Career Paths

It’s no secret that we love meeting fellow Purple Sheep. Although we’d argue that you’re always a Purple Sheep at heart, some show their colour early in their careers and others after years of experience. Jennifer Starr is a career switcher and recently transitioned from the corporate world to the nonprofit sector …

Diane Solinger has what many would say is one of the coolest job ever (us included). Working at Google in social impact, Diane holds one of the most envious job titles managing the GooglersGive program. Leveraging her experience from the nonprofit sector, Diane and her team help the 60,000 Googlers …

Whether you are looking for a promotion or trying to make a career switch, personal branding is something you must be doing. You may be thinking that branding is something only marketers do for products and companies, but that’s not true. Personal branding is not a new concept- from the …

Whether you are looking for your next job or simply not ready to leave your current one, there are ways to make your current job more impactful. The act of creating change from inside your company is also known as intrapraneurship and could be one of the most powerful ways to …

Finding meaningful work is a very personal experience and journey. Whether it’s working for a nonprofit, corporate foundation or a social good organization, meaningful work is all around. From high level advice on building your career to practical tips on your cover letter, three of our impact insiders and leaders in their …

It’s no secret that we’re all about jobs with a purpose and a paycheque. But what we love most is discovering the interesting companies and people making a difference with their work. This week, we meet Alexandra Snelgrove, the Director of Social Impact at LIFT Philanthropy Partners, a not-for-profit that takes a venture philanthropy …

Career switcher, Susan Heaney, shares advice and her story about switching from the corporate sector to nonprofit. From a decades long corporate career at Avon to the Director of Marketing, Communications and Development at the Sustainability Consortium, Susan Heaney transitioned almost seamlessly from the corporate world to the nonprofit sector. For …

From a policy advisor in the Federal Government, Valery Navarrete wanted to explore other ways of engaging in social change. Looking for opportunities with more direct community impact, Valery moved back to her hometown of Toronto and landed a job at one of the most iconic nonprofit brands, the YMCA. More than a gym, the YMCA …

A career in the nonprofit sector is full of options, from working in communications and fundraising to finance and program management. As the primary source of income for nonprofits and charities are donations, careers in fundraising (aka development) are a great career option, as you’ll always be in demand and an asset to your organization. …

No matter where you are in your career journey, it’s important to stay up to date on the latest trends. After all, today’s trends are tomorrow’s reality. This is especially important when thinking about future development and growth opportunities- not only for yourself professionally, but also for your organization. Whether you …

From a program coordinator for the Muscular Dystrophy Association to a full time minister- Shane O’Connor has had a non-traditional career path. What started as a night job at a FedEx operations facility has turned into a fulfilling career as a CSR leader. His story is a good reminder that there’s no …

Despite a traditional background in economics and an MBA, Shama Ahmed’s job is anything but. On the cutting edge of Social Finance and Impact Investing, Shama leverages her deep skill set and experience at TD to take on the role of Manager of Financial Education and Social Finance. As part …

One of the most exciting things about working in the impact economy is seeing the rise of cool social enterprises like Mealshare, taking the buy one give one model to the culinary world. Andrew Hall is the co-founder and co-mastermind behind this budding West Coast based organization. From consultant to …

Experts in Career Switching: From Executive Vice President of TELUS to CEO of the Arthritis Society, Janet Yale has completed her transformation to Purple Sheep. Janet leveraged the knowledge and skills she gained over 25 years in the corporate sector and successfully “career-switched” into not-for-profit. Janet’s career story reminds us …

Three reasons why it’s important to start thinking about the end of your career now.

Experts in Social Finance Series: Joanna Reynolds’ story is a great example of a career in the impact sector, seamlessly transitioning from the arts and nonprofit to social finance. Joanna is at the forefront of impact investing and a trailblazer in the field- we need more Purple Sheep like her!

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) means something different at every company. And as most professionals in the field know, CSR is a term that covers a range of activities. To some businesses, CSR can refer to their sustainability efforts, their investment in community events, their employee volunteerism and or the management of …

Finding your dream social impact job takes hard work and persistence. Good career advice is sector, even job specific. Advice for getting a job at Google is very different than good advice for getting a job at the RBC Foundation or the United Way. We’ve gone through our Purple Sheep interviews …

For those of us who believe there’s more to a job than a paycheque, and that it’s about the journey, not just the destination- this interview is for you. As the Director of Projects at Public, Fatima Crerar shares a unique passion and drive for her work, spurred by the …

Do you ever wonder how people get their jobs? How important your resume or networking really are? We share the secrets of how Purple Sheep- corporate dreamers who use their skills for good-  got their jobs. What you find out may surprise you (6x over).