Are you the type of person who will always go out of your way to help somebody in need? If you see a stranger crying on public transport, are you the person who goes over to them to see if they are okay? Could you not imagine walking past somebody in pain and not doing something to help? While most of us help others when it is needed and we are in a position to do so, some people want to help even more. People will always need help – it’s human nature – and there are several career options that you could consider if you want to spend your life working to make things better for the people around you. There’s nothing quite as rewarding and satisfying as a career where you get to make a difference to the lives of others every day in a real way.
Public Safety
Working in a career in public safety gives you the chance to go to work every day and make your country a safer place for your fellow citizens. A career in public safety can cover a wide range of different aspects including border control, law enforcement and crime prevention, emergency management and national security. In this line of work, you are likely to have some influence over policies that relate to the public safety of the country and will take part in research and testing to strengthen security. Learn more about the public safety degree available from Wilfred Laurier University here.
Policing
Becoming a police officer and working in law enforcement may be an ideal choice of career for anybody who wants to spend their time at work fighting crime and making their area a safer place to be. Along with proactively going out to tackle crime and take criminals off the streets, police officers also work to support victims of crime and provide education in communities such as visiting schools to conduct talks and lessons. Police officers have a huge amount of responsibility to act in an ethical way and need to be the type of person who can cope well under pressure. In this job, no two days are going to be the same and things could change at a moment’s notice so you will need to be somebody who can adapt quickly.
Nursing
Working as a nurse is often seen as the ultimate job for people who want to help others. In this role, you will be directly working with people who are sick and going through some of the toughest times of their lives. Nurses work in a wide range of settings including hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices to provide healthcare and support to people who are sick or have been injured and their families. As a nurse, you will not only be able to easily find work wherever you go in a wide range of different settings but there are also more opportunities for advancement in this career. With a master’s degree in nursing, registered nurses can go on to become nurse practitioners, managers, leaders and more.
Counselling
If you enjoy talking to others and helping them get through tough times just by being there for them, working as a counsellor or therapist might be the ideal career path for you. As a counsellor, you will be talking one-to-one with individuals, couples and families who need some help with a situation that they are going through or with improving their mental health and wellbeing. In this role, you can specialise in a range of areas such as helping people get over depression and anxiety, working with people who have been through a traumatic experience or helping couples improve their relationship or marriage.
Personal Trainer
If you enjoy health and fitness and want to help other people get the most from their diet and exercise routine, working as a personal trainer can be an ideal choice for those who want to help others and keep fit at the same time. Personal trainers might work as an employee in gyms and fitness centres or self-employed with their own gym or paying home visits to their clients. Unlike many of the other career options on this list, a personal trainer does not always need to get a degree to start in this line of work and there are various certifications both online and offline that you can complete to get started.
Teacher
If you like the idea of helping children get the best start in life through learning, becoming a teacher could be the ideal career choice for you. Teachers are essential to society as all children need to go to school and learn the basics to set them up for a successful future. In addition to being the main source of learning for children of all ages, teachers are also the people that tend to have the most influence over a child’s life as they grow, second only to parents. This means that working as a teacher is a huge responsibility; however, it’s also very rewarding to see the children that you teach grow up to be healthy, responsible and successful adults.
Social Worker
Social workers are tasked with working with vulnerable people of all age groups. In this role, you might be working to support disabled people with finding work and somewhere to live, supporting children who are from troubled family backgrounds or working with the elderly among others. Social workers are often essential in family court cases and work to make sure that the most vulnerable members of the family are safeguarded against harm and abuse. You may find yourself working with vulnerable victims of crime to help them get the support that they need, or with the perpetrators of crime themselves when they are vulnerable and need additional support to be rehabilitated.
If helping other people is your passion in life and you can’t imagine doing a job where you don’t get to make a difference, consider these career options that are all about helping and supporting your fellow citizens.