One in 50 employees in the UK works in the voluntary sector which offers more than 600,000 job opportunities, according to latest figures from the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.
But despite these statistics, which reflect how popular the not-for-profit sector is as a career destination, it is notoriously difficult to break into. Job vacancies, especially those based overseas in international development or humanitarian work, will often demand experience so it can appear a closed shop to those who want to work for a voluntary organisation.
Charities, and those responsible for its workforce development, are increasingly taking the initiative themselves in creating new routes into employment. Working for a Charity the organisation devoted to meeting the skill needs of the sector, launched its first online training course last year. Called Effective Voluntary Sector Management, it runs for 12 months and is aimed at new recruits, those keen to work for a charity and career changers. Working for a Charity's manager, Elaine Smethurst, says: "We believe the demand is out there for this course. One of its joys is that if we have enough notice we can expand it, as it would only require us recruiting additional online tutors."
The online course, which begins every February, is in addition to three other established face-to-face courses that the organisation runs, which have attracted more than 2,000 students since 1990. The two-evening introductory course offers a brief outline of the sector and job opportunities, while the foundation course provides seven days of seminars and a 20-day charity work placement. The three-day executive programme targets people keen to move into the sector but who have inflexible full-time work commitments.
Ms Smethurst says courses attract people already working for a charity seeking professional development and those who have tried unsuccessfully to move into the sector. "They are people who aren't getting short-listed for jobs but think they have the right skills and they are people who are already in the sector but aren't where they want to be."
The larger charities such as Barnardo's, NSPCC and Cancer Research UK run their own graduate recruitment programmes which offer a foot in the door in an increasingly competitive jobs market. They provide a salary and a range of work placements which give recruits a feel of the organisation and its ethos.
Garry Nunn (25), who graduated with a first class degree in English from Leicester University completed the Barnardo's programme this summer and now works as a communications assistant earning £22,000. He says: "I turned down a job at the BBC to join the graduate programme at Barnardo's because it offered me a stronger package. While it did not guarantee a job at the end, it did give me a foot in the door and that professional niche training."
Competition for a place on a graduate training programme is fierce. Garry was up against more than 200 other hopefuls chasing just four places and had to go through a rigorous three-stage recruitment process which included panel interviews and critical thinking assessments. Another possible route into the sector are internships - Oxfam offers unpaid long or short-term programmes for around 100 internees annually and around 50% go onto short-term seconded paid jobs with the charity.
Volunteering also offers a way in. Oxfam admits volunteers who are "in the right place at the right time" may find an opportunity for some paid work on a short-term contract. The charity is, however, quick to point out that experience counts for everything. Richard Corbett is in charge of Oxfam's humanitarian support professionals (HSP) register, which includes employees with specialist skills in areas such as engineering, public health or logistics who can earn between £23,900 to £35,900. It is almost impossible to get onto the HSP without experience in humanitarian emergency relief work, but it is possible with no experience, to apply to join the charity's reserve register of volunteer experts. These volunteers are used to fill the gaps when HSP employees are taken off Oxfam programmes to respond to international humanitarian relief. Corbett says: "The reserve register is the first route towards gaining experience."
Career changers are also finding a place in the sector. The Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations (Acevo) says top executives from the private sector are increasingly keen to take on charity roles, especially financial posts. Chief executive positions at smaller charities have also traditionally been a popular career choice for ex-forces personnel, especially the army.
Working for a charity is quick to dismiss the common belief that charities are "cuddly places" run by committed volunteers who have no idea how to read a spreadsheet. Ms Smethurst says: "If you look at the big charities they are run as well honed businesses and need all the skills they can get while the smaller organisations need skilled people with entrepreneurial talent who can lend their hand to most things." As the government continues to turn to the voluntary sector to provide more public services the job opportunities are growing and becoming more diverse. Ms Smethurst says: "There are always jobs available in fundraising but we are increasingly seeing demand in areas of expertise around strategic policy, forward thinking and legal knowledge."