Essay

Self-Assessment (4 page)
The purpose of this is to assess your interests and skills as a potential employee or volunteer at nonprofits. Be sure to read these handouts and the web link first:
* Nonprofit Organizations
* Nonprofit Jobs
* Advocacy Organizations
* United Way Agencies:

United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties

1. Give your paper a cover page (with title, your name, course title and number, etc.) and use subheadings to organize it. In your introduction, tell a little about yourself, where you were born and grew up, and a little about your work history. Also tell a little about your volunteer experiences.
2. “Preparing for a Career in Nonprofit” and ‘Understanding Yourself’. Answer the following questions:  

• What issues do you care about?  (causes, people you admire; what social problems make you angry enough to donate time/money or attend a protest)
• What you actually do with your time. What type of work have you enjoyed? How do you spend your time? (clubs, volunteer work, internships; where have you traveled; what activities and programs do you attend [art shows, fairs & festivals, concerts, etc.)?
• What comes naturally to you? What are you good at? Are you a hands-on person? Do you like to work individually or as part of a team? Do you like lots of small tasks or one large one? Are you a good writer, speaker, people-manager?
• Where and how do you want to live? Small town, large city, rural? Abroad or in the USA? Type of weather? Recreational and cultural opportunities?

3. In the Nonprofit Jobs handout, read the section “Large or Small Nonprofit,” then go back to the top of the handout and read about each of the five job groupings. Which jobs appeal more to you and why? In small or large nonprofits? You don’t have to choose only one. You might want to do fundraising for a large nonprofit, but do training or lobbying for a small one, and these can be employment or volunteering, or both.

4. Look over the United Way link (shown above) and list of Advocacy Organizations (handouts & lecture notes), and check out several nonprofits from the lists. Which appeal to you for jobs and/or volunteer opportunities? Why?  

5. Write a conclusion to your paper.