Discussion highlights nonprofit job options

The interest in nonprofit organization work is clearly growing among Penn graduate students -- that is, if you consider that the Graduate School of Education drew more than 40 people to its "Career Options in the Nonprofit Sector" panel discussion last night. A joint program sponsored by the Career Planning and Placement Service and GSE, the discussion featured four Penn alumnae who shared their experiences in nonprofit organizations and advised those considering entering the field. Lois MacNamara in the GSE Student Activities office, who helped organized the event, said she took into consideration the feedback she and CPPS counselors received about panel discussions last year. As such, McNamara is working to accommodate student requests and needs in discussions geared towards graduate students. "We've had varying ranges of success," MacNamara said. "We're at the mercy of the quality of panelists." Last night's panel, however, was received with appreciation -- although there was disappointment in the air as panelist David Morse, director of public affairs at Pew Charitable Trusts, cancelled unexpectedly. Penn's former associate vice president for policy planning, Morse was the University's key lobbyist until he stepped down earlier this year. "I really wanted to see him," said Education doctoral student Jurate Krokys, adding, however, that the panel worked well to incorporate experience and advice for those curious about the nonprofit sector. Panelists represented a wide range of organizations -- from the New Jersey Camp Fire Boys and Girls to the Middle States Association, which accredits Mid-Atlantic colleges and universities. Leslie Esdaile, director of the Milken Institute -- a program to teach young entrepreneurs skills to start their own businesses -- described her own move to the non-profit sector as "circuitous." After graduating from the Wharton School in 1980 and embarking on a career in computer sales, Esdaile was left "with a nasty taste in [her] mouth." She criticized the particular "belief system" of the corporate environment she encountered. When several personal tragedies left her jobless, Esdaile re-evaluated her job skills and realized that much of her business and marketing knowledge was "transferable" to other areas, namely the nonprofit sector. Emphasizing interpersonal communication, writing and "entrepreneurial" skills for those looking to enter the sector, the panelists stressed the importance of "networking" to locate opportunities. Patricia Blakely, programs director for the White and Williams Foundation -- an organization which gives poverty-stricken adolescents with good grades "allowances" of money -- was also on hand to warn potential employees of the need to "hit the ground running" in a new job. Exasperated at the number of unqualified applicants she recently interviewed, Blakely noted the importance of flawless resumes and flexibility. "I need people to go outside their job description," she said. "There is no such thing as a 'bad match' that becomes a 'good job'."