If you care deeply about others and want to do something meaningful that makes a positive impact on the world around you, it’s natural to want to inspect different fields that will enable you to do so. Fortunately, career paths that allow you to help other people can come in various forms, with different roles and positions suiting different goals and different types of individuals. Here are just some of the best and most popular career opportunities you can explore if you want to help others:
Medical doctor
When we think of careers that enable us to help people directly, we often think of medical doctors. This is truly a great career option, whether you decide to become a general practitioner, surgeon, specialist, psychiatrist, or even medical researcher. The work environments are quite varied as well, from hospitals and clinics to surgeries and laboratories. However, you should keep in mind that becoming a doctor requires a degree in medicine and years of training, which can be quite demanding, time-consuming, and costly for many individuals. You can look into nursing as a good alternative, allowing you to work in the same field with a less challenging degree.
Psychologist
Although often overlooked, mental health is equally as important as physical health. In this field, you can help people by providing counseling and treating mental illnesses, helping people handle psychological aspects of physical health, or even aiding in the recovery of individuals with brain injuries. Other career options include forensic psychology, where you work with prisons to minimize reoffending, and educational psychology, where you help children with learning difficulties. For all of these roles, a degree in psychology and some practical experience will likely be needed.
Teacher or educator
Of course, being a teacher is among the most valued and fulfilling career paths. It will enable you to provide first-hand, in-person help to individuals and follow them as they grow and develop. You can work as an educator in primary and secondary schools, higher education institutions, schools for students with disabilities, student referral units, institutions for young offenders, and even hospitals. A degree is necessary for becoming a teacher, but there are different career opportunities you can explore without a degree as well, such as childcare, playwork, and youth work.
NDIS support worker
Countries such as Australia have the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) that aims to support people with a disability through packages tailored to their individual needs. This can also be a wonderful career opportunity for those wanting to help people directly. If you live in Australia, find a registered and reliable NDIS provider and start your career as a support worker in this important field. In case you’re located in different parts of the world, you can find similar programs in your local area and see which requirements are needed to get a job in the sector.
Public service worker
In countries across Europe, on the other hand, public service work is highly appreciated and represents another sphere you can explore. Regardless of the country, there are a number of different careers in local, regional, and national governments, as well as government agencies that will allow you to help people. This can include devising new laws and policies, providing pension and social security services, being involved in research groups, joining defense organizations, etc. The requirements for public service roles will depend on the exact position, but they will enable you to help thousands, if not millions of citizens either way.
Charity employee
If you’d like to interact with those you help, working for a specific charity can be another brilliant option for helping people, animals, or even the environment. Your job in this sector could be more physical, or it could involve different aspects such as campaigning, marketing, fundraising, lobbying governments, and similar roles. There are a number of positions in charity work for those with a degree, mostly to do with more specialized jobs. But even non-graduates can easily start a charity career with previous experience in other professions or through relevant voluntary work.
Legal professional
The law can be a tricky and at times immoral field as well. But there are jobs that will enable you to make a real difference. For instance, you can specialize in child protection and keep children safe from abuse and neglect, pursue a career in criminal defense and represent innocent individuals accused of crimes, or even work in immigration law to support individuals seeking asylum. No matter which area of law you select, keep in mind that a law degree is always necessary, along with practical experience in many cases.
Evidently, there are a number of career opportunities for anyone who’d like to help others. Choose a career path that suits your skills and personality the most, and make a positive impact.
