How to make a career in social change and helping others
Are you passionate about social change? The environment? Education? Giving back to your community? There are many opportunities to build a career in helping others. And you can begin developing the skills and experience you need at CU Boulder for your future career. Here are some ways to get started.
Make change through student organizations
Many student organizations and groups have goals for making positive change in our campus community. Find an organization whose passions align with yours or stop by the Center for Student Involvement and get involved. You can also get involved in student government to make changes on campus.
The top skills you’ll need for a career in helping society include building strong relationships, problem-solving, teamwork and critical thinking. These are all skills you can develop by getting involved through student organizations and in your campus community.
Gain experience with volunteering
Volunteering your time for a cause or issue you are passionate about can help you be more informed and educated on the topic. Discover opportunities to get involved with the community:
- Volunteer Resource Center: Search the calendar or organization database.
- Student Employment: Log in and search using keywords such as “community.”
- Handshake: Log in and search by industry, job function or keyword.
Meet and learn from others
There is no one right path to a career in social change. Depending on your interests, consider shadowing a local politician, nonprofit leader or educator. Ask questions about how they got their start and how you can help. You can find ways to make these connections at Career Services.
With many events on campus that are geared toward educating on social issues, you can always learn from your peers as well. Find these events in the campus events calendar.
Explore majors
There are many majors and programs that can help you prepare for a future helping society. These include: