There are an infinite number of career paths that you could choose; some can even allow you to achieve personal fulfilment while impacting the lives and futures of those around you. This article will present you with five of the many options available, as well as with details regarding some of the steps that would help lead you to a career in each field. So if you enjoy helping others and generally making a difference in your community, these careers may be worth your consideration.
Veterinarian
Veterinarians often find themselves working with smaller animals and many of the pets in a community, whom they help to stay as healthy as possible. They are often called to spay and neuter, to treat a variety of illnesses, and to ensure proper healing of injuries and wounds. To become a veterinarian, you would need to receive a doctoral or professional degree; however, there are also positions very close to this one, including that of a veterinary technician, that require substantially less education. Either position allows you to work with animals, and to help a community by helping the pets that they love. Additionally, you are able to help stray and abandoned animals to heal, and to eventually be well enough to find a forever home.
Paramedic/emergency medical technician
Paramedics and emergency medical technicians are typically the first responders to scenes of accidents and emergencies, and are trained to provide all of the care necessary for their patients until they can reach the nearest hospital. In addition to initial patient assessments, these treatments can include the administration of CPR, first aid, lifting and moving in order to minimise additional damage or injury and maintaining both IV lines and airways. Additionally, they serve as a liaison to the community, providing citizens with information on how to best respond to a variety of emergency situations.
By helping to heal a community, paramedics and can make immense differences in people’s lives. Usually, they are the people who stand between the patient and death or further injury, and by saving lives, they are continually serving and giving back to their communities.
Law enforcement officer
Law enforcement officers are charged with maintaining the safety and security of a community. They generally have a variety of tasks, from patrolling the areas to which they have been assigned to making arrests when necessary for the public good. They can also be first responders, meaning that they can administer first aid to a victim until the paramedics are able to reach the scene. To be a part of law enforcement, you must meet some basic physical and mental requirements, typically be at least 21 years of age, and have no prior felonies on your record. While some departments only require their officers to hold a high school diploma, it is generally agreed that college courses and degrees, especially a bachelors in criminal justice, can help to prepare you more fully for what you would encounter in the workplace, and are required for positions like probation officers.
Law enforcement officers are often one of the closest liaisons between the people and the laws under which they live, allowing for them to have maximum interactions with the people in their jurisdiction. By the very nature of their jobs, police officers are able to uphold the safety of their community and to remove any direct threats; this allows them to make a large impact on people’s lives, both in regard to those whom they help, and occasionally to those whom they arrest.
Teacher
Teachers are the people with whom your children spend several hours each weekday; as such, they are instrumental in the development and cultivation of young minds within their community. In addition to assuring that children are learning the material they are assigned, teachers can monitor their behavior and development, allowing them to work with parents to identify specific social issues. To become a teacher, you would typically need a bachelor’s degree, though some positions can require a master’s degree. In addition to that degree, you would also need to obtain a state-based teacher certification, showing that you have attended the courses required to work in a specific state. By their very nature, teachers are some of the most important figures in the community because they allow the children to develop into functioning members of society; however, they can also make a difference by identifying particular issues with a child’s behavior and advising that they seek the best therapy or alternative learning resources.
Social worker
Social workers, by the nature of their careers, help to better the lives of those in their communities. They begin by identifying people or populations that are in need of help, and then assess their exact needs while developing a plan as to the best ways they can address these needs. Generally, social workers help their clients to adjust to a variety of changes that may have taken place in their lives. To become a social worker, you would need at least a bachelor’s degree, though a master’s degree may be required, depending on the specific area of social work that interests you. Additionally, you would need a certification or license, typically delivered by the state in which you work.
In helping the people and at-risk populations of a community, social workers are able to form bonds that hold the community together, and that allow for continued social development among a variety of individuals.
Overall, there are a variety of careers that would allow you to make a difference in your community; all you need to do is look around, and you will see people serving in each of the capacities mentioned who are making strides to better life in their communities. And who’s to say you couldn’t be one of them in the future?
How do you make a difference in your community? Tell us by tweeting @CareerCamel.
Dixie is a freelance writer who loves to write for business, finance, women’s interests, and education. Dixie lives in Arizona with her husband and three beautiful daughters who are the inspiration for her writing.
Leave a Reply