Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Corporate Careers With Social Impact
Looking to mesh your passion and your paycheck?

You might be surprised by the opportunties in the business world. In the corporate sector, "careers with social impact" is an umbrella term often used to describe innovative work that aims to make positive social or environmental change on a large scale. It is also used to describe careers that measure their impact based on a triple bottom line or blended value approach.

Triple Bottom Line (TBL): is type of accounting that takes into consideratin social, economic, and environmental impacts and benefits. it is also referred to as a "People, planet, and profit" approach
.

Blended Value: proposes that "all organizations...create value that consists of economic, social, and environmental value components - and that investors...simultaneously generate all three forms of value providing capital to organizations." (Jed Emerson)

Corporate Career Options:
Job seekers should keep in mind that social impact can be integrated into any job, company philosophy, or industry. Often the best opportunities to create social impact are in places wehre the history may be troubled but the potential for change is great.

Positions:
Rarely do companies hire externally for specific positions that are focused on sustainability or CSR. Often these ositions are created for or filled by a current employee who has taken the initiative to incorporate social change into their mainstream job or deparment.

Positions focus on issues such as "the development of environmental policies, decreasing the company's environmental footprint, and stakeholder engagement." (Net Impact Environmental Sustainability Career Guide).

for more information visit: www.idealist.org
Advising - Four Myths About Federal Service
Students often have misperceptions about government service. Here are the four most common myths and the realities that debunk them.

MYTH #1: THE "BUREAUCRACY" MYTH
Myth: Federal employees are paper pushers who are caught up in bureaucracy. Your work as a federal employees does not make a difference.

Reality: Young federal employees get to work on substantitive issues that affect the future of our coutnry. For students who want to make a difference, the federal government is arguably the best place to contribute.

MYTH #2: TEH "LOW PAY" MYTH
Myth: Salaries for federal employees are low. Hence, you are better off going to work elsewhere.

Reality: Entry level salaries are competitive with many industries. Plus, federal employees advance quickly with the possibility of increasing their salary by 150 percent in just two to three years! The benefits and work/life balance of government offers are often better than any other sector.

MYTH #3: THE "WASHINGTON" MYTH
Myth: Say goodbye to your friends and family. If you work for the government, you have to work in D.C.

Reality: In fact, 84 percent of federal jobs are outside of the D.C. metro region, with 50,000 jobs abroad.

MYTH #4: THE "POLITICAL SCIENCE" MYTH
Myth: Federal employees are all social sciences majors. The government does not need people with other academic backgrounds.

Reality: Federal agencies do not just need social sciences majors. In fact, some of the highest need areas are public health and medicine, engineering, the sciences, business and accounting and informatin technology. There is a place for every background in federal service.

For more facts and information on federal service visit:
http://makingthedifference.org or http://ourpublicservice.org/OPS/programs/calltoserve/