If you care deeply about others and want to do your part to make the world a better place, it seems only natural for your professional life to reflect your personal beliefs as well. However, rewarding careers can be difficult to find, and good people may not always feel like they’re making a real difference. If you’d like to change that and finally begin helping others in a more straightforward way, here are some of the many career opportunities you might want to consider:
Education
Being a teacher is a great way to directly help others and see immediate results as they grow and develop. From primary and secondary education to higher education and schools for students with disabilities, there are various options for a career in this sector. In most cases, becoming a teacher requires an appropriate university degree, along with additional certification, depending on the region. If this seems too time-consuming or expensive to you, other careers in education you could consider include childcare, play work, youth work, and becoming a teaching assistant, for instance.
Medicine
Becoming a nurse or doctor is another brilliant option if you’d like to help individuals directly and see the impact you have on people and their families. You can choose to work in a GP surgery, hospital, outpatient clinic, or even with the armed forces. Deciding on medical research is another option for those wanting to make a wider impact on the society and world as a whole. Regardless of the career path you select, keep in mind that any medical career comes with at least four to six years of university education and appropriate degrees.
Social work
A social worker works with families and individuals who need some type of support. They could aid the elderly, individuals with disabilities, or adults with mental health issues in living independently. They can also work with children in child protection services or in managing the processes of adoption and fostering. Working with offenders is another option. A degree is required to be a social worker, while activities like organizing support packages, conducting assessments, and collaborating with other industry professionals are common on the job. Non-graduate roles are also available, but they revolve more around providing direct support such as dressing, washing, cooking, etc.
NDIS management
In Australia, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a program providing funds, services, and additional support directly to persons with disabilities. While this excellent scheme provides the necessary help to around half a million Australians, managing NDIS plans can often be a complicated task. That is precisely where an NDIS plan management provider comes in. These professionals can claim funds, process payments, and manage other NDIS-related transactions, thus allowing individuals to stay on top of their spending and budget. This can be a great career opportunity for anyone wishing to help others in a more practical way.
Law
Although law careers are often portrayed as being mostly about profit, the truth is that there are many career paths in this industry where you could do some real good. For example, those living in the US can become public defenders and represent individuals who might not have had access to attorneys otherwise. If you live in Europe, on the other hand, an immigration law specialization would allow you to directly support the people seeking asylum in EU countries. Or, you could decide on child protection law and keep kids safe from abuse and neglect no matter where you are situated.
Psychology
Although career opportunities in psychology may vary, most options involve helping others. Some of those careers are in healthcare, such as clinical psychologists working in mental health, neuropsychologists helping with brain injuries, and health psychologists dealing with aspects of physical health. Other options include forensic psychology, educational psychology, and psychotherapy, for instance. In any case, a university degree in psychology and a specialization in the selected field will be needed for acquiring a license for practicing and finding a suitable job.
Public service
There are a number of different career paths in every local government and its agencies, all of which can do good for your country and citizens. While you likely won’t meet them personally, your work in these careers could positively impact thousands or even millions of people. Some of the career options mentioned above relate to public service, including medicine, education, law, and social work. However, this sector also involves aspects such as emergency services, defense and intelligence agencies, environmental protection, public transportation, etc. The job opportunities in this field are truly vast, and you may not always need a degree to get them.
For those who wish to help others, career opportunities are endless. Just choose a field that appeals to you the most, prepare yourself for an educational journey, and seek the right role to truly make a difference.