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.
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