When competitive salary offers and benefits are abundant, many are looking towards careers that can provide a sense of fulfillment. Forbes notes how 83% of millennials would be more loyal to a workplace that helps them contribute to social and environmental issues. 64% said they’d reject a job without a firm CSR policy. Even those who teach students are now looking to Improve Social Impact in Higher Education.
Many who work in careers that focus on social responsibility have not only been found to stay at their jobs for longer but also have a driven level of engagement and productivity. If working in a purpose-driven career sounds appealing, check out these five paths that heavily focus on social responsibility.
Doctors
Becoming a doctor is an attractive career path because many see it as a path to prestige or wealth. However, it’s a common fact that the job also comes with a heavy responsibility for human life. It doesn’t help that several states face a doctor shortage, which means many doctors are also overworked.
The shortage, combined with the ongoing health needs of residents, has thus led to an increased demand for telemedicine physicians in Georgia and other states. The Peach State has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country, alongside Arkansas and Oklahoma. Fortunately, telehealth has allowed healthcare workers to exercise flexibility in their careers and accommodate a wider group of patients daily.
Many claims that the years it takes to become a doctor are only worth it when you have the mindset to help people genuinely. This gives many aspiring doctors the strength to complete an undergraduate program, medical school, a residency program, and additional training.
Healthcare advocacy
Perhaps technique and medical practice isn’t your forte, but you’re equally passionate about public health for the good of society. Working in organizations with healthcare advocacies may be the right place for you.
These organizations are responsible for many of the rights and services that minority groups experience today. See the Black Women’s Health Imperative which helped introduce advocacies like the Sickle Cell Disease Expansion Act – H.R. 7177, and launched the BWHI Change Agency.
Formations like these require diverse teams, including sales and marketing experts, to promote their campaigns. However, many would gladly welcome volunteers of no experience to be trained in-house.
Environmental and sustainability activism
These activists champion climate justice campaigns, which can be particular per state.
For example, environmental and sustainability activists in Louisiana fought to close more than 50 oilfield waste sites in Vermilion Parish. To achieve these wins, passion is a necessary ingredient, but a background in environmental studies, campaigning, and federal laws is equally important.
Licensed social worker
Social workers choose to assist individuals and families according to cultural, political, or economic trends. As with most social activism, this can differ per location. For instance, social workers in Montana had to recently focus on urging legislators against changing Medicaid expansion, which many Black communities depend on.
Like becoming a doctor, to become a licensed social worker, you must complete a bachelor of social work (BSW) degree, a master’s degree, and a licensure exam if you feel a fundamental social responsibility and passion for helping.
Educator
Teachers are just as responsible for shaping people’s lives. This means that teachers have moral, social, national, and humanitarian social responsibility as educators. Teachers must not only care about their actual students but also understand and show them how to fit in a community.
Diversity among teachers in states like Nevada is significant to counter the heavy misinformation and fear-mongering against minority groups. Teachers are vital in representing diverse groups of students and as role models, setting them up for success in society as the future generation.
These careers focus on social responsibility, but it’s key to remember that social responsibility stems from the individual. Making the most out of your job for the common good is possible as long as you are clear with your goals and purpose for making society a better place.
