Advice For A New Grad: Social Change Careers

Like many of my fellow Chicago Now bloggers, I am writing this week to offer advice to a new grad (or graduates) about non-profit, social entrepreneurship, or other social change careers. As someone who has had a long career which includes nonprofit work, this is especially timely – I’m more than happy to share my experiences. (Plus, I think it will make for some interesting online conversation.

So without further adieu, here are some suggestions for current grads looking to enter the realm of nonprofits, social ventures, and other social change agencies:

• Working in Social Change Doesn’t Make You Special – It’s very easy to believe that because we may be working for noble causes, we are somehow provided with a greater nobility. It’s still very important for us to maintain a sense of humility – that we’re all in this together, and should advocate for collaboration and community over “gatekeeping”.
• Your Career Will Evolve and Grow – Although new grads may be
  starting at a relatively low position, their careers are going to change, grow, and evolve. Speaking from personal experience, I started as a substance abuse counselor, entered community mobilization and nonprofit administration, and now consult for nonprofits and social ventures….which I never predicted would happen. Change is something to be embraced, welcomed, and nurtured in a nonprofit/social change career.
• Technology Itself Is Not A Cure-All – With increasing awareness and advocacy around technology (such as open source software, social media, etc), it is very easy to forget that technology and web-based tools are a means to an end (serving a specific business purpose) rather than ends in
  themselves.
• Network, Network, Network – Although Millenials are really good at reaching out and connecting, many other graduates of various generations sometimes avoid this. One good tool for researching contacts and finding professional information is Linked In…and using Twitter and engagement platforms like Hootsuite can be beneficial in engaging in real-time conversations. (Plus, Chicago has a variety of networking events, and Networked Chicago lists various networking events and opportunities. And speaking of which….
• People Are Not Means to An End – Whether they’re networking contacts, volunteers, clients, or online advocates, other people are human beings to be treated with respect and dignity. It’s a lesson that can be easily forgotten in day-to-day work, but is the most critical lesson I’ve learned from working in social change
• Burnout Is Avoidable Through Balance – Working in nonprofits and social change often means hard work, long hours, and handling difficult situations – all of which can lead to burnout. Having a life outside
  of work is critical, and taking time off to recharge can be extremely healthy – and helpful – to your career.
• Professional Development is a Good Thing – Whether it’s via coursework at brick-and-mortar venues, sessions at the Donors Forum, or online venues like Linda.com, learning is never complete, and any opportunity to expand your knowledge and awareness will be beneficial to your career.

So for all graduates, regardless of age or program, remember – nonprofit/social change careers are an adventure to be embraced. I don’t regret any of the professional decisions I have made, and quite honestly, I sincerely hope people entering the field can have a varied, interesting career.

Any tips, guidelines, or resources for new grads looking to enter the nonprofit/social change field? Please feel free to leave that information in the contents. In addition, there are a variety of other ways to interact, including:

• Visiting, liking, and following this blog on Facebook
• Sharing this post (and other blog posts) via social media
• Following me on Twitter, and
• Contacting me directly via this blog’s About page.

And as always, thanks for reading!

Building Better Government One App At A Time

One of the many ways in which tech can impact our communities is when citizens and software coders collaborate on apps that improve government effectiveness and/or allow greater access to public data. Recently, I received notice about a really  great opportunity for people to get engaged.

Code For America is a relatively new non-profit with a radical idea – that regular citizens, web coders, and others can collaborate on projects that make government more efficient, transparent, and which really create a more engaged citizenry. With an upcoming election, no matter what your political shading, this is a great opportunity to serve your community, and work on projects that could improve state and city government.

Their current initiative, the Race for Reuse, is focusing primarily on deploying (or redeploying) particular apps in a particular community.  Admittedly, I haven’t been as aware of Code for America’s efforts as I would like (short answer – family health issues have prevented me), but quite honestly, this sounds like a great opportunity, and one which I think many readers might find exciting.

This is also one of the great ways in which we can use technology to improve our neighborhoods – for many of us, knowing how to get involved without necessarily doing the “usual” activities can be a challenge. It’s also an opportunity for becoming more familiar with tech and web-based tools, especially for those who may not consider themselves “hackers”.

In short, this is a really great initiative, and which really deserves greater support and awareness.

Have questions or comments? Please leave them down below, and you’re more than welcome to reach out to me via Linked In (just mention Chicago Now) and my web site.

As always, thanks for reading!