that combine personal meaning, continued income and social impact—in the second half of life. While Encore.org is not a job placement service, it provides free, comprehensive information that helps people transition to jobs in the nonprofit world and the public sector.” This is another very robust site focused on individuals interested in serving the greater good. I would encourage individuals of any age interested in Common Good work or careers to take advantage of the ideas here. They identify the Top 5 Encore Career Fields and provide solid information on each. Their Job Listings section provides links to a number of sites I have already mentioned, but there are a number of others I have not covered. They explain that the Encore Career Finder “scours more than 5 million listings for encore-friendly jobs.” Finally, I purchased from the site The Encore Career Handbook: How to Make a Living and a Difference in the Second Half of Life to use as one of the texts for a workshop I am designing, and it is full of resources and exercises that are practical and actionable.

www.compasspoint.org – Compass Point: As mentioned earlier, this site includes dozens of research reports and articles pertaining to the nonprofit sector.

www.nonprofitleadershipalliance.org – Nonprofit Leadership Alliance – From their homepage: “The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance offers the only national certification in nonprofit management and leadership developed with, and recognized by, the nonprofit sector.” This site also has job listings from their member organizations.

Resources for Finding Jobs in Specific Positive Impact/Common Good Sectors

What follows are sites I have found in my own research on some of the Positive Impact/Common Good sector employers. These lists will provide you with examples of how to look at all of the categories of Common Good employers that you might identify by subject. The major job-search engines and the multiple sources mentioned at the beginning of this Identifying Organizations and Jobs of Interest section will also have job listings in most of these categories. If there is a Common Good sector or type of employer that is not included, you will be able to find it by putting in the appropriate search query in your search engine of choice.

http://www.nyfa.org– NY Foundation for the Arts – From the About NYFA page: “Established in 1971 by the New York State Council on the Arts as an independent organization to serve individual artists throughout the state, the mission of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is to empower emerging artists and arts organizations across all disciplines at critical stages in their creative lives and professional/organizational development. In 2009, we extended our programs and services throughout the United States and the international community.” They offer boot camps—“NYFA’s Artist As Entrepreneur Boot Camps take artists through the core principles of sustainability which an artist can apply to their practice or specific projects”—and Doctor’s Hours—“Doctor’s Hours offers artists an opportunity for one-on-one consultations with a range of industry professionals in their creative field” —as well as job listings and other resources.www.michaels.com – Michaels: Where Creativity Happens – From the homepage: “At Michaels, you’ll find associates who are enthusiastic and passionate about their work, people development and arts & crafts. As a world-class retailer, we are always looking for the brightest, most creative and most talented people to join our team. We offer unparalleled career opportunities for our associates, flexible work schedules, comprehensive benefits packages, competitive base pay, vacation and retirement plans. Create your career now!” If you go to their homepage, go to the bottom to Corporate and click on Careers-Work at Michaels, you will find job listings from all over the U.S. and Canada. Again, identifying a major employer in your Common Good field of interest and looking for a job there gets you connected to your field and allows you to create the kind of relationships with customers and staff that might move you toward a career with that employer or other types of work that interest you, as you promote the Common Good.

http://www.americansforthearts.org – Americans for the Arts – From the homepage: “Our mission is to serve, advance, and lead the network of organizations and individuals who cultivate, promote, sustain, and support the arts in America. Connecting your best ideas and leaders from the arts, communities, and business, together we can work to ensure that every American has access to the transformative power of the arts.” They have a listing of positions at their organization, as well as a research that provides information about their Creative Industries report. “In advocacy, knowledge is power, but jobs are persuasion. Using data from Dun & Bradstreet—widely acknowledged as the most comprehensive and trusted source for business information in the United States—our 2014 Creative Industries: Business & Employment in the Arts reports offer a research-based approach to understanding the scope and importance of the arts to the nation’s economy.” You need to login to access the free creative industries pdf reports that outline the “750,453 businesses in the U.S. involved in the creation or distribution of the arts that employ 3.1 million people.”

http://www.creativehotlist.com – Creative Hot List – From the About Us page: “Creative Hotlist and creativehotlist.com are owned and operated by Coyne & Blanchard, Inc., the parent company of Communication Arts magazine….Creative Hot List is now a dedicated career resource for creative professionals in visual communications: Individuals can post resumes, job-wanted listings and online portfolios. Companies and organizations can post information about capabilities and services and from the same account, post job openings and, through the acceptance of resumes online, manage a hiring search. What ultimately makes our site so unique are the advanced search capabilities and the ability to save searches in a personalized virtual filing system.”

www.asaecenter.org – The Center for Association Leadership – From the Who We Are page: “ASAE represents more than 21,000 association executives and industry partners representing 10,000 organizations. Our members manage leading trade associations, individual membership societies and voluntary organizations across the United States and in nearly 50 countries around the world…We believe associations have the power to transform society for the better. Our passion is to help association professionals achieve previously unimaginable levels of performance. We do this by nurturing a community of really smart, creative, and interesting people—our members.” If you click on the Resources or Career icons, you are provided with job posting capability and multiple articles regarding what is going on in the association world.http://careercenter.collegeart.org – The College Art Association: I am including this association listing to underscore a theme I have mentioned previously; the need to be expansive about how you look at your career and the career resources that are available to you. You might have no interest in an association career, but you could receive much benefit from identifying the association in your field of interest and looking through their resources. There are, for example, many career listings on this site for individuals with an art background. This commitment to the field is summarized in the following Mission Statement: “The College Art Association (CAA) promotes the visual arts and their understanding through committed practice and intellectual engagement….Address career development and workforce issues to assist professional growth.”

http://hercjobs.org – Higher Education Recruitment Consortium – From the About HERC page: “HERC member institutions include over 600 colleges, universities, hospitals, research labs, government agencies, and related non- and for-profit organizations that ascribe to HERC’s vision and mission….HERC member representatives generally hold interest in faculty, staff, and executive recruitment and retention issues and include chief human resources officers, chief academic officers, chief diversity officers, employment/recruitment managers, dual-career directors, and individuals with comparable titles….HERC advances member institutions’ ability to recruit and retain the most diverse and talented workforce and to assist dual-career couples.” When I had looked, their database listed over 16,000 jobs in higher education. In addition, they offer other services, job search and career advancement information, and relocation resources through their regional offices.http://www.teachforamerica.org – Teach for America – From the Our Mission page: “Teach for America is growing the movement of leaders who work to ensure that kids growing up in poverty get an excellent education…We look for individuals who show leadership potential and have other traits that are found in our most successful teachers….Over the past 22 years, we’ve learned that there is no specific personality profile or background that predicts success in the classroom. Some corps members were educators prior to joining, but many do not have any prior experience in the education field. Your potential as a corps member can shine through whether you’ve led your student government, achieved academic honors, managed a complex project at work, served our country in the armed forces, or rallied support for a cause that’s important to you. And those are just a few of the countless experiences our most successful corps members bring to the table.”

http://www.higheredjobs.com – Higher Ed Jobs – From the Company Information page: “HigherEdJobs was founded in 1996 by three university employees who felt there had to be an easier way to search and apply for jobs in academia. At the time, print ads still dominated how college faculty and staff searched for jobs—a process that was laborious, time intensive, and slow. And, due to the high cost of print ads, institutions typically only listed (and candidates only saw) a fraction of their openings. The founders believed the Internet had the power to revolutionize higher education recruitment. So, they created HigherEdJobs as a central place on the web for higher education employers and professionals to connect. Today, HigherEdJobs is the leading source for jobs and career information in academia.”

www.coolworks.com – From the Mission Statement page: “CoolWorks.com believes in the transformational power of seasonal and career Jobs In Great Places. As a niche job board, CoolWorks’ mission is to connect adventurous job seekers with employers and one another. Lives are changed because of what we do, and we work passionately to offer inspiration, resources and encouragement. CoolWorks.com has been central to the summer job and seasonal job market niche since 1995, an old-timer in web years, but we have a youthful, energetic, older and bolder spirit. We have a dedicated core of job seekers who use Cool Works to actively seek job opportunities in great places like national parks, various resorts, ranches, camps, ski resorts, and jobs on the water. They also seek volunteer and conservation corps opportunities to help better our world. We’re proud of the employers who utilize our site and are always on the lookout for others who fit our niche.”www.epa.gov/jobs – From the Environmental Protection Agency homepage: “Every day is Earth Day at EPA—join us in protecting the environment! Our diverse workforce connects to more than just a career. We share a common passion to promote a cleaner, healthier environment. Discover how exciting safeguarding our natural resources and protecting human health can be. We consistently rank as one of the top federal agencies in which to work, with great benefits and work flexibilities. Find yourself at EPA.”

http://mcf.org – Minnesota Council on Foundations – From the Jobs page: “Welcome to the Minnesota Council on Foundations Jobs’ page. Here you will find many job openings in the fields of philanthropy and nonprofit in the state of Minnesota.” They list jobs in the following categories: Administration and Finance, Communication and Development, Executive and Senior Management, Grants, and Programs.

www.usajobs.gov – The Federal Government’s Official Job Site – From the About Us page: “USAJOBS.gov is a free web-based job board enabling federal job seekers access to thousands of job opportunities across hundreds of federal agencies and organizations, allowing agencies to meet their legal obligation (5 USC 3327 and 5 USC 3330) of providing public notice for federal employment opportunities. As the Federal Government’s official source for federal job listings and employment opportunity information, USAJOBS.gov provides a variety of opportunities. The Federal Occupational Group section of this site can be very helpful for those who are interested in positions in the Federal Government and want to narrow down the types of positions that might be approached.
www.healthecareers.com – From the About Us page: “Health Careers Network is your destination for healthcare careers with news, information, events, career resources and employment opportunities—all specific to your career path.”
www.christianjobs.com – From the homepage: “ChristianJobs.com is a premier job search website for Christian employment at ministry organizations, nonprofits and businesses. Search for Christian employment opportunities in fields such as sales, accounting, teaching, counseling, marketing and more. Our job search engine will make your Christian job search easy! Additional online career help including resume writing services, career development, interview tips and career advice offer job seekers the guidance they need to find their calling.”www.christiancareercenter.com – From the homepage: “Welcome to the ChristianCareerCenter.com, the career center developed specifically for Christian men and women! We have created the Christian Career Center to be a ‘one-stop’ career center, a resource to help you reach your career potential.”

www.churchjobfinder.com – Church Job Finder.com – The Largest Church Job Site – From the Statement of Belief page: “ChurchJobFinder is a non-denominational ministry that works with all Bible-believing Christian churches that embrace traditional Christian theology.”

www.jewcentral.com – Jew Central: For Jews Who Reach Higher – From the homepage: “Jew Central has consolidated many resources to bring you a central place to begin your Jewish job search.”

https://jewishjobs.com – From the homepage: “JewishJobs.com is dedicated to advertising nonprofit Jewish communal job postings.”

www.workhalal.com From the homepage: WorkHalal… is open to all persons seeking a job with an Islamic environment. The services provided by us are free!

Major Labor Unions: Communication workers of America (www.cwa-union.org); AFL–CIO (www.aflcio.org); American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (www.afscme.org); International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (www.goiam.org); International Brotherhood of Teamsters (www.teamster.org); Service Employees International Union (www.seiu.org); Transport Workers Union of America (www.twu.org); UAW International (www.uaw.org); Unite Here! (www.unitehere.org); United Farm Workers (www.ufw.org).

www.unionjobs.com – From the homepage: “Welcome to Union Jobs Clearinghouse, our central site for posting open positions in unions and socially allied organizations that are now accepting applications. Celebrating 16 years of putting people to work worldwide!”

I have included organizations that have been listed as best in class, irrespective of whether the identified organizations would be in sectors or industries normally associated with Positive Impact/Common Good. As I stated in my opening comments, I have interpreted Common Good very broadly so that I can provide information that might be helpful to the largest number of people. Organizations that are listed as Best Places to Work or best in class regarding work–life balance, etc., are often serving the Common Good by treating their employees with respect, dignity, and fairness. www.glassdoor.com – This site has multiple lists of best-in-class employers listed in categories such as

  • Top 25 Companies for Life Balance
  • Best Places to Work
  • Top 25 Companies for Career Opportunities

www.fortune.com – Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For is published yearly. The issue lists information about each of the listed companies, as well as articles about best company practices.

www.greatplacetowork.com – Great Place to Work Institute produces the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list. They also publish and make available on their website information on the:

  • 25 Best Small Workplaces
  • 25 Best Medium Workplaces
  • World’s Best Multinational Workplaces

www.aarp.org – AARP: They do occasional surveys for the Best Employers for Workers Over 50.