Choosing a career

Are you interested in pursuing a career? Are you considering working in a nonprofit? Perhaps going to work for a high-tech firm? Are you interested in working for the Church? In this section we present some ideas and suggestions for each of these three areas.

Working in the Nonprofit Sector

Some volunteers spend their volunteer time working in the nonprofit sector. nonprofit organizations include a wide variety of organizations - ecumenical, denominational, and non-religious. These organizations vary tremendously, but they have in common the primary purpose of providing some sort of service to the community rather than to be a profit-making enterprise. They are usually run by a director, a paid staff, and a volunteer board of directors, along with the help of committed volunteers.

Almost any professional skill, talent, or interest can find an outlet in the nonprofit sector. This, of course, varies according to the purpose of the organization, but almost any skill needed in the fields of social justice or human services can find a place. In addition to this, almost all organizations are in desperate need of good fundraisers, managers, public relations professionals, and volunteer coordinators.

nonprofits are excellent places to make a difference in the community, while learning about an area of interest to you. (Remember, nonprofits are concerned with issues as diverse as hunger, the arts, battered women and the endangered environment.) nonprofits are an excellent place to learn new skills, while using ones you have already developed. nonprofits are not just "training" grounds, however; there are many excellent professional career opportunities, and many people have fulfilling life-long careers in the nonprofit sector.

Working in the For-Profit Business World

As a returning volunteer, you might have some questions about entering the profit-making arena. You may even wonder if it is possible to live out a commitment to social justice in the fast-paced, upwardly-mobile, competitive world of business. The answer of course is "YES"! Such a commitment is certainly possible for anyone in business. One way to live your commitment is to do plenty of research on the company for which you are interested in working. If it is multi-national, does it respond in a responsible way to the needs and conditions of developing countries? How responsible is their use of resources, both human and natural? What are its hiring practices? How responsive is it to the needs of minorities? Does it encourage its employees to contribute to their community? Does it make such contributions?

The business world is in desperate need of persons for whom these values are important. The Christian commitment you bring to your work will have just as much effect as if you were working in the nonprofit or Church sectors. Only you can know where God is calling you to live out your Christian commitment. Certainly quite a few Christians are called to live out this market-place-spirituality. It is perhaps the most challenging type of Christian lifestyle there is.

Some former volunteers who work in the business world may also feel called to participate in direct service to the community in some additional way.

Working in the Church

It may be that your experience as a volunteer has convinced you that you would like to continue to work directly for the Church. How do you go about making such a career move?

The Church is a big place. Within the Church there are many different ministries and different structures supporting those ministries. How do you go about breaking into that structure?

Teaching

If you want to teach, one obvious move is to make an appointment with the principals of parochial and diocesan schools and discuss your qualifications and interest in working in their school. You can look up these schools in the local diocesan directory of The Official Catholic Directory (a reference your local parish should have), and, increasingly, online. You could also meet with the personnel director in the Diocesan Education Department. However, principals very often hire teachers and many times positions are filled by the time the principal hears of you through the Education Office.

Service agencies in the Church

The best way to find out what social service agencies are in your diocese is to inquire through the Catholic Charities or Catholic Social Services Office in the diocese. Again, information about these agencies is found in The Official Catholic Directory and on many diocesan websites. Once you know what agencies and offices exist, it is up to you to get in touch with the directors, mention your qualifications and interest in the field and arrange a meeting.

Youth ministry and other parish level ministries

Some dioceses have offices of ministerial placement that lists positions such as Music Minister, Youth Minister, Director of Religious Education, and Social Justice Coordinator. Often times these positions are filled through the grapevine. Your first task is to find out what positions a parish has, and then to make contact with the pastor or administrator. Arrange a meeting and use the opportunity to promote yourself and your interest in this field.

You will find that, for the most part, good jobs within the Church are professional positions. You may need further training before you can fill such a position on a permanent basis; you may need a teaching credential, to be a licensed social worker, or to have done some advanced work in theology. The best way to know what a particular parish requires is to do research. Be prepared: many positions require advanced training.

Also, you need to know that laypersons are creating new jobs, or are taking positions that were formally held by priests or religious. Sometimes pastors or other supervisors are not used to working professionally with lay persons and really do not realize what is needed in terms of salary, pensions, insurance, and so on. For this reason, it is important that you are aware of your own needs in this area, and can share them with your new employer.

Finding a Job -->