With job prospects looking up across the country, it’s truly a worker’s market. Now, instead of looking to land just any job, you can choose between a job that merely pays the bills and a job that allows you to make a difference in the world.
A growing number of social ventures are making their mark. TOMS Shoes, Warby Parker, Grameen Bank, and a host of smaller companies are gaining popularity among job seekers — and for good reason.
Not only do social ventures offer the best opportunity to make an impact on the world and improve others’ lives, but working for one can also make you happier. According to a Deloitte survey, employees who feel a sense of purpose are four times as likely to say there’s a high level of employee satisfaction at their company.
Working for a socially driven company will also help you form deep bonds with your co-workers. At social ventures, people don’t close their laptops and start shuffling toward the door at 5 p.m.; they’re firmly committed to the cause. As anyone who has pulled an all-nighter preparing for Election Day or a grant deadline knows, there’s a unique camaraderie that forms when confronted with that heady combination of loopiness, caffeine, and altruism.
Finally, working for a socially driven company will give you opportunities for professional growth that you can’t get anywhere else. The social venture field is still in development, and it’s ripe for new ideas and innovation. Employees often have the chance not only to excel at their own job but to also improve the company’s unique business model. There’s room for employees at all levels to implement creative new solutions that advance the organization’s mission.
How to Land a Job With a Social Venture
If you’re ready to start making a difference in the world — and in your career — take advantage of these tactics to land a job at a company you believe in:
1. Insert yourself into social venture networks. Many socially driven companies are still new, which means they may not have the capacity to do large-scale job searches. Instead, they’ll look first to people already in their networks. Get yourself on these organizations’ radar by going to a local Net Impact or Investors’ Circle event. While you’re there, connect with investors to get the most up-to-date information about new social ventures.
2. Use job boards specifically for socially driven companies. When hunting for a job at a socially driven company, you shouldn’t rely on traditional job boards alone. There are a number of great recruiting websites that cater specifically to socially driven companies, including the Net Impact, Echoing Green, and ReWork job boards.
CareerCast.com also has a network devoted entirely to green jobs.
3. Position yourself as passionate, creative, and flexible. Most socially driven companies are small and mighty, and they’re looking for workers who are firmly committed to their cause, always ready with innovative solutions, and able to tolerate uncertainty. Social ventures are often treading in rugged, unexplored territory, so employees must be willing to work long hours and roll with the punches while staying passionate about the mission. The social venture sector has begun to flourish in the past few years, which means there are jobs available for creative, passionate people who want to make a difference in the world. Tailor your job search to socially driven companies, and you’ll be one step closer to landing a job that makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning and make an impact.