John SchneiderSimultaneous trends of millennials and GenXers are searching for more altruistic careers.
For millennials, they watched their parents suffer through the 2008 housing crisis, subsequent Great Recession, stagnant wages, high unemployment, and low national gross domestic product (GDP). Now many are saying, “If I’m going to struggle, I may as well struggle to do something good in the world.”
Millennials want to change the world, making a difference with what they do every day.
For us GenXers, it likely because, well, we’re older and seeking we’re more meaning in our lives. Many of us worked through the 2008 housing crisis, subsequent Great Recession, stagnant wages, high unemployment, and low national gross domestic product (GDP). Even though we may only have a small piece of our pie, we want to share some of it before we’re no longer here to share it.
For those considering more meaningful first or second careers, here are some jobs to consider:
Good samaritan.
You know how some days, weeks, even years are hard?
Social workers help people manage those times when we can’t manage on their own. From advocating for children who need an advocate to be there for the older adult who’s all alone to everything in between, social workers are there to care.
Life isn’t as easy for all of us and some of us find it harder to deal with than others. It’s social workers who help change these lives for the better.
Money maker.
Unfortunately, the financial professionals who break the rules get all the attention. They deserve the bad press they get.
Their honest, hardworking colleagues don’t.
Financial planners and the people who support them help everyday people with their money every day. Most financial professionals have their client’s best interest in mind, and that’s why this can be a rewarding career.
They help want-to-be parents prepare financially to have their children. They help fulfill the student’s dream of going to college. They assist the widow who lost the spouse responsible for managing the family finances. They help people make sense of retirement and legacy planning.
Financial professionals help make dreams come true, and nightmares go away.
Baby maker.
Among the many ways family planners help families, they help grow families.
Don’t let your high school years confuse you. Having children for many women isn’t easy, particularly since women and couples are having kids later in life.
Family planners can help these women and couples navigate the waters of growing their families with in vitro fertilization (IVF), various means of surrogacy, and any other medical advancements medicine has developed, including the different ways to adopt.
Fixer.
If you’re in pain or recovering from an injury, your physical therapist may just be your best friend. Like any decent best friend, your physical therapist sticks by you through the screams, tears, pain and frustration until you’re 100% again.
Physical therapists help their patients overcome negative conditions and achieve long-term health. Good health is consistently listed on the top of people’s most important things. If you’ve ever been in bad health, you know that returning to good health becomes the most important aspect of life second to family.
Modern-day Aristotle.
Christa McAuliffe, one of the seven victims of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, once said, “I touch the future. I teach.”
Anyone who’s ever amounted to anything is in debt to a teacher. Successful people from President Obama to Oprah Winfrey have publicly thanked particular teachers who helped them achieve their successes.
As a good teacher, the impact you have on a student could world-changing.
Healer.
Sure, doctors get all the glory, and the work doctors do is amazing.
It’s just that when you want that pain medication in the middle of the night and you’re stuck in a hospital bed, your doctor’s not coming to your aid.
That buzzer buzzes straight to a nurse’s station. When you need that very embarrassing, very necessary help in the bathroom, it’s your nurse who saves the day. When everyone else is gone, your nurse is still there.
Want to make a different in people’s lives? Be a nurse.
Sower and reaper.
Other than John Mellencamp, America doesn’t give farmers much love, and that’s a shame.
Everything healthy we eat is grown by a farmer. Growing healthy and nutritious food is an important and noble profession that helps all of us live from day-to-day.
If you’re scared you have to move far away from friends and family, don’t be.
Of course, the most abundant farming happens in the middle of the country, but you don’t have to uproot yourself to root some vegetables. Urban farming is a thriving industry these days, especially with more people in urban areas seeking more healthy food.
Space cowboy.
Being a space cowboy or cowgirl isn’t just for eight-year-olds. It’s for full grown adults, too. Space is the final frontier, and we’re finally making aggressive efforts to conquer space. Space exploration and space technologies already help millions in many ways. Someday, it may even save the human race.
Becoming a space cowperson or one who supports them isn’t easy, as space is only accepting the best of the best. But, if you can pass the test, helping the human race pioneer the space frontier can change the world and, possibly, the universe.
Superhero.
A lot of people do a lot of good work. Truth be told, there are a lot of superheroes out there.
However, police officers, EMTs, and firefighters save and protect lives every day. For many, their career is in their blood, having been passed down from generation to generation. For some, it’s an innate desire to help.
If you have such a desire, the world will be a better place with people like you in one of these jobs.
Many professions that make a positive difference in the world. Sometimes even a seemingly mundane job can make all the difference to someone.
Consider your skills and abilities and focus on giving to others. If you do, nearly any career will help you change the world.
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