Business development or fundraising, a term preferred by nonprofits, is a career path very few aspiring aid personnel seek out intentionally. Every year there are billions of funding dollars at stake compelling nonprofit organisations to employ teams dedicated to business development activities. These activities include research and intelligence gathering, proposal writing, financial proposal development, recruitment of project personnel, and extensive travelling, both nationally and internationally.
If you are someone who is intellectually promiscuous and constantly seeking new ideas, information and knowledge, that address social and economic problems and keep you amused at work, then you should definitely consider working in business development roles in nonprofit organisations.
On a more serious note, here are a few reasons why business development can be a good career move or path, specifically for fresh graduates.
You’ll get noticed
Business development requires you to work closely with the leadership and top-notch technical colleagues of an organisation, which provides an opportunity to learn from them and also get noticed by those making hiring and career advancement decisions. The network you build with colleagues from your organisation and others during a proposal development process can be really valuable throughout your career. However, it is imperative that you are on your toes to keep up with the rest of the team members. With strong work ethic, perseverance, and an ability to think on your feet and tackle challenges, you are likely to move up the ranks more quickly within the organisation.
You earn numerous (personal) diplomas
If your organisation focuses on a wide range of sectors (food security, education, health, economic development, etc.) then you are exposed to a lot of in-depth knowledge in a short period of time. Depending on your interest and engagement, the entire process of business development is likely to teach you more than what you could have learned in a diploma course.
Typically, a single proposal requires four to six weeks (or sometimes even longer) of effort and the intensity of the work requires you to dive deep into a specific sector and start unfolding existing problems, looking at possible solutions, innovations and best approaches. You will work closely alongside senior technical experts, who will (subconsciously) help you build an arsenal of your own knowledge.
You develop valuable marketable skills
The skills you will surely develop over a period of time are concise and persuasive writing, understanding partnership dynamics, creating realistic budgets, working with diverse team members and time management. As employers highly value these skills you become a more competitive and competent candidate for many other jobs in the future.
You earn more in less competitive positions
Most HR managers will tell you that business development roles are some of the most difficult positions to fill. Fewer applications are received for these roles as most people envision a career in project delivery roles.
Also, one of the best things about working in business development is that it is easier to prove your value to the organisation. For instance, you can easily demonstrate how you helped bring in $5 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Therefore, salaries offered for business development roles tend to be one of the highest paying in the sector.
You have more career options in the future
The business development team is always involved at the inception period of any new project. Many organisations assign a member(s) from their business development teams to the project start-up team when they win a project. This is primarily because the business development team is more acquainted with the project and specific donor requirement than anyone else. Therefore, starting your career in business development does not mean you spend the rest of your life in the same function. In fact, it can be a launch pad to many different national and international roles. With an exposure to wider technical areas, improved marketable skills, and better visibility and recognition amongst leadership will open doors to many opportunities, and could eventually lead you to the highest positions.
Collected from Dhaka Tribune
