As Bowdoin students, the majority of us recognize the importance of giving back to the common good and making a difference for those in need. However, sometimes continuing a commitment to the common good in life after Bowdoin seems difficult. It is commonly believed that if you work in the non-profit sector as a long-term career, you will make no money. Last Friday my thoughts about this changed when I learned the truth about this myth at “Profiting from Nonprofit, Demystifying the Nonprofit Sector.” This was an event put on by the Career Planning Center, and for an entire afternoon, seventy-five Bowdoin students gathered in Moulton Union to learn valuable lessons about the non-profit sector.
The set up of the event consisted of twelve tables, with six or seven Bowdoin students and then two non-profit professionals at each. First we ate lunch, and listened to a Keynote Address from Shenna Bellows, the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maine.
Shenna Bellows was the first professional to speak at the event and the information she relayed was inspiring. Shenna is originally from Maine and she graduated from Middlebury College. She then went on to work in Washington D.C. as an economic consultant. Unsatisfied with this work after two years, she joined the Peace Corps and worked in Panama for several years. Following this she moved to Tennessee and worked to help develop communities facing economic struggle. After this experience, Shenna moved back to Maine, where she eventually became the executive director of ACLU of Maine. Throughout her story Shenna shared important insight about the struggles she faced with securing new jobs, navigating her options, etc. At many times during her life she was discouraged because she sent out dozens of resumes, and received very few interviews. She also discussed difficulties proving that she was a qualified candidate because she was often the youngest person interviewing for the job. At the end of her speech she discussed what it’s like to play an executive role at a non-profit and the kinds of things she looks for when hiring new employees. She advised us to try not to job hop often, because that looks bad on a resume, and more importantly, you should always be honest about what your qualifications are. On the whole, Shenna’s speech was not only informative, but also very passionate. Her dedication to public service was evident, as was her determination to make a career out of what she loved: helping others. Shenna changed my perspective on the importance of what a job after Bowdoin should offer, and it is now clear that you can work in the non-profit sector and make a career out of it, as long as you are honest about what it is you want most. If helping others is it, then an opportunity will present itself, and you must recognize the significance of the impact you are making through your hard work.
After the inspiring address, we partook in a series of round-robin discussions in which we would respond to a question concerning the myth of non-profits. Following the discussions there was a panel discussion with four speakers who each addressed the financial side of running a non-profit. The afternoon concluded with a networking reception, where students had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with the non-profit professionals that most interested them. The event was an eye opening experience. Hearing so many individuals speak about their experiences with finding success and building careers in the non-profit sector was inspirational for many of us. More importantly, the knowledge these professionals shared with us proved that it is possible to continue a commitment to the common good during life after Bowdoin.
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