Advocates go by many names and work in many fields. They\u2019re found in legal, medical, educational, and social service systems. Depending on their role, advocates can support students, conduct research, develop public policies, represent clients in court, write grants, and much more. If you want a job dedicated to helping others, advocacy is a great career path to consider. Here are 10 careers that make a difference:<\/p>\n
When someone is the victim of a crime, it destabilizes their whole world. Victim advocates step in and provide assistance including but not limited to emotional support, information on legal rights and how the justice system works, help with safety planning, intervention with employers, and access to other resources. They work with a client through all the stages of the criminal justice process and are often needed afterward, as well. Advocates work in government law offices, medical institutions, social service organizations, law enforcement offices, and nonprofits.<\/p>\n
Like many advocacy jobs, a victim advocate career can take a few paths. You\u2019ll need at least an associate or a bachelor\u2019s degree in a field like criminal justice, social work, human rights or psychology. There are certificates available, too, which when combined with a degree, can open up more job opportunities. Most people need at least 1-2 years of experience in social work (internships often count) before getting an entry-level victim advocate job.<\/p>\n
Shelter advocates provide support during a crisis, usually to adult and child survivors of domestic violence. They work at domestic violence shelters and perform many supportive and administrative duties. Responsibilities include caring for the health of the client (emotional, physical, psychological), answering a crisis hotline and providing resources to callers, assisting with safety planning and orders of protection, and completing intakes for clients.<\/p>\n
Most shelters require at least a bachelor\u2019s degree in social work or another social services field. Previous experience working with survivors is also essential, either in a former job, as a volunteer, or as an intern<\/a>. Shelter advocates should also have certain certifications to ensure a client\u2019s safety, such as certification in basic first aid and CPR.<\/p>\n A safe, supportive school environment is essential for young people. Guidance counselors are advocates for K-12 students. Academics are a focus, but guidance counselors also work with kids on personal and social development. Responsibilities can include helping students with academics, identifying behavioral issues and recommending solutions, and providing training for school faculty.<\/p>\n Bachelor\u2019s degrees in counseling, social science, or an education-related field are the best fit. Most schools also want their counselors to have a master\u2019s degree in school counseling or a similar area. You\u2019ll also need to complete an internship and pass any required exams for licensure or certification. To expand your job options, additional certifications in areas like mental health, career development and college admissions are a good idea.<\/p>\n Like guidance counselors, youth workers advocate for young people. They work in places like juvenile detention facilities, government offices, community centers, schools, and social service agencies. Workers educate kids on healthy behaviors, skills for employment, and skills for emotional regulation. They also advocate for programs and resources that serve kids. The challenges faced by youth workers vary. Sometimes, the kids they\u2019re working with need minimal support and help, but often, the kids are struggling with more serious concerns like mental illness, addiction, abuse, and more. A youth worker based at a juvenile detention facility will have different responsibilities than a worker at a school.<\/p>\n Youth workers need at least a bachelor\u2019s degree in a field like youth work or community studies. After graduation, you\u2019ll most likely need either a postgraduate diploma (in youth work or community work) or a specialist certification. Volunteer work and internships provide necessary experience. Continuing education in the field of social work, behavioral health, and more will benefit a youth worker, too.<\/p>\n Those struggling with mental health issues often need help navigating their diagnoses, work, school, and other areas of their life. That\u2019s where advocates come in. Mental health advocates work at a variety of organizations, including schools, hospitals, community clinics, and addiction treatment centers. Responsibilities include providing emotional support to clients, explaining treatment options, and helping them access other resources regarding their diagnosis. Advocates must understand things like health insurance coverage, the legal system, school policies, and whatever else may be relevant to the client. Advocates can also work with organizations destigmatizing mental health and\/or lobbying for public policies that improve mental care access.<\/p>\n Organizations that hire mental health advocates ask for different qualifications. There isn\u2019t a specific degree requirement, but if you want a managerial position, you\u2019ll need a degree. Some places ask for a master\u2019s degree in public health, social work, student affairs, or a similar field. For entry-level jobs, 2 or so years of experience in healthcare or social services are usually required.<\/p>\n Community health workers work with social services, nonprofit organizations, clinics, and other institutions to provide health-related care to a community. Trust is very important in this profession as community health workers serve as advocates for the people they serve. The majority of the time, community health workers are hired from within the communities. Responsibilities include providing health education, developing strategies to improve a community\u2019s health, collecting data, and addressing community concerns. They often work alongside health educators.<\/p>\n Community health workers usually have at least a high school diploma, though some areas require an associate\u2019s or bachelor\u2019s degree. Some areas have certification programs available, too, though a community health worker may not require certification. On-the-job training is the norm, where you\u2019ll cover outreach skills, information on the specific health topics you\u2019re assigned to, and communication skills. Knowledge of multiple languages is also very beneficial.<\/p>\n In the age of the internet, a lot of advocacy happens on social media. That includes drawing attention to urgent issues, raising money for campaigns, and providing educational content. An individual activist can engage in advocacy and support themselves using platforms like Patreon<\/a>, but many organizations hire people to manage their social media. Responsibilities include developing the organization\u2019s brand, planning and scheduling content, and tracking the social media impact.<\/p>\n Because social media management is a fairly new career, organizations are flexible about what they\u2019re looking for. Many managers have bachelor\u2019s degrees in marketing, business, or related fields, but anyone with a lot of social media experience and a track record of engagement will appeal to employers.<\/p>\n Before advocates and advocacy organizations can take action on issues, they need information. Research paints a clearer picture of the issues at hand, allowing organizations to develop the most effective strategies. Researchers are responsible for identifying research goals, identifying sources, gathering and verifying data, and organizing and reporting on their findings. They might also be in charge of analyzing the data in more depth, but not always. Researchers work at just about any organization, including nonprofit advocacy groups<\/a>, governments, intergovernmental groups, colleges, medical institutions, and more.<\/p>\n Most researchers need a postgraduate degree in the field they want to work in. A master\u2019s degree is usually the standard for entry-level jobs, while you need a doctorate for higher-level positions. Experience is important for this career, so you should work on research projects while a student.<\/p>\n Many organizations engaged in advocacy depend on public and private grants. Grant specialists are responsible for researching and securing grants<\/a>. These specialists understand an organization\u2019s mission, what grants an organization is eligible for, and how to convince donors to give them the grants. They might also be responsible for distributing and monitoring the grant money. Colleges, universities, and nonprofit advocacy groups hire grant specialists the most. Specialists may be on staff at an organization or work as a freelancer.<\/p>\n To become a grant specialist, you\u2019ll need at least a bachelor\u2019s degree. English, communications, and marketing are common majors, but if you want to secure grants for specific causes, a background in that cause may be better. For example, if you want to secure grants for an organization advocating for police reform, a criminal justice degree could be more beneficial. To gain experience, look for internships or volunteer grant writing positions.<\/p>\nGuidance counselor <\/strong><\/h2>\n
Youth worker<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Mental health advocate<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Community health worker<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Social media manager<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Researcher<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Grant specialist<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Immigration lawyer <\/strong><\/h2>\n