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In our most recent HR Connections newsletter, our HR and Operations Manager Kara Montermoso writes:

Many of us are drawn to work in the nonprofit sector by the missions of our organizations, but our satisfaction with our work and the ways it impacts the rest of our lives are key factors in keeping us motivated and engaged. And one aspect that can contribute to our sense of satisfaction is our total compensation.

Anyone working in nonprofit human resources—or preparing to negotiate a salary and benefits package—might want to check out the article, where Kara breaks down six general components, from salary and benefits to organizational culture.

January is typically the month when we see the highest number of jobs posted to Idealist.org, and this year is no exception. If you’re lucky enough to snag one of those gigs, here are some things to keep in mind as you begin. Thanks to Michelle Moran of YNPN-NYC for this guest post.

Good luck in your new role! (Photo: cogdogblog, Flickr/Creative Commons)

Once you have landed a new job it may seem like the hard part is over, but sometimes your first few weeks at work can be very challenging. Follow these tips to get off on the right foot and avoid making common mistakes.

1. Remember: you were hired for a reason. You beat out other qualified candidates for this job. That means the hiring manager believes you are the best person for the position. Have confidence that you will do a great job and can make important decisions on your own.

2. Learn from others. Pay attention to the ways that your successful colleagues and senior management approach their work, and leverage that understanding to be better at your job. Take the time to observe activities around the organization that may or may not be a part of your direct responsibilities. For example, if you are in fundraising, learn as much as you can about the program side of your organization.

3. Strike a balance between respecting what’s been done and making changes. Unless you are one of the first employees at an organization, there are certain norms that have been established for better or for worse. Don’t begin a new job thinking you are going to change things immediately. Instead, take time to understand why things are the way they are and how you can participate in your organization’s culture.

4. Meet one on one with everyone you will work with. From the intern to the top executive, never assume that you won’t interact with someone or that their advice will not be helpful. Everybody’s work (and opinion of you) matters, especially in a small office. If you can meet with them individually, ask what brought them to the organization, how they approach their role, and how you can best work together. Make sure to write a quick thank you note to everyone you meet.

5. Ask questions. Sometimes people can be so comfortable with a job or work environment that they forget to tell you important things that you need to know as a new employee. Take advantage of your newbie status to ask lots of questions.

6. Stay away from office politics. The last thing you want is to get involved in any drama. If people try to persuade you one way or another, simply state that you are here to do your job and don’t know anyone well enough to make judgments about them. Avoid the office drama queen (or king) as much as possible.

7. If you struggle in your new position, give it some time. You never know how things can change, and how responsibilities that seem difficult now may eventually be what you like most about your job.

8. Be yourself. Authenticity is key to not only winning over your coworkers, but also to doing a really great job in your position, and increasing your chances of a promotion. Ask: are you doing what you love? If your job isn’t what you expected, it might be worth a conversation with your manager.

What other tips would you add?

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Amy Potthast served as Idealist’s Director of Service and Graduate Education Programs until 2011. Read more of her work at amypotthast.com.

You've got this. (Photo: Steven Depolo, Flickr/Creative Commons)

In a recent post on our nonprofit HR blog, we encourage hiring managers to ask behavioral questions:

Behavioral interviewing enables you to deeply evaluate candidates’ past work experiences, their knowledge, and their behaviors in order to accurately predict how they will perform in your organization. This type of system … focuses on their behaviors and results in various situations. It’s more about how they’ve used their knowledge – which often gives you a better understanding of how they will react and apply what they know in your environment. [Read more....]

But as a job seeker, how do you prepare to answer behavioral questions?

For many job candidates, thinking about specific past experiences can be challenging under high pressure situations. Below is a method to get ready for the interview. Download the full exercise here (PDF).

[UPDATE, Dec. 2, 2011: Thanks for your interest! We are no longer reviewing applications for this position.]

Idealist is hiring an Accounting/Office Manager to be based in our sunny midtown Manhattan office. Want to help our audits, and our office, run smoothly? Or do you know someone else who might?

Click here to read the details. And if you know someone in New York who should apply, please pass this on!

This month’s IdealistHR newsletter is hot off the presses! November’s issue features an article about behavioral interviews (Does your hiring process need an overhaul?) and another about alternatives to the “potentially stomach-knotting office gift exchange” (‘Tis the season…).

"Oh look! A barking hot dog steamer!" Don't let this happen at your office. (Photo: Jonathan Lidbeck, Flickr/Creative Commons)

Peruse the IdealistHR archives or sign up for monthly emails by and for nonprofit human resources professionals at idealisthr.org.

By Amy Potthast.

Many service corps connect recent college grads and re-careering sector switchers with K-12 classrooms — sometimes as tutors, sometimes as teachers. Here are just a few:

From Flickr's Cayoup

Blue Engine launched in 2010 to provide first-year high schoolers in New York with small-group algebra and English Language Arts instruction to boost their chances for college success. This year the program has grown to serve three schools, with 28 fellows.

The core problem this corps is working to solve is: although many groups are trying hard to get kids to finish high school and into college, many road blocks prevent the same kids from finishing college. Check out this illustrative story of a young man named Travis Hill.

The Blue Engine solution? Preparing high school freshman to master a more rigorous academic program through recruiting excellent recent college grads to complement the efforts of faculty, tailor instruction to student needs, and engage parents.

Learn more on the Blue Engine website and check out my podcast interview with founder Nick Ehrmann which originally launched in March 2010.

Like Blue Engine, Great Oaks Tutor Corps Urban Education Fellowship is a new fellowship program that recruits recent college grads to provide small-group attention to students and that includes parent involvement in its formula for  success. And though Great Oaks Charter School is a middle school, this corps also aims to prepare its students for victory in college.

Health Corps, founded by Dr. Oz, places recent college grads in public schools for two years to education students about nutrition, fitness, and mental resilience. More than a service corps, Health Corps is part of a nationwide movement to create consciousness and action in schools and communities to end the obesity epidemic. Health Corps hires new coordinators in 12 states across the United States plus Washington, D.C.—and the Corps has recently expanded its California corps to 15 sites.

Finally, Teach For America … it’s better known that Blue Engine, Great Oaks and even Health Corps…

But did you know that Teach For America recruits nonprofit professionals, and AmeriCorps and Peace Corps alums — like you?

Teach For America — arguably the highest-profile of service corps working in schools — recruits high achievers of all ages to teach full-time for two years to expand educational opportunity for pre-K through grade 12 kids in low-income communities.

Furthermore, Teach For America strives to enlist corps members and alumni in its movement to end educational inequity. By design, alumni go on to a variety of leadership roles across sectors and industry — carrying with them their complex experiences as frontline classroom teachers. With their unique perspectives, they can impact the national conversation about education from diverse positions through the United States.

Read more about Teach For America on its website, and check out upcoming webinars including one featuring panel of corps members and alumni who joined the corps as professionals or grad students will talk about their experiences in the classroom and the impact it had on their lives.

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Amy Potthast served as Idealist’s Director of Service and Graduate Education Programs until 2011. Read more of her work at amypotthast.com.

By Amy Potthast.

Take it from us, kid: it's never too early to start thinking about financing your education. (Philippe Put, Flickr/Creative Commons)

Do you have student loans? Are you thinking about borrowing money for grad school?

The latest episode of the Idealist Grad Schools Podcast takes a closer look at two student debt relief programs established by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. The program requirements can be confusing, so I chatted with Heather Jarvis about a step-by-step approach to understanding both programs.

• Part One of the podcast focuses on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, in which many nonprofit and government workers stand to gain tens of thousands of dollars of student debt relief – after meeting several program requirements. Download now or scroll down to the media player.
• Part Two focuses on Income-Based Repayment, a crucial component of PSLF that is available now and that allows you to make even $0 payments to your loans, if that’s all you can afford. Download now or scroll down to the media player.
• You can read the transcripts of both shows here.

Why Heather? A former capital defense attorney saddled with $125,000 in law school debt, Heather Jarvis now dedicates her expertise to helping student loan borrowers make better decisions so that higher education can be a reality for all – not just those who can afford it.

Learn more. Just as we were editing this show, President Obama announced changes to the way current and future students can repay student loans. Get the details on Heather’s site. And for all of the links mentioned in these episodes, visit idealist.libsyn.com.

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Amy Potthast served as Idealist’s Director of Service and Graduate Education Programs until 2011. Read more of her work at amypotthast.com.

“There are support services for vets, but a lot of vets don’t want to be helped,” says Joanne Dennis, Director of Program Development at Team Rubicon, a nonprofit that unites the skills and experiences of military veterans in disaster response, and also helps aid the transition back to civilian life. “Vets don’t want your pity, they don’t want your sorrow. They want to help others.” A recent Civic Enterprises report revealed that 92% of veterans want to continue serving their communities after their military service.

Veterans dedicate their skills to disaster relief efforts. Could they also be a good fit for your organization? (Photo: Team Rubicon Flickr stream)

That desire to serve has drawn more than 500 veterans to apply to volunteer with Team Rubicon in disaster relief missions in places like Burma, Haiti, and Joplin, MO since it was founded in January 2010. But while Team Rubicon’s volunteer base is growing fast, it can’t help with job placement. “We have some firemen who volunteer with us on their days off, and a lot of college students. But a lot of the volunteers are in transition,” explains Joanne. “They’ve come home to an economic climate where they just can’t find jobs. And especially jobs that have meaning or purpose.”

In an uncertain economic climate, many nonprofit leaders and business owners are understandably unwilling to take risks – especially when hiring. When faced with a stack of resumes, why choose the person whose background you are uncertain of and whose experience on paper doesn’t directly translate to your organization’s needs?

That’s the reality most veterans are facing when applying for jobs today. They come home with countless “soft” skills, including management and supervision, team-building, and the ability to successfully lead diverse groups of people while staying calm under pressure. These skills often don’t translate to traditional workplaces where recruiters are looking for resumes with years of conventional experience. But they are often the trademarks of an irreplaceable colleague, especially in a mission-driven organization.

In August, President Obama challenged the private sector to hire 100,000 unemployed post-9/11 veterans or their spouses by 2013. This Veteran’s Day, we’re curious whether nonprofits and other agencies and organizations are heeding that call as well.

Have you hired folks with military experience? Are you a veteran currently looking for work? Please share your experiences in the comments below.

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This post was written by Bernadette Matthews, a volunteer with Team Rubicon, and Idealist bloggers Celeste Hamilton and Julia Smith. (Full disclosure: Celeste Hamilton and Joanne Dennis are in-laws.)

See you Thursday, Denver. (Photo: Larry Johnson, Flickr/Creative Commons)

Thinking about going to graduate school to further your career and make a social impact?

We’re bringing Idealist Grad Fairs to 18 cities this fall. Here are the next six. Click on a city name for details and to RSVP:

• Portland, OR – Monday, Oct. 17, 5:00-8:00pm
• Seattle – Tuesday, Oct. 18, 5:00-8:00pm
• Denver – Thursday, Oct. 20, 5:00-8:00pm
• San Francisco – Monday, Oct. 24, 5:00-8:00pm
• Los Angeles – Wednesday, Oct. 26, 5:00-8:00pm
• Atlanta – Monday, Nov. 1, 5:00-8:00pm

All of the fairs are free, open to the public, and feature a free Q&A panel about admissions and financial aid from 6:00-7:00pm. See the rest of the season lineup at idealist.org/gradfairs.

We've all been there. (Photo via Alex E. Proimos, Flickr/Creative Commons)

It can be hard to find a silver lining when a hiring process goes awry. In the latest issue of our human resources newsletter, we try to help you avoid those growing pains.

• For an organization, the loss of time, money, and energy is huge enough – but there’s often a significant blow to staff morale. Amelia explores ways to design a hiring process that can minimize unfortunate outcomes.
• Meanwhile, Kara considers one crucial step: making sure we get the best possible applications. What makes a job application successful? You can weigh in here.