College students and recent graduates often ask me for advice, especially around getting their first job focused on public service and doing good. For years I struggled with how to answer them.
About six years ago, in an attempt to provide a strong response to these kinds of questions, I produced a resource about helping people break into international humanitarian work, though many of the lessons pertain to getting a job in any type of nonprofit or socially motivated organization.
I would like to publish a version of this roundtable interview transcript with people who broke into local (rather than international) nonprofits in creative ways. I would welcome the support of anyone who feels moved to assist in such a project. Please email me at alexcounts09@gmail.com if you would like to help me pull this together.
My book Changing the World Without Losing Your Mind is oriented towards those who already have a toehold in the nonprofit sector, and are preparing themselves for a future leadership role – or are trying to stay afloat and even thrive in their first leadership role.
I found this column by Nick Kristof in today’s New York Times about four keys to career success to be insightful. The last three pieces of advice echo themes in my book and my other writings. The first one – taking a course in economics or statistics (both of which I did as an undergraduate) – also rings true to me as solid advice.
Supporting the next generation of changemakers is one of those “important but not urgent” tasks that my generation needs to focus on more – especially as we contemplate the dangers of climate change, ethno-nationalism, racism, mass incarceration, the scapegoating of immigrants and minorities, and the persistence of extreme poverty around the world.