Career Doctor
How can I get a job that makes a difference?
How can I get a job that makes a difference?
I'm a recent psychology graduate currently temping in admin roles but I want a permanent job in the public sector that helps make a difference. I'd like to work with kids but need experience to do so. I've been a bit lost since I graduated but want a job that will make me happy.
Ann Mold, a careers coach who specialises in working with people who want a job in the not-for-profit sector, answers:
It can be confusing to list all the things you want to do. It's better to define who you are and what you stand for; this will help you to narrow down your career possibilities.
If you do decide that you want to work with children, you could look up a local government website and get some careers advice or maybe go back to your uni for graduate support.
But if you know you want something in your life to be different and don't have a clue what you want to do, seeing a careers coach can help you clarify what it is that is going to make you happy. A careers coach will help you work out what you mean by “making a difference”. Everybody's way of making a difference will be unique.
In my careers coaching, I don't offer advice but get people to clarify what it is they want to do so they can go away, do the research and move on. I would encourage you to look at your own values and unique attributes so you can decide what you really want from your working life. Come up with a list of five values you'd like to live you life by, for example, honesty. This can help you to develop criteria you want your job to provide.
For some people, it can take a couple of years to work out what they want to do. There's no such thing as a perfect job, you have to make compromises.
Margaret Hickman, a careers coach who has worked in the public sector for many years, answers:
It might benefit you to see a careers coach to help you identify what you want to offer in your career and what you'd like it to give you. There are so many careers coaches out there these days, it's important to talk to a number of different people. If one person resonates with you, that's the one you should go for.
I base my careers coaching on a psychometric test called the Highlands Ability Battery which takes three hours to fill out online. It asks you questions to identify your skills and interests and produces a 30-page report which gives you an idea of the kind of job that might suit you. Sample questions are on my website.
After completing the Highlands, people have a two-hour coaching session with me. I ask key questions about skills you've learnt through life, about your goals and values and whether you've been brought up to believe you can do a job you love. I relate these answers back to the profile and, in the end, it becomes clearer what people want to do. I hold up a mirror so you can see what direction they need to take. Then I give you ideas about what you need to do next to stay motivated and get the job you want, for example, enrol on a course.
One person I worked with thought she wanted to do a medicine degree but after doing the Highlands, she decided she wanted to go into medical research. It can be a fantastic tool.
Ann Mold's website
Margaret Hickman's website