There are many reasons as to why you may choose a given career path. For some, their decision is simple, as their career might be an extension of that which they’ve already been doing in childhood. For instance, it’s not uncommon for child athletes to grow up and compete in tournaments, or play for local teams. Some may go into acting in local theatre productions. Others may show a real keen strength in mathematics, ultimately going on to study a STEM subject and secure a job in that field.
Of course, there’s never just ‘one’ reason as to why you may select a given career. For some, it might just be that they’re attracted to the potential salary and bonuses. In some cases, skillsets can be deployed from one field to another, earning more. An astrophysicist, for instance, may have the appropriate skillset to make it in the finance sector, thanks to their familiarity with numbers, predictive reasoning, and taking risks.
But what if your motivations are pure at heart? What if, when all is said and done, you hope that you will have made a net positive difference in the world? In this guide, we’ll discuss the top five careers for those looking to do public good:
1. Medicine
Of course, the medical field contains a wide range of roles, disciplines, and practical applications that all need staff to keep these processes functioning. Depending on the discipline and degree of influence you’d like to have, your goals can differ. For instance, see ‘why study public health?’ to see what an amazing degree of roles a course such as this can provide you.
Medicine can also provide roles like nursing, or clinical work. Helping in a sexual health clinic can ensure that consent, hygiene, and aftercare are considered, especially in young adults. With that in mind, it may be that you volunteer for vaccination efforts in a country abroad, work in a humanitarian role, or operate within the research field in order to expand knowledge.
You likely need little convincing to see why this is at the top of our list. We’ve been through two years of extensive difficulty with an international pandemic that took intensive work from the medical field to get under control. Without that work, such an event would have caused so much more damage it’s hard to think about. We have no doubt that as difficult as this event has been, it has also inspired future medical workers like never before.
2. Policy Analysts
Policy analysts help determine the worth and scope of public policy. They are the ones that aid in restorative legislation deemed to fix issues of the past, as well as those that inform policymakers about future potential and visionary considerations worth taking. You deal with cold and hard facts, but also keep into account the personal and cultural implications of the policies you inform.
Even something as simple as determining the scope of where a bridge should be placed could one day save countless hours from the daily lives of commuters. If you’re going to weigh up the public good you do in terms of quantity, this might be one of the best positions to take. Furthermore, each policy you work on will be determined by the world around you, rather than having to simply come up with creative applications yourself and within outside influence. That in itself helps you become very informed regarding the district you’re responsible for, or the policy think tanks you contribute to.
3. Municipal Careers
Often, working in a local capacity, especially for the good of one community or another, can be tremendously helpful. Municipal careers can take all forms, and may not be strictly defined as working with the government. For instance, even charing your local resident’s council can make a big difference, especially if you live in a rural environment.
In effect, even working within activist efforts towards influencing your municipal environment can be a great idea, as can working for services that maintain and restore vital functions to an area can be key. Often, it’s this kind of non-profit, but thoroughly contributive career that can net someone a comfortable life working in an environment where they see the practical investments in daily planning they make. It’s hard not to see some worth in that.
4. Social Work
Social work is the art of helping resolve, soothe, and ameliorate social situations or their effects. For instance, helping children more easily access the care system from broken households can be a tremendously tough job, but it also helps you make a real difference in the life of a child.
It’s also important to remember how vast social work can be. Working for a homeless charity could help you reduce the numbers of rough sleepers on any given night. In some cases, you may support people in living independently. It takes a strong will and a willingness to set your priorities straight, but if you can do this, you’ll be in a fantastic position to move forward.
5. Nonprofit Manager
Non profit managers take on some of the administrative reigns involved with charity work. This can be a great position to hold, because it will enable you to make thorough decisions regarding how your charity uses its money, how it fundraises, and what kind of initiatives you support. This could be as simple as merchandising support for those fundraising by running marathons, or it might mean getting stuck in to the expansion of your charity abroad, where you help out underserved communities.
It’s true that some charities are criticized for having salaried employees at all, but this is what’s needed to keep an initiative properly functional. Provided the large majority of the fundraising goes to its stated purpose (you can check the most worthwhile charities online for this), you’ll be in the best position to do good.
With this advice, we hope you consider the top five careers for those looking to do public good. Who knows how much value you could add by the end of your tenure?
