When thinking about a career, some people just want to be able to earn as much money as possible. However, most of us would rather do something that we love, and hope to be able to earn enough for the life that we want to live.
For some people, it is also important to be doing a job in which they feel that they are making a difference. There is more to life than just earning money, and making a difference to someone else’s life is equally, if not more satisfying than a big paycheque at the end of each month.
That doesn’t mean to say, however, that you can’t earn a living and make a career out of making a difference. Below are just some of the careers that make a positive difference to the world and people’s lives.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is something of a buzzword at the moment, and for good reason. As the world hurtles towards an environmental crisis, sourcing good and usable energy is becoming increasingly important. There is a lot of work to do in renewable energy: whether it is in the science behind it, the design of instruments, installing renewable energy measures, reporting, awareness – the list goes on. In fact, whatever your particular skill, there is almost certainly something that you can do in the renewable energy industry.
Whatever your qualification – or even if you don’t have one – you can probably find a way to fit into the industry. As governments put more and more money into finding alternative energy sources, there is increasing potential for jobs.
Live-in Carer
More and more people are seeing live-in care as a preferable alternative to sending loved ones to a residential home – whether it is for the elderly, or people with physical or psychological difficulties. Working for a company that provides care to those that really need it will give you the opportunity to forge friendships, make someone’s life better, more enjoyable, and help them to live their life with dignity.
When working as a live-in carer, you will get appropriate training by the care company and then be carefully matched to someone on both a professional and personal level. Although you will be living in with the customer, you will get breaks, food, and holidays.
To start a career in care, the independence and confidence you would have developed at University will certainly come in handy – along with a passion for talking, listening and helping people. Degrees in health and social care would be most relevant to this type of career, but are not always essential.
CBT Therapist
In a world where awareness of depression and anxiety are at an all-time high, CBT – Cognitive Behaviour Therapy – is becoming an increasingly popular way to try to help people to deal with it.
CBT involves trying to change the way that a person thinks, to in turn change how they behave. Being a CBT therapist is all about listening, empathy, and compassion, as you help to guide people through dealing with their problems. People who suffer from PTSD and eating disorders can also often benefit from CBT.
To become a CBD therapist, some people work their way up through the industry, but others prefer to do a postgraduate CBT qualification. There are plenty of courses available, which can start you off and help you to make sure that being a CBT therapist is right for you.
Teaching
It is important that the next generation is equipped with the knowledge, morals, and ethics to move the world forward, and an important way to do this is through teaching. It is also important that every young person is given every opportunity to make a good life for themselves, and the key to this is excellent teaching.
A good teacher isn’t just a person who can communicate information – it is a person who inspires, enables, listens, and has a genuine passion for helping young people to make the best of themselves.
If you already have a degree at 2:2 or above, you can apply to do a one-year ITT qualification. Alternatively, you can do an undergraduate degree in education.
There are hundreds of careers that can really make a difference in the world, from brain surgeons to refuse collectors. It is important, therefore, to do something that you feel is important – even if it has nothing to do with your degree.
Just because you are doing good, doesn’t mean that you can’t build a career, earn good money, and really make a difference to the people around us all.