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What we Learned About Getting a Job in the Third Sector — And What You Can Do With It Too
Today, eighteen professionals, all at pivotal points in their careers, all seriously considering or actively pursuing roles in the third sector, spent an hour with Charlie Donoghue, one of the most experienced senior recruiters working in this space.
Charlie is a Principal Consultant at Investigo. Over the last 15 years he has placed candidates across charities, NGOs, education institutions, cultural heritage organisations and research bodies. Before that he recruited in-house for the Science Museum Group, CIPD, London Business School and the Royal Household. He knows this world inside out and he was wonderfully generous with what he shared.
By the end of the session, all 18 participants had been personally invited to share their details directly with Charlie.
📽️ Watch the replay of the session here: How to Position Yourself for Jobs in the Third Sector
Here is what they heard:
What Actually Is the Third Sector?
Charlie defines it as four broad areas: charities and NGOs, education, cultural heritage and the arts, and research and policy bodies such as think tanks and chartered institutes. It is wider than most people assume — and that matters when you are thinking about where you might fit.
The Third Sector Market Is Competitive — But Not Closed
The third sector is currently a job-led market. Organisations are hiring cautiously, often restructuring rather than straightforwardly replacing people. Charlie was honest about this but his message was not discouraging. For people who have built real careers and can articulate their value clearly, the opportunity is there. The challenge is standing out.
The Single Most Important Thing About Switching Careers to the Third Sector: Know What You Bring
This was the thread running through everything Charlie said. Too many experienced candidates struggle to distil what they actually offer. His advice was simple and practical: ask the people who know your work best what they see as your greatest strengths. We all have blind spots. Others often see our value more clearly than we do. Use that to sharpen how you present yourself. For our members, I recommend you watch in our resources area: ‘Tactics for marketing yourself for fractional roles’ – an excellent workshop we ran earlier this year. I also recommend our 3rd in our core workshop series ‘You value added’.
How to Work With Third Sector Recruiters — and How Not To
Charlie was candid about what works and what does not. Mass applications, generic outreach, AI-generated cover letters fired at dozens of roles all of it weakens your position. He described it as blunting a spear: the more indiscriminate you are, the less effective you become.
His advice was to be targeted and intentional. A smaller number of well-considered, well-timed approaches will always outperform volume.
Where the Third Sector Roles Are Right Now
For those actively looking, Charlie pointed to four areas seeing the strongest demand:
- Fundraising — consistently the highest need across the sector
- HR — driven by significant restructuring programmes over the last few years
- Finance — a regulatory constant that organisations cannot go without
- Technology and digital transformation — and this creates far more opportunities than just technical roles; communications, content, change management and more are all in demand as a result
Is the Third Sector Less Pressured Than Corporate Life?
One of the group asked this directly — and Charlie did not soften his answer. The idea that charities are gentler, slower-paced workplaces is largely outdated. These organisations face intense scrutiny, significant accountability, and are routinely asked to deliver with fewer resources than their commercial equivalents.
The real difference is not the pressure, it is the compass. In the commercial world, profit provides clarity. In the third sector, organisations are guided by mission and strategic objectives, which creates more ambiguity and demands greater emotional intelligence. It is not easier. It is different.
Thinking About a Trustee Role?
Trustee positions work differently from every other role in an organisation: they are time-bound, which means boards almost always know in advance when they will next need someone. Charlie's advice was to go directly to CEOs and board chairs and start conversations early. It is one of the few roles where a proactive, relationship-first approach is not just useful; it is the right strategy.
The Closing Thought — and Why It Matters for You
For people who have spent years building careers and developing real expertise, the problem is rarely a lack of credibility. It is a packaging problem. The experience is there. The track record is there. The work is in making sure the right people can see it — clearly, compellingly, and at the right moment.
The 18 people in the room last week left with that clarity, and with a direct line to one of the sector's most connected recruiters.
Want to be in the room next time? These sessions are small, focused and available for free to our members.
