February 26, 2024

How to land your first job in the social sector

Comes with a side of HR-approved midlife crisis!

2 min read

1. Have an irrelevant master’s degree

It’s okay if you’re in debt because of the degree. You can’t put a price on feeling good by making a difference in society (only funders can).

2. Have irrelevant corporate experience

And make sure you bring it up in every single conversation you have for the next five years.

3. Know someone who knows someone who knows someone

When an organisation says they’re like a family in the job description, there’s a slight chance they might mean nepotism. 

4. Reach out to nonprofit CEOs and philanthropists in your network

If nothing else, they might have advice on how to develop a saviour complex.

dog chasing a ball-nonprofit humour
Picture courtesy: PickPik

5. Learn to speak about current issues without EVER blaming the government  

Unless you want to be stranded for two days in an ‘income tax raid’.

6. In fact, be as apolitical as possible

Except when it comes to applauding another policy by the government. Never question anything under any circumstance, ever.

7. On your resume, under hard skills, write ‘all of them’

You might be a comms person, but you still might need to help out the tech team.

8. In your interview, make sure you mention your disapproval of a work-life balance

You will be sent to rural Jharkhand on the weekends. Yes, you get comp offs, but who has the time to use them?

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Halima Ansari

Halima Ansari is an editorial analyst at IDR where she’s responsible for writing, editing, and publishing content. She is interested in gender and ethics in technology and has written on the same for Feminism in India and MP-IDSA. Halima holds an MA in Politics and Area Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia and a BA in History from Lady Shri Ram College for Women.

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