General

Category: General

An Introduction to Nonprofits

Nonprofits are a great way to directly impact a cause or issue that needs improvement. Whether that means enacting a positive impact on a specific community or a societal issue, there a numerous ways to get into the world of Nonprofits!

What is a Nonprofit?

A nonprofit is an organization that generates a profit for a purpose other than the financial gain of the organization and their employees. Nonprofits are founded in order to provide money/resources/programs/etc. to all different kinds of targeted audiences. A very common misconception about nonprofits is that the employees of these organizations don’t get paid for their work because of the non-business aspect, but workers typically receive similar salaries just like any other business. Which means working in the nonprofit world is a great job/internship/volunteer opportunity for anyone who is looking to give back to a cause they are passionate about both directly and indirectly.

Some typical departments at nonprofits include:

Executive/Top Management
These positions oversee the direction and strategy of the organization at either the local or national level. Some example job titles include:

  • Director/Executive Director
  • Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
  • Chief Operating Officer (COO)
  • Board Member
  • Director of Philanthropy
  • Development Director
  • Advocacy Director
  • Volunteer Director

Administrative/Accounting
These positions are in charge of the day to day duties that are necessary in order to keep the organization running smoothly. Some example job titles include:

  • Community Service/Project Coordinator
  • Nonprofit Administrator
  • Aides Supervisor
  • Financial Aid Representative
  • Public Relations Manager
  • Volunteer Manager

Marketing/Communications
These positions mainly focus on promoting the organization to potential donors, target audiences, and community members. Some example job titles include:

  • Director/Vice-President of Communications
  • Community Outreach Coordinator
  • Communications Manager
  • Grant Proposal Manager
  • Advocacy Director
  • Fundraising Coordinator
  • Marketing Associate
  • Social Media Coordinator
  • Community Outreach Specialist
  • Donor Relations Manager

Health/Human Services
These positions cover a diverse array of needs within an organization, primarily to promote welfare for both physical and mental needs. Some example job titles include:

  • Volunteer Coordinator
  • Social Worker
  • Human Resources Officer
  • Child Care Worker
  • Childbirth Educator
  • Counselor
  • Minister
  • Pastor
  • Labor Union Organizer
  • Policy Analyst
  • Job Developer

Popular Nonprofits + Their Purposes

– Habitat for Humanity –

Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1976 as a Christian housing ministry. The organization raises donations and volunteer help to build actual homes for people that need them. For more information about Habitat for Humanity and how to get involved.

– Education Beyond Borders –

Education Beyond Borders is a non-profit NGO devoted to closing the global education divide through teacher professional development and community education. For more information about Education Beyond Borders and how to get involved.

– Boys & Girls Clubs of America –

Boys & Girls Clubs of America is a national organization of local chapters which provide voluntary after-school programs for young people. For more information about Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and how to get involved.

– Planned Parenthood –

Planned Parenthood is a trusted health care provider, educator, and passionate advocate here in the U.S. as well as a strong partner to health and rights organizations around the world. For more information about Planned Parenthood and how to get involved.

– Doctors Without Borders –

Doctors Without Borders is an international humanitarian group dedicated to providing medical care to people in distress, including victims of political violence and natural disasters. For more information about Doctors Without Borders and how to get involved.

– Midwest Food Bank –

The Midwest Food Bank  is an American non-profit organization that gathers food donations, primarily from large companies, and distributes them to other non-profit organizations and disaster sites. For more information about the Midwest Food Bank and how to get involved.

– Save The Music Foundation –

The Save The Music Foundation is a nonprofit organization helping students, schools, and communities reach their full potential through the power of making music. For more information about the Save The Music Foundation and how to get involved.

Political Campaign Staffers

Political campaign staffers are the backbone of every campaign. They are responsible for managing budgets, raising money, running social media, building field programs, prepping candidates for public appearances, and implementing campaign strategies.   Campaign staffers have a difficult job because they must oversee the day-to-day operations of a campaign while also keeping the long-term strategic goals in mind. A political campaign staffer is a member of the campaign team. This team must manage the work of both internal and external aspects of the campaign. The campaign staff oversees everything from managing the door-to-door volunteers to approving the creative for digital ads and direct mail pieces. A good political campaign staff should also be creating reports on the campaign’s progress, which requires the ability to obtain, manage, and analyze data.

To get started as a political campaign staffer, most people start by volunteering to gain experience and relevant skills. In most roles, you need excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to be persuasive and informative with diverse audiences. You should be enthusiastic about politics and passionate about relevant causes, issues, and priorities. There is no specific educational background required to be a political campaign staffer, but a bachelor’s degree in government or political science is very helpful. Political campaigns offer the opportunity to develop and refine a wide assortment of skills in an extremely fast-paced and flexible environment. Moreover, they give a unique perspective into the electoral process, as well as the cares and concerns of elected officials and the American public.

The average annual pay for a Political Campaign Staff in the United States is $42,776 a year. However, this can vary greatly depending on skill level, location, and years of experience.

People choose to be political campaign staffers for many reasons. Some are passionate about politics and want to make a difference in their community or country. Political campaign staffers can advance to managing larger campaigns for statewide or national office. Some senior campaign staffers may move into political consulting, working for multiple candidates or causes.  Additionally, campaign staffers can use their skills and experience to transition into other careers such as public relations, journalism, or government work.

WORKS CITED:

https://hls.harvard.edu/bernard-koteen-office-of-public-interest-advising/a-quick-guide-to-working-on-political-campaigns/

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-get-into-politics

https://work.chron.com/political-career-start-29679.html

https://www.thecampaignworkshop.com/blog/pillar/campaign-management/political-campaign-staff

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/e/How-to-Get-a-Political-Campaign-Staff-Job

https://online.norwich.edu/academic-programs/resources/running-a-political-campaign

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-involved-in-activism-and-join-political-organization-2020-6

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_campaign_staff

https://spcs.richmond.edu/professional-education/areas/legal-government/campaign-management/index.html

https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Industry=Political_Campaign/Salary

Creating and Pitching Television Shows, Movies, and Video Games

Television, movies, video games, and even web series are all things we consume at least somewhat frequently, and the entertainment industry is rapidly growing and looking for new ideas (This current deficit of new, fresh ideas is at least one reason they’ve been remaking so many movies that were already fine to begin with). If you feel like you want to make a show or a movie and have an idea that you think should be out there, chances are that others would absolutely agree. This article is dedicated to explaining the basics of what you will need to get started, and a groundwork for where to go next.

The most important part of creating a show is its pitch, specifically presenting it quickly while covering the most notable parts of your idea, called an “elevator pitch.” Elevator pitches are quick, abbreviated editions of the concept itself- so quick, you should be able to pitch it to an executive in an elevator ride. For example, Breaking Bad’s elevator pitch was famously “Mr. Chips becomes Scarface,” quickly describing how a high school teacher turns into a drug lord, which was so bold, Sony executives picked it up. When you get straight to the point of an elevator pitch, you jog the cogs in someone’s brain and they become curious if there is more, which helps you move on to the next part: the pitch meeting and the bible.

Following the elevator pitch comes the pitch meeting, where those interested in making a show or movie must talk to executives. You should create a bible, or a book/binder full of different ideas for the show or movie and bring a copy to the meeting to show executives. Spongebob Squarepants’ pitch was more of an experience than a regular pitch because the creator, Stephen Hillenburg, really put his all into his pitch. He and the creative director, Derek Drymon, showed off a tiny diorama of Bikini Bottom in an aquarium tank with tiny versions of the characters in it, wheeled it into the room, and blasted Hawaiian music both wearing Hawaiian shirts, truly making the pitch their own. They told their plans for the characters and ran down the pilot with executives. It was so good, the executives wished they had it on tape. So, the best thing to do in a pitch is make it your own and have fun, because if you have fun making it, executives will have fun watching it, and they will be more inclined to pick you up. You can read through the Spongebob Squarepants show bible here! There is no right or wrong way to do a pitch, but here is a good template for how you could structure your own pitch meeting. Feel free to build off it!

The best thing about the entertainment industry is that you do not need a degree from a big school, or even in any specific program (film studies, animation, English/creative writing, computer science, etc.). For example, Lawrence alum Josh Sawyer majored in history here and participated in theater and was able to become a design director at Obsidian Entertainment and has used his love of history to create one of the best-regarded games of 2022, and one of Obsidian’s best: Pentiment. Sawyer found early on he did not want to pursue a career with his history major and used his tinkering in web design and animation to jump into the world of video game development and directed Fallout: New Vegas and the Pillars of Eternity duology.

If your pitch does not get picked up at first, know that it is completely okay! Even the greatest creators have struggled to land a place with a publisher or network. But even if it is discouraging to have your idea turned down, it is important not to give up. There are plenty more people who will be willing to give you a chance. The industry can be for anyone (including Lawrentians), and if you have any interest, the worst thing you can do is not try to get involved.

WORKS CITED:

https://www.slashfilm.com/963967/why-so-many-networks-turned-down-breaking-bad/

https://careerdevelopment.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf1041/files/media/elevator_pitch.pdf

https://www.lawrence.edu/articles/lawrence-expertise-helps-fuel-pentiment-video-game

https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2015/12/spongebob-squarepants-made-air/

Spencer R. Brown is a junior in their first year at Lawrence University, with a major in Government. They work as a media and marketing assistant in the Career Center, and curates articles for students in both Communication, Journalism & Written Arts (#CJW) and Government, Law & International Relations (#GLI) career communities. A writer and animator by trade and part-time mascot, Spencer is fascinated in finding ways to make digesting information entertaining. Feel free to connect with them on LinkedIn here!

Being and Working for an Elected Attorney

Elected attorneys are everywhere and are necessary in every city and state, and there are only two ways to get the job: run for it or be appointed to it. There are two main types of elected attorneys: attorneys general, who oversee a state, and district attorneys, who oversee a county, city, or general area, depending on the state. If you are interested in both law and politics, then serving as (or for) an elected attorney could be a goal for you!

Here in Wisconsin, we have seventy-one district attorneys, or DAs (we have seventy-two counties, but Shawano and Menominee counties unite to elect one DA) and one attorney general, or AG. In Appleton (and Outagamie County as a whole), our DA is Mindy Tempelis, and she is responsible for three main things: prosecuting all criminal actions and asset seizure for the county, arguing her position in front of the appellate or supreme court if summoned by the Attorney General, and managing the prosecutorial unit (regarding budget and administrative issues). DAs also can issue subpoenas for a grand jury and oversee the proceedings.

The Wisconsin Attorney General, Josh Kaul, is in charge of answering questions about the law to officials, examining and certifying both bonds and trust funds, managing the state Department of Justice, and appointing people who can manage and represent the state as either defense or prosecution (depending on the case). Rarely ever do attorneys general prosecute cases, so it seems, at a first glance especially, that district attorneys have more power than attorneys general, but the state DOJ oversees more territory.

All district attorneys and attorneys general are Juris Doctors and have passed the bar exam, which you would need to do if you had interest in one of these positions. However, there are many appointed positions within both sectors. Most people they hire are law school graduates or paralegals, but there are positions (such as chief of staff and some directing posts) that may only require a bachelor’s degree. Students who have studied government/political science, history, and economics have the greatest likelihood of landing a job working for a DA or AG.

DAs and AGs are both vital to making law work. If you end up with a JD, have ideas you think would make the world a better place, and want to enter the political arena, throw your hat in the ring! With a cause people can get behind, you may have what it takes to win!

WORKS CITED:

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/978/001

https://medium.com/durham-district-attorneys-office/explained-the-role-of-the-district-attorney-7dbebd69b132

https://www.zippia.com/attorney-general-jobs/what-does-an-attorney-general-do/

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/165/015

https://www.doj.state.wi.us/professional-profiles

Spencer R. Brown is a junior in their first year at Lawrence University, with a major in Government. They work as a media and marketing assistant in the Career Center, and curates articles for students in both Communication, Journalism & Written Arts (#CJW) and Government, Law & International Relations (#GLI) career communities. A writer and animator by trade and part-time mascot, Spencer is fascinated in finding ways to make digesting information entertaining. Feel free to connect with them on LinkedIn here!

Public Relations

Public relations is a big umbrella term, since it covers so many things! You could be creating media for a brand, speaking for an important figure, or writing for an organization, and you would not be wrong calling it public relations. If you are interested in writing, being creative, and/or getting your face out there, public relations is a field you should look at!

Jobs in public relations, or PR as will be said throughout the article, involve you being the spokesperson for an organization or person in a way. Sometimes, you’re directly speaking for a person or organization, like Press Secretary for the White House, and at other times, you could be the voice of the  SunnyD Twitter account, hoping this attempt at humor will be even funnier than your last try.

There are several career paths in PR, such as administration (press secretary), marketing (marketing coordinator), communications (content manager), media (media director), account managing (brand specialist), and development (fundraising), and usually these jobs go to people in communications, business, and social sciences, but because of how broad PR is, any person with any college degree can get involved in a sector that fits their needs. Your creativity and your sense of humor are vital to any PR job you have interest in because employers love to see what you can do differently from what came before. In a way, public relations is a playground and allows you to be as personal as you want to be in your role.

So, what do you do if you are interested in a job in public relations? There are jobs on Handshake and Indeed, but you can also visit the website of the Public Relations Society of America (www.prsa.org). In addition to being a resource for Public Relations professionals, you will find several job postings that you may not see posted anywhere else.

How do you get started? Like most every other occupation, getting an internship while still in college is particularly important. Also, take classes that will help develop both your verbal and written communication skills. As always, making connections with PR professionals already in the work place is vital, so visit the Career Center to find out more about PR jobs and  connections with Lawrence alumni already working in PR. Make your appointment with the Career Center here!

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/what-are-public-relations-jobs

https://www.prsa.org/career/find-a-job

Spencer R. Brown is a sophomore experiencing their first year at Lawrence University, with a major in Government. They work as a media and marketing assistant in the Career Center, and curates articles for students in both Communication, Journalism & Written Arts (#CJW) and Government, Law & International Relations (#GLI) career communities. A writer and animator by trade and part-time school mascot, Spencer is fascinated by finding ways to make digesting information entertaining. Feel free to connect with them on LinkedIn here!

International Trade

If you ask any child in fourth grade what kind of job they want to have when they grow up, no child would say they want to work in international trade, although maybe they should. These jobs are integral to making trade work across the world, and the industry is growing incredibly fast as our world gets more and more globalized, and wherever you live, there could be a job that pertains to the sector.

So, what is international trade? International trade is like a clock, where it looks so simple to define on the outside, but on the inside there are a lot of moving parts. International trade involves purchasing and selling goods and services between companies across different countries. However, the people who are in control of the process are like the cogs and springs, who keep it all together and keep the system moving. According to learn.org, there are three main career paths: global marketing, international trade law, and shipping logistics, and anywhere you look, their definitions are incredibly fuzzy. Jobs in global marketing are responsible for the home front: specifically to project their message and better their image towards other companies interested in doing business with them. After a company finds interest in another abroad, international trade lawyers step in and facilitate the trade through contracts and other legal documents. After the trade lawyers reach an agreement, logisticians take over and plan when and how to get the product from point A to point B. These jobs are vital to both nationwide and worldwide economies, since countries have realized that trade helps us consume more products than we would be able to produce without it.

Hypothetically speaking, let’s say you’re sold on working in international trade, and there’s absolutely no way you could live a happy life without working in the industry. What are the next steps? Jobs in international trade law require a law degree, and potentially a bachelors in government and/or international affairs. Jobs in global marketing usually require a bachelor’s degree in communications or business (related experience), and your chances of getting hired increase with an MBA. Logisticians’ chances of being hired stem from a bachelor’s degree in business, communications, logistics, or a potentially relevant field. It’s easy to find jobs in international trade anywhere in the world, especially in D.C., Virginia, New York, Arizona, Alaska, Illinois, and Massachusetts.

Because of how much trade is on the rise internationally, there are many job and career opportunities. Since international jobs pay well, it might be a great option to consider! Plus, you sound really cool when you tell people you work in the international trade industry!

WORKS CITED:

https://www.investopedia.com/insights/what-is-international-trade/

https://learn.org/articles/Careers_in_International_Trade_Your_Job_Questions_Answered.html

https://www.dallascollege.edu/cd/credit/international-business-trade/pages/career-info.aspx

https://online.maryville.edu/online-bachelors-degrees/business-administration/careers/international-trade-specialist/

https://www.zippia.com/international-trade-specialist-jobs/best-states/#

Spencer R. Brown is a junior experiencing their first year at Lawrence University, with a major in Government. They work as a media and marketing assistant in the Career Center, and curates articles for students in both Communication, Journalism & Written Arts (#CJW) and Government, Law & International Relations (#GLI) career communities. A writer and animator by trade, Spencer is fascinated in finding ways to make digesting information entertaining. Feel free to connect with them on LinkedIn here!