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humanitarian careers that actually pay bills.

skylights

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well, typoc, i have actually made it a step forward in my career search (and i am super proud). i am certain that regardless of what i choose to do, i want it to be humanitarian (and environmentally sound would be a bonus). i need to have a reason to get up in the morning and i need to be happy and a humanitarian career is the only way i am going to achieve this.

as an aside i think one day i would like to get trained in being a minister for my spirituality but first i would like to have a career (20s) and probably a family (30s), and i will be very happy being a member and participant in my spiritual community before becoming a leader (i actively do not want to be a minister at this point in my life).

but my question for you all is can you help me brainstorm some humanitarian careers that will still provide me with enough of a salary to live on?


so far i am thinking:

- public health & education
- community leadership (probably not as much $ or job stability as i would prefer)
- physical therapy, nursing, NP/PA (not sure if enough room for creativity)
- hmmm


i enjoy science but i am really more interested in the implementation side of things than the research side. i also enjoy working with people but i do not have the patience to be a counselor.

i do like politics, public policy, and lawmaking. i do not think i would make a very good lawyer but i am enthusiastic about political-level change and would be happy working for or with the government.

i am a very good planner and event organizer (and very, very much enjoy doing that).

i definitely need at least a little bit of room to be creative or i will wither.

thank yoo ♥
 
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Part-time inner-city elementary school janitor?

Too many variables to account for.
 

Stigmata

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Assistant Gum Scraper Off-er for Public Benches in a major Metropolitan area.

A job title that lets everyone back home know you've "made it".
 

Coriolis

Si vis pacem, para bellum
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I don't know anything about your background, so some of these suggestions might require investing in additional education or job experience, but here they are.

public health & education
Public schoolteachers make better salaries now then they used to, especially in inner city or other problem areas. The opportunities to make a difference, to individual kids and to entire communities, is enormous. So are the bureaucracy, legalism, hidden agendas, and "that's how it's always been done" mentality. The key is to identify allies among the various stakeholders: administration, parents, local business and community groups; and leverage this team to implement your creative ideas.

physical therapy, nursing, NP/PA (not sure if enough room for creativity)
I suspect there is little room for creativity until you have attained some seniority. If you can stick it out with your dreams intact, it could work. An exception might be if you got certified as a nurse practitioner and could work semi-independently, perhaps in an underserved area, seeing a wide variety of patients.

i enjoy science but i am really more interested in the implementation side of things than the research side.
Have you considered engineering? There is a big future in environmentally friendly technology, especially energy sources and replacements for hazardous materials. If you prefer the people side to this enterprise, they need good marketing, publicity, and public education to translate the technology into everyday terms so people can see the positive impact on their lives and get behind it. Don't forget also technology to help the disabled: prosthetics, communication aids, etc.

i do like politics, public policy, and lawmaking. i do not think i would make a very good lawyer but i am enthusiastic about political-level change and would be happy working for or with the government.
Don't discount law entirely. We have become a very litigious society, and the ability to navigate the legal system is a powerful tool for helping people facing injustice or exploitation.

i am a very good planner and event organizer (and very, very much enjoy doing that).
Nonprofits need such people to organize both fundraising/publicity activities and also activities related to the services they provide. Unfortunately from what I know, these jobs don't pay that well.
 

citizen cane

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Social worker, perhaps in a nursing home, hospital, or for the VFW? You would likely need a masters degree, but it sounds like something you would enjoy.


I'm a social work major.
 

CzeCze

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If you are science oriented and have a humanitarian bent and you want to get paid you've got it made! There are TONS of avenues for people with technical skills/mastery in ecosystems/wildlife management and conservation, marine sciences, agriculture, forestry, etc. who can go forth into the NGO/UN world and have a sheeny title and a good paycheck. If you are finance minded HOT DAMN even easier to get paid as some kind of consultant/analyst for developing countries.

The general nonprofit world is not like the for profit world at all meaning that at 25 you could conceivably become the president/director of a non-profit and make $50k a year.

Some people might sneeze at $50k but I think that with the title of 'director' and to be in charge of an organization at such a young age is not too shabby. On second thought, maybe $35,000k is more likely but $50,000k is not unheard of.

If you want to make a humanitarian difference I would say go for the direct in the field jobs and not the pencil pushing jobs. Unless you like being bored. But if that's the case, you could at least be getting paid 2x as much for the same pointless, bureaucratic work.
 
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