Social Services, Advocacy & Non-Governmental Organizations
Overviews
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.
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.
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.
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