Like so many others, growing up I never had a specific career goal in mind. Even after completing two degrees in my early twenties, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do—and I loved student life. It’s a great place to temporarily avoid reality. I lived in a bubble, floating between lectures, the library, and campus coffee shops.
In my youth, there was much I didn’t know or even care to know. But there was one thing I knew for sure: I could sell. Throughout university and after, I worked part-time in a phone store. Monthly targets, KPIs, and stress are all vivid memories, and though it was tough, I became one of the top sellers in the Southwest region. Plus, the monthly commission made me a wealthy student.
After submitting my final thesis in late 2014, I decided to give America a try. At twenty-four, I applied for a J-1 grad visa and hopped on a plane to Washington, DC, with a 23 kg suitcase and zero jobs lined up. Not the brightest idea, I know. But things worked out relatively well—I found jobs, long-term accommodation, made lifelong friends, and visited at least ten states during my time there.
My first internship in the U.S. was in the communications department of a nonprofit advocacy and lobbying organization for U.S. plaintiff's lawyers. I wasn’t very good at the role and only lasted three months. Part of the visa requirements meant that I had to work in an area related to my university qualifications, or my U.S. sponsor would terminate the visa. Thankfully, politics is a broad field.
Through friends and networking, a second internship opportunity landed in my lap—this time in the development office of a 501(c)(3) organization that focused on educational and research activities for left-wing causes. I was apprehensive after the first internship hadn’t worked out, but I dove in.
I started with simple stewardship tasks, such as phoning donors to thank them for smaller gifts of $100 or less. I also did prospect research, drafted donor memorandums, and created a weekly “Donor Digest” newsletter for the Major Gifts Officers. I really enjoyed this development internship.
Several factors brought me back to Ireland in 2016. My one-year visa expired, and I missed my family.
Three years went by, and after various sales jobs back home, I felt lost and disillusioned with my career. I had just started working in administration for my alma mater when I saw an internal job posting for an “Alumni Relations Coordinator” role in the university’s charitable foundation. I was eager to apply.
After securing an interview, I prepped for weeks, learning about the competencies and watching “expert” interview advice on YouTube. Wearing a three-piece suit, I walked onto campus, ready to nail the interview. I used buzzwords like “e-appeals,” “impact,” and “donor cultivation cycle.”
A few hours after the interview, I got the dreaded rejection call from the Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations. No one likes that feeling of rejection, especially after weeks of prep. It felt like failing my driving test all over again.
So, back to the drawing board I went.
A few months later, another internal job posting appeared in the Foundation—this time for a “Leadership Gifts Officer” role, where the successful candidate would manage and cultivate donors capable of giving up to €24,999. The job description seemed right up my alley. I wasted no time working on my cover letter and resume, and soon HR reached out to schedule an interview.
During the interview, I told my story about interning abroad and transitioning from sales to fundraising. I highlighted how my sales skills were directly transferable to a fundraising role.
Lo and behold, I was the successful candidate. There’s nothing better than that “Congratulations, you were successful” call.
That was over four years ago, and I’m still in the same line of work. Having moved to British Columbia, I now work in a hospital Foundation, focusing on both leadership and legacy giving (future gifts in Wills). I couldn’t be happier working in the nonprofit sector as a Development Officer. Recently, I celebrated my 33 and a 1/3 birthday (an Irish thing), and I have no desire to change careers anytime soon.
Here are three tips for anyone considering a career as a Development Officer in the nonprofit sector:
Are you a born salesperson? If yes, consider a career in fundraising and philanthropy.
Find an internship. Ideally, find a paid one. And if you can, get a side hustle to help support yourself—many internships offer only small stipends. Do it while you’re young because balancing two jobs gets harder as life goes on.
Move abroad while you’re young. Taking a risk can be scary, but it’s often worth it.
Aidan Halley is a Sr. Development Officer, Leadership and Legacy Giving.
Photo by Ian Schneider on Unsplash