The pandemic has shed light on racial health disparities and the ongoing police brutality has ignited a national movement for racial equity. This has resulted in many more people willing to enter careers that will transform our society. Whether you want to be an advocate for underrepresented populations or be a data analyst for a health nonprofit, there are many career opportunities in the social justice. Here are few ideas of types of positions you could work and some resources to help you find the perfect role.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Specialist: There has been an increase in opportunities in the field of diversity, equity and inclusion. Many employers are looking for DEI experts to create recruitment, retention and engagement strategies, and develop trainings on bridging cultural gaps, unconscious bias/implicit bias. Some roles include: Diversity and Inclusion Specialist, People Manager as well as more specialized roles in Human resources. Reach out to people in the field to conduct informational interviews to learn more about the roles and to start networking.
Community Organizer: Community Organizers empower people within communities to use their resources and strengths to change social issues such as unjust policies negatively impact them. They typically facilitate community forums, run petitions, organize protests, and develop relationships with their local politicians. Roles include: Community Outreach Worker, Community Program Coordinator or community engagement specialist. If you are interested in this field, shadow a community organizer one day or participate in a neighborhood meeting.
Journalist/Storyteller/Writer: The media is a powerful tool in creating change and informing society of social injustices. Many journalists write about social movements, ineffective policies and inspirational people to motivate people to make a difference. Typical roles would be editor, contributor, screenwriter and blogger. A great way to start practicing your writing skills is through internships. Channing Cappaccione, an intern in our Yawkey Internship program, interns at WeINSPIRE, a nonprofit that reports inspirational narratives to empower people. She has had the opportunity to write amazing stories while building her professional portfolio by conducting interviews with people who are making a difference in their communities and posts them.
Data Analyst: Data Analysts conduct analyses to help organizations determine best policies, discover trends in inequity and help them improve their services. For example, a data analyst at The Trevor Project, a national suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth, is responsible for designing and interpreting data research to provide reports, findings and recommendations to senior level directors to help them make strategic decisions. If you’re interested in this field, be sure to learn data tools like Excel, Stata, SPSS and Bigquery.
Resources for further study: There are many resources that can help you find career opportunities that make a difference. Idealist.org is a great job board to find impactful internships, volunteer opportunities and full-time positions. You can also check out the CCD website for Nonprofit, Volunteer + Service Sector resources to help you find an opportunity to make lasting change.
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