People who love social work and giving back seek careers that will support their advocacy and passion. Thankfully, a handful of fields in the private and public sectors have available roles for them. They don’t have to be restricted to social work, although it can offer them fulfilling careers.
And money-wise, social workers can make a lot. In the U.K., their average salary is £35,141 per year or £18.02 per hour. In the U.S., the median salary is $50,470 every year, which is around the same amount as the average salary of social workers in the U.K.
Though the money isn’t likely your top priority, there’s no shame in seeking a job that pays more. After all, a higher income will allow you to help more people.
As you look for a job, find out which of your prospects use a charity matching platform. That’s a key indicator that they give back. It also means they let their employees support a cause of their choosing. Hence, by working in such an organization, you can be a part of a company that changes lives while also pursuing charitable ventures of your own.
That said, here are the roles and occupations that may suit you:
1. Financial Advisor
Helping someone manage their money is a form of community service too. You can help your clients stay out of bad debt, preventing them from going bankrupt. In addition, your guidance will encourage them to invest, which can help your country’s economy.
You only need a bachelor’s degree to qualify for the profession, but you must understand how finances and the markets work. Completing a short course may help you, but reading books or attending seminars may suffice.
2. Marriage and Family Therapist
If your advocacy is to reduce the number of children from broken families, you might make a good marriage and family therapist. As one, you’d counsel married couples or whole families in managing conflicts and disagreements. With any luck, you’d strengthen their bond. It’s a stressful and challenging job, as you’d deal with negativity with every session. But the fact that people trust you to help mend their relationships is already rewarding in itself.
You need a master’s degree and a licence to work as a marriage and family therapist. Start by finishing a four-year bachelor’s degree in psychology or any social science.
3. Occupational Therapist
An occupational therapist helps patients complete daily tasks, including menial ones like folding the laundry or holding a pen. You’d be working with people with physical, mental, emotional, or developmental disorders.
You won’t be acting like a caregiver, but someone like a life coach that gives them an everyday life plan. You’d help your patients create a routine, overcome challenges, and set goals. As such, you don’t necessarily need to be with your patient 24/7. They can see you in the hospital or clinic if you won’t work in a nursing facility.
You also need a master’s degree and a licence to qualify as an occupational therapist. Continue taking courses every year to keep your licence current.
4. Substance Abuse and Behavioural Disorder Counsellor
To break the stigma towards addicts who want to recover, consider being a substance abuse and behavioural disorder counsellor. You’d help alcoholics and drug users on their road to sobriety. It will be a tough job, and every patient will progress differently. You need to customize the treatment plan for each patient to ensure that they will recover. Some of them may do better in one-on-one sessions, while some may prefer group therapy.
Expect to experience an emotional roller-coaster ride in this job. There’s no guarantee that you’d help all of your patients, even if you worked so hard. But still, you’d save many lives, and that’s what matters more.
You need a bachelor’s degree and substantial supervised clinical experience to obtain this profession. A licence is mandatory as well.
5. Volunteer Manager
Volunteer managers recruit, interview, and oversee a charity’s volunteer network. This is a suitable occupation for you if you’d instead work in the non-profit sector. You’ll help plan and implement training programs for social workers. You’ll also deliver awareness initiatives to attract more volunteers for your organization’s programs. Depending on the non-governmental organization (NGO) you work for, you may work on a local, national, or global scale.
A specific degree isn’t required for aspiring volunteer managers. Your skills will be your asset. You should be good with people, excel in organizational skills, and possess a passion for helping the needy.
Even though these occupations veer away from CEO-like positions, they’re not any less rewarding. Success can be measured by your capacity to help. Therefore, these jobs can make you successful as any CEO or famous person.
