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| Path: Main Street : Resources & Library : Research Articles : Feature Article |
A Non-traditional Career Path: Interview with Rethink Breast Cancer Co-Founder Alison Gordon
May 15, 2008
CharityVillage met with Alison Gordon, MA VP, strategy, marketing and communications for Rethink Breast Cancer who shared her experiences leaving the for-profit world to start up a nonprofit organization and using non-traditional methods to catapult her career and organization to new levels.
CharityVillage: Leaving a great job in advertising and moving on to start your own nonprofit couldn’t have been an easy decision. What were your main motivators?
Alison Gordon: It’s not something I ever thought about doing. I met MJ DeCoteau (co-founder and Executive Director at Rethink Breast Cancer) while I was at ZIG, she was a client who needed a PSA for the breast cancer organization she had been working for at the time. The creative brief called for something that wasn’t being done in the market – get young women to start taking breast health more seriously. MJ and I got into talking a bit more about the low awareness levels among young women of self testing and we realized that a lot needed to be done to speak to this very important group at an early stage.
CV: Many people struggle with leaving a solid, stable career path and jumping into the unknown. How did you overcome that fear?
AG: This was just an exciting opportunity. I didn’t over think things and just took a leap of faith. I knew that we were on the right path with our idea – no one was doing it and there was lots of potential. I felt strongly about the plan and I knew the rest would just come.
CV: Who was your “mentor figure” through this process?
AG: It's funny, I didn’t really have a traditional mentor, maybe I should’ve! I always think of a mentor as someone older than me and it being a one-way relationship. MJ and I are of the same age and we both have very different backgrounds and experiences in life so, in a way, we mentor each other and inspire each other along our paths.
CV: Do you think the traditional mentor idea is dead?
AG: Personally, I’ve had a very non-traditional career path. I didn’t work for a large corporation where I would have a mentor or be “assigned” one. I always believed in creating a strong, well-diversified network of people who I could bounce ideas off and they could do the same with me. People tend to view networks as a group to turn to when looking for a job but it can be way more than that. Imagine knowing a bunch of experts across a broad spectrum of disciplines that you can tap into. That in itself will do wonders for your career! It also helps define you as an expert in what you do in your current position whether it be finance, event planning, volunteer management, major gifts – everyone can share their experiences and help others.
Another thing, they don’t all have to be in the nonprofit sector either. I’m a strong believer in looking outside your pre-defined industry for new ideas and inspiration. The for-profit’s have a great deal of resources and you can learn a lot from them without the same investment of time and money-- commodities which are scarce in our sector.
CV: Your organization runs pretty lean. You accomplish so much with fewer than 10 people so, obviously, having the right people is extremely important. What traits do you look for in candidates applying for a position at Rethink?
AG: We need people who exemplify the type of organization we are. We need someone who is entrepreneurial, innovative, creative, and flexible enough to wear a lot of hats. The majority of nonprofits are small to mid-sized so they’re all looking for that type of person and its up to the individual to display those characteristics in an interview with specific examples how they fit with an organization.
CV: Many people reading this article want to work for a nonprofit but don’t have experience in the sector. Being someone who made the switch over, what advice would you have to those applying for nonprofit jobs?
AG: Everyone has great skills they’ve developed in whatever job they’re in. For instance someone who is a project manager has great skills in multitasking and would be very well organized and on top of things – all great skills that can be transferred to a nonprofit. Someone who is an account manager in an advertising agency would be great at managing different types of people like volunteers and staff or be great at managing corporate sponsors. If applying to a nonprofit, it’s important to have a good understanding of the different structures and different skill sets needed by each organization and ensure you sell yourself along those lines. Do your homework, volunteer at an organization that you’re interested in and look for ways you can fit in.
CV: One last thing. Read any real good books lately?
AG: Yes, there’s a great new book that just came out that I’m a fan of: Beyond Ego: Influential Leadership Starts Within by Art Horn. I think every aspiring leader should read that book.
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