What Is It Like to Work in The Nonprofit/ Government Sector in Melbourne?

Lusherer on 27/09/2017 - 23:24
Last edited 28/09/2017 - 00:56 by 1 other user

My background is in digital communications/ web editing (over 12 years' experiences), and more recently, teaching (less than a year).

I'm thinking of returning to the nonprofit/ government sectors, perhaps this time in some education officer or learning designer role. I have not worked in the nonprofit/ government sector in Australia (did so overseas), and have never undertaken such roles.

Any tips on which organisations have a good, calm, democratic environment? What salary range should I be looking at? I'm planning to move to Melbourne.

[Actually, I'd wanted to keep this short and focused, but if you're wise and have the time, I hope you can stick around for this: I'm in my mid-30s, and really need to get into adult mode (buy a property, have retirement savings etc). The thing is, I detest corporate work where I constantly feel like I'm contributing towards the vortex of evil in our world. At the same time, I know time is running out, and I need to make some money now, and maybe to catch up on my past decade of idealism and volunteering. I'm crossing my fingers that government agencies here pay somewhat well. I'm also aware that in my life of short-term work, I have been happy in one NGO, unhappy in others, and happy in one company, unhappy in others. Perhaps it's the environment that matters more than the work…I'm very "anti-institution" though, and really struggle in corporate work. ]

• 

  [Deactivated] on 27/09/2017 - 23:31

  +4

  not profitable

• 

  airal3rt on 28/09/2017 - 00:51

  +1

  I mean the government sector essentially pays the requisite amount to be self-sufficient - but no more. It's viable as a career-path if you don't have lofty financial goals, but the environment you'll be working in is insanely variable so you'll likely have to jump around a lot until you find a decent working environment in the public sector.

  • 

    usherer on 29/09/2017 - 13:05

    Just saw a VPS 5 job for $92-111k. I don't have the medical expertise for it, but if that's the salary range I can look at for my experience in government sector, I'd be more than happy! Any idea if that's attainable in the nonprofit sector?

    And yea, ultimately, one's happiness depends not on the role/sector etc, but the exact group of people you're surrounded by. I can be in a great workplace, but with a lousy department. I know the downfalls of stereotyping but generalisations have their own use sometimes.

• 

  altomic on 28/09/2017 - 08:30

  +1

  i work in government in Bris. prior to that I was in the same industry at 3 different businesses in private sector. I disliked 2 of the private businesses. it was a fake culture, whilst I understand they are private and driven by profit, there was too much "yeah, we are a team, a family" often followed by "your section is not profitable we are cutting it"

  there is a certain line in the sand where I felt uncomfortable.

  my current department is quite good. they were supportive of my study for 2 post grad courses. working hours can vary - as long as I work 7.5 hours a day so I can start at 7am and finish at 3pm (must take 30minute lunch). or start at 11am and finish at 7PM. they are vary open with building flex hours (you can build up 5 days of flex) and taking them - as long as there is the minimum number of staff - is quite open. there is the bonus of excellent salary sacrifice (the organisation is a benevolent institution so it one of the highest). The people I work with are mostly good - there are people who annoy me or who are poison.

  I should add that I do enjoy the work that I do and the challenges that it gives me.

  • 

    usherer on 29/09/2017 - 12:58

    Yes, the profit-making aspect of it is very annoying. I was once in a role writing articles promoting a company's latest donation to refugees. Casually searched for CEO's bonus that year— way larger than the donation.

    Working in nonprofits isn't neccessarily much better - the work is highly dependent on funding, which comes from…corporations and individuals working from them, who then dictate the nature of the work. But the work environment generally has fewer sociopaths.

    Kudos to you for undertaking not one, but TWO post-grads while working a fulltime job! And congratulations on what seems to be like an incredibly flexible work arrangement with enjoyable work and good humans around you. Would you be able to shed light on what "benevolent" work you do?

    A friend who used to do policy in SA said she found the pace frustrating and that incompetency has to be tolerated because the department wasn't able to fire people. She said that a colleague used to read a book every morning, and didn't get much stuff done.

    Thanks for the point on salary sacrifice. I'm not familiar with employment policies here, and that's an excellent point I should look out for.

• 

  Halo375 on 28/09/2017 - 11:02

  +1

  http://careers.vic.gov.au/

  • 

    usherer on 29/09/2017 - 12:58

    Thanks!

  • 

    usherer on 29/09/2017 - 13:01

    One job that caught my eye comes with a price tag of $92,253 - $111,619 that I'd be happy to have. Unfortunately I'm not skilled in healthcare, and will look out for other relevant opportunities. How much experience is usually needed for VPS 5 positions?

    • 

      Halo375 on 29/09/2017 - 13:04

      +1

      I know that they greatly value previous experience working in a government or nfp sector. I think a lack of experience to an industry shouldn't hurt your chances. In the end all you can do is apply and see what response you get, you could also just call the advertiser and have a chat about what they're after more specifically.

      • 

        usherer on 29/09/2017 - 13:09

        Wonderful tips, thanks. I might just go for it since I did do one project that was exactly the same as this. I realise that jobhunting here needs some aggression (e.g. teachers are encouraged to drop off resumes at schools), and I'm afraid I haven't adapted very well in that area.

      • 

        Halo375 on 29/09/2017 - 13:12

        +1

        @usherer: Never be afraid to apply for a position, it's always good to find out what you can get and what you're worth. You might have to apply for 50 jobs to get one so be persistent but don't be aggressive!

      • 

        usherer on 29/09/2017 - 13:56

        @Halo375: Ok, I can definitely be persistent, and I can also just try "putting myself out there".

        I have been told to give 3 months to the job search..

        I've used an elegant resume template, and have single-spaced size 10 Helvetica for it. The pdf is now 4 pages. Does a nicely-design, simple resume seem gimmicky? Are 4 pages too much? I have had lots of contract work, and needed to explain each agency/company and job role.

• 

  Excelsior on 30/09/2017 - 16:48

  +1

  I work in an accounting firm and I have a sizeable portfolio of non-profit clients. From what I've seen first hand, the culture is great (ie. very non-corporate as you would expect), but in terms of financials the smaller organisations are always struggling to get funding. This of course raises the risk of job security. It's obviously great if you have a passion for non-profits and want to contribute to their cause, but this is a risk you will have to be willing to take. Competency and lack of governance/direction is also something I've noticed that hold back a lot of these organisations from being able to move forward.

  If you're opting for the much safer option, join a well known or large non-profit. These are of course well established and managed very well at the top hence why they were able to grow since their inception. Either that or go into the govt sector.

  • 

    usherer on 30/09/2017 - 17:12

    As a middle-aged idealist, I have managed to make myself see through this 'passion' rubbish. While I pursued my passion, it was actually my family subsidising that, and from now, I want to be responsible for my own actions, so job security is a must. I'm definitely exploring the government option for a few other reasons too, one of them being that I cannot tolerate seeing any sign of cronyism or authoritarianism in nonprofits.

    The lack of competency/governance/direction is something I see in corporations too!

    Given your financial background, would you be able to advise on the financial tradeoffs/benefits should I shift from Adelaide to Melbourne?

    I can't find my desired jobs on seek.com.au or ethicaljobs.com.au, and the websites show I stand a better chance of getting my desired job in Melbourne. The thing is, Melbourne seems exorbitantly expensive. My partner, being in aged care, will be on national wages, so will be worse off in Melbourne.

    Overall, I don't know whether it will be better for both of us to be in Melbourne or Adelaide.

    thanks in advance!

    • 

      Excelsior on 01/10/2017 - 12:52

      I'm not sure if you've already read this thread, but the questions raised were very similar and there were some very good responses/opinions in there.

      IMO at the end of the day it's all about whether it's worth it in the long run ie. all things considered, whether you can live a comfortable/sustainable lifestyle without having to save every cent (there's so much to do and eat in Victoria!). And yes, accommodation is by far the costliest expense as you'd expect. An increasingly popular choice is to live in the outer suburbs of Melbourne - you just need to put up with the longer drive/commute.

      I reckon the first step is to draft up a budget (realistic take-home income and all your expected expenses) and then start sussing out the job market. I'm not sure if this applies to other industries in Melbourne, but in the Commerce field the job market has quieten down a lot in recent times.

      • 

        usherer on 01/10/2017 - 22:31

        Thanks, @excelsior. I'm going to pore through the thread.

        From my web research, it seems that rent/ food costs are similar to Adelaide's. In fact, it seems that taxes and rego are lower in Victoria than SA.

        Would you be familiar with Melbourne? It appears that property around Geelong are pretty decent, around 40 mins by train from the city, and around $400k if buying. This actually isn't dissimilar from Adelaide. So then, doesn't it make it a non-brainer to choose Victoria (Geelong) to stay in? However, no one seems to be talking much about this. (In the forums at least, people always talk about how they can get a $500k-$600k house near the city in Adelaide, and that's impossible in Melbourne.)

        Planning to put aside a little for entertainment in Victoria. Will be contented with free exhibitions and gigs!

        RE: job market - if it's quiet in Melbourne, it's dead in Adelaide where there's lots of unemployment > which means less consumption > which means slower economy/ lesser jobs needed, plus companies don't tend to have large offices here already as it is.

      • 

        Excelsior on 01/10/2017 - 22:52

        No worries! I'm not too familiar about the economic climate in Adelaide hence why I didn't make any direct comparisons. I just thought I'd chime in based on what I experience firsthand over here. Interesting to hear that the costs of living are comparable though.

        That's a good point actually. I think in general a lot of people base their choice of location on stigma and reputation ie. inner city bustling lifestyle, or the fact that Eastern suburbs are generally safer and more developed (which is true to a certain extent).

        Ah I suppose it's all relative then. I was sussing out similar roles in my field in Sydney for kicks and noted that there were way more job openings there compared to Melbourne.

      • 

        usherer on 03/10/2017 - 22:46

        @excelsior:
        I can't be too sure about the prices until I get there. It's not comparable in the sense that you can't get properties near the CBD at similar prices, but if it seems to me (someone who hardly knows real estate at all) that if you're willing to go out, prices look kind of similar.

        E.g. I grabbed random results from realestate: For a 2-bedder about 11-13km from the city at $325-$350 per week, the offerings look similar:
        Melbourne (Glenroy): https://www.realestate.com.au/property-townhouse-vic-glenroy…
        Adelaide (Oaklands Park): https://www.realestate.com.au/property-townhouse-sa-oaklands…

        Both require about 40 mins via public transport.

        ha! For the role I'm looking at, there's zilch in Adelaide!