Social Services, Advocacy & Non-Governmental Organizations
Overviews
Social Services & Advocacy
Non-Governmental Organizations
Bridging the Gap - The Mixture of Nonprofit and Business
Overview: Social Services & Advocacy
Broadly defined social services and advocacy careers (also referred to as public service careers) refer to jobs that are focused on providing direct or indirect service to others, often to those less advantaged. People who choose careers in social services and advocacy are generally interested in working to effect positive social change at the micro and/or macro level on behalf of a particular issue or population.
Many social service and advocacy groups are classified as nonprofits (NPO), that is, they are exempt from payment of taxes and are purpose-driven to benefit society. Nationally, there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations, which is 6 percent of the organizations in the United States. Therefore, approximately one in twelve people work for a nonprofit. (National Center for Nonprofit Boards) Examples of types of nonprofit organization include charities, foundations, health organizations, museums, educational institutions, political groups, social service organizations, and environmental groups.
Important things to know about careers in social services and advocacy:
- This career field typically does not hire in the fall for jobs following graduation. Agencies in this field also rarely recruit on campus. Exceptions are organizations such as Peace Corp and Teach for America, who are national organizations.
- Generally, these agencies will hire on an as needed basis. These positions are typically posted within a month or two of when the need of the organization becomes known. It is more common to secure a position in the time frame from late in the spring to early summer for college seniors.
- Searching for a position in social service, advocacy, and nonprofits requires the use of multiple strategies, resources, and search engines.
- Most positions in this field are found through networking and informational interviewing, rather than job searching. Therefore, it is important to create a social network within the social services, advocacy, and nonprofit fields.
- Because it is more common to locate positions through networking and informational interviewing, it is important to have your resume up-to-date with both electronic and paper format in an easy access location. To receive guidance on how to format your resume, set up an appointment with a UCS counselor.
- While volunteer and internship opportunities are prevalent in this field, many internship opportunities are unpaid due to budgetary constraints. However, there are many Yale and national fellowships/grants available to subsidize your experiences either during or after college. For more information contact International Education and Fellowship Programs to learn more about ways to fund your experiences in social services, advocacy, and nonprofits.
Overview: Non-Governmental Organizations
A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is an organization that is independent from governments and governmental policies. Like social service and advocacy organizations, NGOs are usually dedicated to the work of helping others through direct or indirect action. The major differences between NGOs and nonprofits (NPOs) are their tax status and organizational structure. NGOs usually (though not always) use private and public money to work specifically with developing nations. While NGOs are often thought of as synonymous with human rights, there are also other areas that NGOs work within, including improving the welfare of the disadvantaged or representing a corporate agenda.
Important things to know about careers in NGOs:
- NGOs almost never recruit on campus. This is not because they will not hire college students, but because that is not their focus for hiring.
- NGOs rarely post positions online, most of the positions are found through networking or internships. Because of that, working with an NGO as an undergraduate will not only help you gain exposure to NGOs but it will also connect you with a social network, which will keep you informed about new available positions.
- NGOs have a similar pay scale to NPOs, each specific organization sets its own pay structure according to its needs and income.
- Working with an international NGO may require a work permit or visa. It is important to research the requirements and process of obtaining these international documents for the countries you will work in well in advance. Requirements and processing dates are based on the individual country.
Overview: Bridging the Gap - The Mixture of Nonprofit and Business
Over the past few years the gap between the nonprofit sector and the corporate sector has begun to narrow. Current trends find nonprofits utilizing business strategies and organization techniques within their organizations. Careers in nonprofit management, nonprofit consulting, and foundations are incorporating such strategies and techniques. On the other side of the gap, corporations are becoming more aware of the initiatives within the nonprofit sector. Many corporations are establishing offices dedicated to value-driven initiatives to better society. Careers in corporate social responsibility, sustainable business, philanthropy, and socially responsible investing are examples of this type of work.
Important things to know about the mixture of nonprofits and business:
- Not all corporations will have clearly defined positions working with value-driven initiatives. Also, not all positions will have the same job title. Working with value-driven initiatives may be a component of a particular position within a company.
- It is important to be familiar with both the corporate and nonprofit sectors when working within the gap between them. Gaining experience and remaining informed about the current trends in both sectors is highly beneficial.
- In order to grow and develop as a professional within this field it is important to create networks in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors, as well as with other professionals working within the gap between them.
Types of Positions
Most social services and advocacy organizations or NGOs do not require a specific major or have a GPA requirement. They are much more interested in the type of experience you have and the transferable skills you have gained from those experiences. Such experiences can be gained by volunteering throughout the school year with a local organization whose cause you are passionate about, or a more formal summer internship. If you are interested in a particular cause, getting exposure to the field as soon as possible will make you more marketable upon graduation. Once you gain experience in the areas you are passionate about, it is important to format your resume to highlight these experiences. UCS offers counseling and workshops on how to properly format your resume.
Within the social service, advocacy, and NGO field, there are a variety of positions which focus on certain skill sets. Examples of these positions include: administration, development, programming, and public relations. Developing the skill sets for these positions before graduation makes you more marketable in the field.
Administration includes positions that have responsibility and accountability for the strategy and overall performance of the organizations. Administration also includes staff functions such as finance, accounting, human resources, etc.
Development focuses on raising money from individuals and organizations. Tasks include grant writing, organizing mail or phone fund-raising campaigns, analyzing the effectiveness of fund-raising methods available, etc.
Programming refers to the activities that the organization engages in such as delivering meals, creating urban gardens, or providing counseling services. Programming is about carrying out the work for which funds are raised and volunteers are mobilized.
Public Relation involves getting the message about the organization into public awareness. This means getting stories in newspapers, television, and radio about the organization or finding opportunities for the organization's leaders to speak on panels.
Getting Started in the Search Process
Because the area of Social Services, Advocacy, and NGOs is vast and many positions in these fields are rarely posted, it can be overwhelming to get started. Below are some important self-assessment questions to help you narrow down your interests to a more manageable job/internship search process.
What issues are of the greatest interest to you?
Some people would enjoy working on a variety of issues; others are passionate about a particular cause. Are you interested in the environment, children's health, community development, or disaster relief? To help you narrow down the issues that appeal to you, and to help you decide if a career in social service and advocacy is right for you, it is beneficial to research potential areas of interest. The most effective way to gather knowledge in a particular area is to network with professionals currently in the field. Setting up informational interviews with these professionals will aid in answering questions about your interests. Volunteering with an organization to gain firsthand knowledge about a cause you are interested in and visiting organization web sites are other valuable research methods. A great way to network with a lot of organizations in a short amount of time is to attend the Yale Undergraduate Career Services Nonprofit Career Fair in the spring. Additional nonprofit fairs are hosted at colleges throughout New England as well.
How far do you want the impact of the work you do to go?
Are you interested in an organization that has an impact in the local community, one that does work throughout the region/country, or an organization that carries out its programs internationally? For some people the level of satisfaction comes from seeing the result personally, locally, and directly, while for others the challenge of attacking large-scale problems or learning about different cultures is paramount. Knowing this about yourself will also help you scale down the size of your search.
Where do you want to work and what size organization are you interested in?
Large and small organizations can differ dramatically in terms of structure, advancement and job responsibilities. Also the work that is done in a city, small town or rural area can vary greatly because of the populations that are being served. Because these industries are so broad by nature, talking with professionals in this field can help you better understand your own preferences. Connecting with the Yale Career Network, a database of Yale alumni, on the UCS web site is a great place to start making connections with professionals.
What should I be doing now to prepare for a career in nonprofits?
- Know your own interests
- Research and become familiar with the area of nonprofits you want to work in
- Connect (network) with professionals in the field
- Gain firsthand experiences by volunteering and interning at organizations
- Create a resume that represents your interests and abilities
Web Resources-Tools and Resources for Job and Internship Searching
Job Search Directories
eRecruiting Database
Open Directory Project
Nonprofits
Young Nonprofit Professionals Network
Nonprofit Oyster
Idealist.Org
OpportunityKnocks.Org
NewEnglandJobs.Org
Connecticut Nonprofit Information Network
Community Career Center
City Limits.Org
PNN Online
Guidestar.Org
Nonprofit Times
Nonprofit Career Network
Corporate Social Responsibility/Sustainable Business
Sustainable Business.com
Social Venture Network
CSRwire (Profiles of Socially Responsible Companies)
Greenbiz.Com
Business for Social Responsibility
Business Ethics - Corporate Responsibility Magazine
Fast Company Magazine
Environmental Careers
Environmental Career Opportunities
The Environmental Careers Organization
Back Door Jobs
Environmental NGO listing
Green Choices
EnviroNetwork
International/Foreign Affairs-NGOs
One World
InterAction - American Council for Voluntary International Action
Council on Foreign Relations
United Nations System of Organizations
NGO WorldLine
Global Policy Forum
Worldpress.Org - Think Tanks and NGOs
Philanthropy, Foundations, Volunteerism & Social Entrepreneurships
Echoing Green
Philanthropy News Digest
Foundation Directory Online Professional
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Ashoka
Volunteer Match
Dwight Hall
ServiceLeader.Org
U.S. Government: Volunteerism and Philanthropy
Public Policy, Public Service, & Think Tanks
The Riley Guide: Nonprofits, Foundations, & Public Policy
Everett Public Internship Program
Organizations in Defense of Freedom
Project Vote Smart: Political Resources Think Tanks
Public Interest Research Group (PIRG)
US Government's Official Web Portal for Public Service
Social/Human Resources
Human Services Career Network
Social Services.com
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