How I Knew It Was Time To Move On…
Just a little over a year ago, I left my very first communications job. I adored this job. I had a lot of really great projects that not only validated my skillset, but challenged it each and every day. I loved my coworkers and I loved being able to be a part of nonprofit side of the corporation through different projects, but also through the engagement of others in the business to do something bigger than themselves.
An organization I worked with, outside of my day job, had a need for a social media coordinator. The organization was new, so there wasn’t much budget, but our credibility as an organization depended on a solid social media presence, so I volunteered to help (hellooooo skill-based volunteering!). I came into work the next day and shared the news with my teammates excitedly. Each of them congratulated me. Then suddenly, a dark cloud came over my good news with a simple quote from my boss: “My Lord, Kadi. Don’t you volunteer for enough?”
My mouth dropped open and I could feel my palms start to sweat. Yes, I did volunteer with a number of organizations on a number of projects and at all different capacities. But here’s the thing: It was all done outside of work and didn’t affect any of my time at work, and to top it all off, I logged my hours on a website, dedicating those hours of service to the company I worked for, which helped them boast a certain level of volunteerism as a whole.
The response I gave her was miniscule. I laughed it off and pretended like I thought she was kidding, even though experiences past showed me that she wasn’t. It was this moment when my job search officially began. The facts are there: Millennials want to work with an organization that cares about the nonprofit industry.
I can’t tell you how many interviews I’ve been on where we’ve spent more time talking about my volunteer activities than my professional ones. 
Here are a few factoids to share with your for-profit partners, or even share with your personal social networks:
- For Millennials, a company’s involvement with causes ranked as the third most important factor when applying for a job. In fact, 55% of Millennials who had volunteered 10-20 hours in the past month researched the company’s cause work during their job search.
- 92% of Millennials surveyed feel like they’re contributing to a company that is making a positive impact in the world.
- 62% of Millennials prefer to volunteer with people in their immediate department at work. 78% prefer performing cause work in a group versus independently.
- Only 15% of Millennials, ages 25-30 didn’t donate to a nonprofit in 2013.Only 9% of Millennials ages 30 and older didn’t donate to a nonprofit in 2013.
- Millennials want to see more company-wide volunteer days, sabbaticals, and charitable projects performed with a department or a team.
These facts, and more, came from the 2014 Millennial Impact Report. Click here to learn even more, download full reports, or volunteer to be a part of next year’s survey.