“I recently interviewed for a non-profit position and was thrown aback when asked if I considered myself a thrifty person … I’ve never been asked that before.” — Sherrie G., St. Marys, PA
You’re correct. That is an unusual question to arise in an interview.
Giving it some thought, however, I suppose it takes a person with a certain mindset to work for and excel in a non-profit, because money is always in short supply. If several non-profit directors were pooled and let loose on our government, they’d show us how it could be run effectively using a fraction of the money currently allocated to do the job … just saying! =]
Having worked for the United Way some years back, our small staff continuously reviewed operational costs to find ways for cutting back and controlling costs. And of course, we relied heavily on volunteers, board members, and college students to get things done. Stretching dollars (to go beyond what everyday people believe is not humanly possible) is what non-profits do on a daily basis.
Asking how thrifty you are with personal funds was probably a way to gauge how thrifty you’ll be while on the job. Frugal shoppers, bargain hunters, and coupon clippers are people who can produce the same results with less money; a characteristic that was probably important to the person who interviewed you.
So, what should you do now? If you didn’t answer the question, or answered but maybe not probably, send a note to the person who interviewed you, indicating that you’ve had time to reconsider his question. Provide examples of how you have saved (hopefully) considerable amounts of money in your personal life and/or while employed, and see if that has any effect. It’s worth a shot, do you agree?
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#1 by frank on August 2, 2010 - 1:35 pm
I think “prudent” would have been a better word to use than “thrifty” but I do understand. Non profits have been feeling the brunt of the economic downturn and are always in need of additional funding and/or reducing expenses……….its probably a legitimate question to ask, they just worded it incorrectly, in my opinion.
#2 by Karen on August 4, 2010 - 7:23 pm
I agree, it is a strange choice of words to use at an interview, and there are other ways it could have been asked to draw a more positive instead of defensive response. I think it would be interesting to see how the interviewer reacts to a follow up note; would love to hear about it!
Karen, The Resume Chick (on Google or Twitter for questions, comments or violent reactions)