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What kind of Career(s) allow you to have the most positive impact on the lives of inner city youth in our culture today?

I want to know what are the jobs and careers that will allow us to positively influence the underprivileged youth in our inner cities. I want to explore new ways that will allow us to not just impact the lives of these kids, but also of the many generations to come!
#bethechange #social-impact #careers

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Ken’s Answer

Congratulations on wanting to make the most positive impact on the lives of inner city youth. The most important step is to get to know yourself better to know how you might most effectively make a positive impact on the lives of inner city youth. There are many possibilities, and I am sure that you will be able to find one that will best use your skills, abilities, and personality traits.


Getting to know yourself and how your personality traits relate to people involved in various career opportunities is very important in your decision making process. During my many years in Human Resources and College Recruiting, I ran across too many students who had skipped this very important step and ended up in a job situation which for which they were not well suited. Selecting a career area is like buying a pair of shoes. First you have to be properly fitted for the correct size, and then you need to try on and walk in the various shoe options to determine which is fits the best and is most comfortable for you to wear. Following are some important steps which I developed during my career which have been helpful to many .

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
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Shannon’s Answer

Careers in social-impact are a growing area. Inner cities have similarities but each presents unique issues. One common area is obviously gang-related. Gangs in Cleveland OH are very different from gangs in South LA, or in Arizona. If your interest is in the Gang-related world - then I would recommend connecting with Treatment Alternatives to Street Crimes (TASC) which is a national program with annual conferences that gather top people in fields related to street crime from around the country. The program reaches all area of street crime and would introduce you to careers, help you make connections, and educate you on what is happening in these areas.

If, however, you are looking to catch them ahead of street-crimes. That would mean reaching the under 10 crowd. In that case, I would recommend looking at programs that cater to after-school care of at-risk youth.

I see that you have received in depth answers from two others and I simply wanted to add a couple of ideas.
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Antoine’s Answer

There are so many ways to impact young people. Multiple national nonprofits like Year Up, Summer Search, and more are impacting many's lives. Being a teacher is always to help create the leaders of the future. The teaching profession has changed over time; they now have access to students who can help them see the possibilities. My teachers throughout my schooling had the most impact on me as a person and challenged me to meet my potential.
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Kailey’s Answer

Hi! I spent just about 13 years in my career working for a national non-profit organization based in major cities across the US working with underserved young adults between 18-24 years old providing them will skills training and internship opportunities in growing fields that do not require a college degree. Working in this non-profit was incredibly fulfilling. It allowed me to get to know diverse, talented young people across the US and I knew from working directly with young people that we were making a difference in their lives and in the lives of their families as they went on to get high-paying jobs in technology and finance.

I found this career by first volunteering through a one-year program through AmeriCorps. It was a great way to earn a little money (and I do mean little... we earned a small monthly stipend. My placement supported rent at the time) and gain exposure and experience in the non-profit industry. I absolutely recommend checking out one-year volunteer opportunities through AmeriCorps - you can screen for location, organization mission and role, as well as how they'll financially support you to make this volunteer commitment. The experience I gained through this year was invaluable on my career.

I hope this helps add to some of the great advice that's already been shared!

Kailey recommends the following next steps:

Check out opportunities to build your skills and get exposure and experience to non-profits serving youth in your city (or where you want to live!) through AmeriCorps
Check out national organizations that do this work like City Year and Year Up for opportunities to connect with individuals who work there to learn more about potential job and volunteer opportunities, as well as get advice on how to pursue careers in youth service.
Check out Idealist.org for additional volunteer and job opportunities in non-profits.
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Olivia’s Answer

It's heartening to hear your interest in helping kids! Some professions that come to mind: a teacher/school administrator, a role in public policy, social work, working for or founding a nonprofit focused on child wellbeing (health, education, access to food, housing, mental health and emotional wellbeing).

In general, I think majors in Public Policy, Education, Economics, Public Health, Psychology, Law/pre Law are very relevant.

Olivia recommends the following next steps:

Research nonprofits that support youth.
Read a book about the challenges inner city kids face.
Volunteer with a nonprofit or school focused on inner city youth.
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