@missypie, she may want to look into small nonprofits. Often in organizations with a very small staff staffers have to be jacks of all trades, meaning they may spend part of their time in an office doing research, budgeting, and grant writing but also part of their time in the field. I head up a small nonprofit. Our executive director and office manager spend a lot of time in direct contact with clients.
Does she speak another language? If not she may want to work on learning one. That will make her more employable at most nonprofits.
Most states and many cities have a vast array of AmeriCorps options. My D did a service year in West Virginia after grad school. It was life changing. My son is graduating from college next year and is looking at a housing equity program in the area where he goes to school. The diversity of programs is remarkable. NYC has an entire section of its website devoted to internships and fellowships. There are AmeriCorps programs and a civic corps and a mayoral program.
When I lived in CA, we used to think those purple squirrel jobs were about empliyer sponsired immigration applications. To justify that no one but the immigrant could do that job, they’d tailor the job description. CS job must play piano. Whatever.
Remember, the goal is for her to he self supporting.
D1 did several international Habitat for Humanity builds and led one. SIL went on one as well as H. Great organization. You can do those during vacation time 1-2 weeks from a job, or locally on weekends.
So… this might be unpopular. But my kids were on the hook to support themselves after they got out of undergrad. Grad school, a job that covered st least most of their expenses, whatever. It was on them to make a plan and get a degree to pursue it. Kind of what my dad did with me. And… I think, looking back, my dad was pretty smart about that. He made me make a plan and act like an adult. My kids both took it to heart as well. One got a solid job that she likes fairly well. The other is in a funded PhD program, hopefully headed eventually to an industry job
I just wonder if it does our kids a favor to encourage degrees without some kind of plan on how to use it. And then maybe spending their 20s in something that isn’t very likely to pay the bills and isn’t really a viable long term career. She may not want to be an admin at a nonprofit, but sometimes that’s how you get your foot in the door if you don’t have a more relevant major and are serious about trying to work longer term in an organization devoted to helping people.
I confess I don’t have time to read all the responses so if this has been mentioned, I apologize. There is an organization in NYC called FabScrap that collects textiles from the fashion industry and sells or recycles materials, keeping what’s sent to the landfill to a minimum. They do have a website. Maybe your D would like to relocate to NYC and get involved in that, or she could replicate the idea in another city.
The same way we were in favor of a gap year (though neither kid took one), we were supportive of the kids doing a few years of low paid public service. My parents would not have been in favor and I supported myself in grad school, too, but I want my kids to have a chance to explore more options.
Would we have subsidized my idealistic kid? IDK. H wanted to. I am the mean parent, who would have encouraged a second job to help pay the bills and living in a simple, shared situation. The teaching gig does pay the bills.
@thumper1 , unless I’m misinterpreting somehow, it seems that applicants for regular two-year Peace Corps tours can choose the specific programs they wish to apply to:
It is certainly different than it was in my day, and I think this change is fairly recent. The page linked above offers an option to “serve where you are needed most” and to be placed in a position by Peace Corps staff, but below that is a list of current volunteer jobs (including the country, required skills, health issues, the number of openings for the position, departure date, etc. ) At the moment there are 41 different jobs listed. Applicants who meet qualifications for a specific position can apply directly to that position. That was absolutely not the way it worked when I applied or when I worked in the placement office. Applicants had little say as to specific jobs/countries, beyond stating general preference or where they would NOT serve. I haven’t studied the new process enough to know precisely how it works, but applicants in the past were never given the kind of specific information listed on the website today, until the very end of a months-long (sometime more than a year-long) process.
OP, your daughter’s efforts are admirable, but there is no need to put her life and career on hold to help mankind. On the contrary, the higher-level skills, experience and resources she acquires, the bigger difference she can make. Many non-profits need experienced staff to run their budget, fundraising, communication, or helping their clients amongst other things. My own Fortune 500 company supports a very large and active employee volunteer program that contributes thousands and thousands of hours to multiple organizations and causes. And many organizations would prefer monetary donations to non-skilled labor (which can be provided by retired or student volunteers, or by working people after hours).
Both of my kids are very passionate about making the difference. They learnt a lot from working at a large student-run nonprofit throughout their college years, and they continue contributing after college by making donations, serving on a board and volunteering during their vacations. They also participate in other volunteer programs on evenings/weekends
D’s goal was to support the causes and organizations that make the biggest impact and are most efficient in using limited resources. She started by reading William MacAskill’s book “Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Make a Difference”, then extensively researched different non-profits and causes worldwide (not just local or the US). The difference between different organizations can be huge even if they support the same cause. Her day job requires long hours and lots of travel, so she needs a lot of flexibility in her volunteering schedule. She uses video conferencing, as well as periodic in-person meetings to support underprivileged clients in a non-profit group. She also serves a leadership role in another organization, and participates in a group of young people who use their own money to fund small grants for various non-profit start ups in their local community. There are many ways to make a difference
It looks like for some PC assignments, they are looking for specific interest or expertise. Maybe that is the difference.
@missypie the Peace Corps application process can take a year from start to finish, but everyone I know who has been in the Peace Corps says it was beneficial.
It would check off a lot of buttons…helping others, self supporting (Peace Corps makes sure you have sufficient stipend to live like the locals), free health care while in the PC, and I believe for 60 days after…maybe it’s 90 days. Any college loans go into forbearance. If your kid has a Perkins Loan, a chunk of that is forgiven…like 2/3 the amount. At the end, your kid would get the two year “stipend” for service and either a plane ticket home or equal money to use to travel. Your kid will probably also learn a new language.
Viewed very favorably by future employers, and grad schools.
Well, she wouldn’t be an administrator for a non -profit without experience! If she was working for a non-profit she WOULD likely be out in the trenches. Non-profits have some very qualified, educated people running them. They often give up big salaries TO make a difference - but their skills can and should still be high level.
I think she has to come forward with some stuff to put on the table. Specific interests.
Depending what city she is looking to live/work in check out your local United Way for job opportunities (with UW or otherwise). Check Indeed. See you your city has a non-profit resource center - they often have a job board online.
It’s great to want to make a difference. But you also have to pay the bills - your own bills. So that comes first in a job you hopefully like and then if it is not fully satisfying in terms of helping mankind, look for a great volunteer opportunity outside of work.
I see a few people mentioned the Peace Corps. One of my neighbors retired at 65. She joined the Peace Corps. She ended up spending 2 years in the Ukraine, helping Ukraine women who design and make jewelry market it to companies in the US.
As you already noticed, SF rents are sky high. There are a lot of job openings in that area in many sectors… because people come and then leave for greener pastures. I simply don’t get why so many youngsters want to live there… I get it that it is desirable because it is SF. But all those bars and shows and nightlife are simply not affordable unless one works in tech because the entire paycheck goes to cover the rent and basics. State taxes in CA are extremely high. Car insurance is sky high… Your daughter can do good for the humankind without moving to SF.
In what type of non profits has she been volunteering on or had internships in? Has she sustained an interest in that area despite majoring in a business field? It will be a rare organization that is willing to sink a lot of time into training up a noob.
She has a lot of competition from students who have been active throughout college and have had internships.
Regarding sustainable fashion: Does she have fashion technical skills? This is another super competitive field and she needs to stand out.
I suggest trying to get a foot in the door at an eco friendly corporation such as Eileen Fisher or Garnet Hill. After she has paid her dues, she may be able to start to climb their ladder.
Suggest she look through the list of B Corporations. Here’s the list of apparel companies in the USA that are registered as B Corps but she could look in other industries as well.
I agree strongly with @mycupoftea, that there are multiple ways of helping humankind, and becoming very, very skilled at what you do (and commanding a certain power) is an excellent path …perhaps the most effective path to that.
At the same time, (obviously), I think life choices such as Peace Corps and Teach for America, etc. have their place as well. As long as a young person is doing things in a self-supporting and responsible way, learning, growing and contributing, I think it’s simply a matter of personal preference and individual need. Peace Corps can be ideal for people (young, or retired) who have a burning desire to experience in-depth a culture that is extremely different than their own WHILE attempting to do some good; and engaging in what the U.S. Dept of State calls “informal diplomacy”. The Peace Corps has three stated goals and only one of them has to do with providing skilled assistance. The other two have to do with brokering understanding and goodwill between the PEOPLE (not government) of the United States and the people of the host countries we serve in. This is a very specific type of “helping humankind” …not better or worse than other ways, but unique for those of us who want it. The world is so complex and so divided; it reassures me somewhat that there are a few hundred thousand Americans who have seen very close-up what life is like in different parts of the world, often in remote places, for an extended time. Two years is barely scratching the surface to begin to understand. Not everyone can or should do it. But I think it’s important that SOME of us should go into the villages and urban neighborhoods of the world that are pretty inaccessible to tourists and to appreciate what life is like (in its array of beauty and ugliness) outside of the Western bubble for a time. It’s really an education like no other.
Just about all my returned Peace Corps friends are now very successful … many earned PhDs, MDs, RNs etc. and work in academia, business, public health, banking, diplomacy, international development, environmental conservation, etc. Not a one (except myself, perhaps ) is a slacker! Whatever path one takes in life, the question of career vs. idealism doesn’t have to be an either/or thing.
) is a slacker! Whatever path one takes in life, the question of career vs. idealism doesn’t have to be an either/or thing.