Nonprofit employers are often looking for people who will dig in, learn quickly, and who care deeply about the communities they serve. At the same time, many post-secondary students and new graduates are looking for practical experience where they can build skills while doing work that aligns with their values.
The challenge is that these two groups do not always find each other easily. Students and new graduates who are interested in meaningful work may have never seriously considered the nonprofit sector as a career path. If nonprofit jobs and volunteer opportunities are not showing up where they look for work — often through campus career centres and student job boards — they may not realize how many varied and rewarding opportunities the sector has to offer.
That is a missed opportunity, both for individual organizations and for the sector as a whole. Canada’s workforce is aging, and the nonprofit workforce is older than the national average. If organizations are not reaching early-career candidates now, they risk making succession challenges even harder in the years ahead. Over time, that can affect continuity, leadership development, and even an organization’s ability to sustain important programs and services.
This is why students and new graduates are such an important audience to engage more intentionally. Hiring students and new graduates is about more than just filling junior roles. In fact, it goes a long way towards increasing their awareness of the sector, helping new workers see where they might fit — not just for one role, but potentially for a career. Organizations that engage early-career candidates today are helping build the future of their teams and of the sector more broadly. Even when a student or new graduate does not remain with one employer long term, a positive early experience in the nonprofit sector can shape where they choose to work in the future.
Why aren’t your job and volunteer postings already attracting students and new graduates?
Many students are exposed far more often to private-sector employers than to community-based organizations. If nonprofit roles are not showing up where students search, they are easy to miss, which is why broader distribution matters. When employers can extend the reach of their postings to post-secondary audiences, they are more likely to connect with candidates who are interested in purposeful work and eager to build experience.
CharityVillage’s cross-posting option with Orbis is one way to support that visibility, helping employers share eligible job and volunteer opportunities with students and new graduates across Canadian post-secondary institutions.
For organizations looking to connect with the next generation of talent, visibility matters. Job postings and volunteer opportunities need to reach early-career candidates, but they also need to be written with this audience in mind. When they are clear, welcoming, and realistic, they are far more likely to attract people who are ready to contribute and grow. We’ll address that in a moment, but first, let’s look at what kinds of roles you’re posting.
Roles that may be a good fit for students and new grads
Not every opportunity needs to be full-time or permanent to be valuable, although many entry-level, permanent, full-time roles are perfectly suited for students and new graduates. Volunteer, part-time, contract, project-based, and internships or co-op placements can all serve as meaningful entry points to your organization and the nonprofit sector as a whole.
Roles to consider for this demographic include (but are no means limited to):
- Marketing or communications assistant
- Social media coordinator
- Program staff
- Event support
- Fundraising coordinator
- Donor stewardship support
- Research associate
- Administrative assistant
- Outreach or community engagement coordinator
- Data entry or CRM support
- Volunteer positions connected to campaigns, projects, events, advocacy, or peer support
What matters most is that the role has clear responsibilities, realistic expectations, and some form of guidance or mentorship that will help a newer candidate succeed.
How to write postings that connect with students and new grads
It is not enough to have a worthwhile opportunity if the title is vague, the requirements feel inflated, or the role is written in language that assumes too much prior sector knowledge. Early-career candidates need to be able to quickly understand what the position is, why it matters and what impact it will have, and whether they can realistically see themselves in it.
Use a clear, recognizable job title.
Avoid overly creative titles or internal language that may make sense within your organization but mean little to someone starting out. Straightforward titles help candidates quickly understand the role and will improve discoverability in searches.
Explain the role in plain language.
Help applicants understand what the person will do day to day, who they will support and/or report to, and how the work connects to your mission. Early-career candidates should not have to decode vague wording to figure out whether they are qualified.
Be upfront about work arrangement and location.
State whether the role is remote, hybrid, or in person, and where it is based. This kind of clarity matters, especially when students may be balancing classes, public transit, and personal responsibilities, such as caregiving.
Ensure you are asking for realistic qualifications.
If the role is intended for an early-career audience, the requirements should reflect that. Focus on the abilities someone needs to successfully get started rather than building a list of qualifications that reads like a mid-career posting.
Value transferable experience explicitly.
Candidates may have developed relevant skills through coursework, volunteering, campus leadership, community involvement, part-time jobs, or personal projects. Clearly indicate if you are willing to accept this type of transferable experience, and be transparent about what you expect to see through the recruitment process (ie, portfolios). This will widen the talent pool and signal to candidates that you are hiring for potential as well as experience.
Be transparent about salary or hourly pay.
Salary transparency is not only best practice, in some cases it’s a legal requirement. Being upfront about the salary helps candidates decide whether a role is workable for them before they apply. It also supports more equitable hiring.
Show what the candidate will gain.
Students and new graduates often evaluate a role partly through the lens of what they will learn from it. Mention training, mentorship, and networking, or opportunities to build confidence in specific skill areas.
Use inclusive language throughout.
A short equity statement matters, but so does the overall tone of the posting. Review the posting for jargon, inclusive language, barriers to applying, and assumptions about background or career path. If you want candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply, the posting should reflect that in practical ways, including using inclusive language.
Think carefully about how narrowly you define the ideal candidate.
Some roles can be a fit for students from multiple disciplines or candidates with varied experiences. Leaving room for different backgrounds can help you reach a broader and stronger pool.
Clarify technical expectations.
If you mention tools or platforms, indicate the level of experience actually required. “Comfort with Instagram” and “advanced digital marketing experience” signal very different things.
Keep the posting focused.
Long postings can unintentionally discourage newer candidates. Include what someone needs in order to assess their fit: the purpose of the role, main responsibilities, core qualifications, compensation, work arrangement, and application process.
Make the application process manageable.
If the role is designed for early-career candidates, avoid unnecessary friction. Asking for too many materials upfront may cause strong applicants to opt out before they begin.
The strongest postings do more than describe an opening. They help early-career candidates understand the day-to-day work of the job, see a realistic path forward, and trust that they will be considered fairly through the hiring process and beyond.
Now that you have a compelling job or volunteer posting, what next?
Now that you have a compelling job or volunteer posting, consider where it will be seen. CharityVillage’s free cross-posting option with Orbis Campus Connect helps extend eligible opportunities to post-secondary students and new graduates across Canada, making it easier for nonprofit employers to put strong roles in front of early-career candidates looking for meaningful experience.
Learn more and get started here.
