By Kelly Cleary
Community and Economic Development, Education, Environment, Healthcare, Homelessness, Human Rights, International Affairs, Social Justice…
These are all issues that Penn students express their concern for and demonstrate their commitment to improving those conditions for others through the hard work and dedication they give to their extra-curricular activities. But many students don’t realize that they can continue contributing to these causes while building on the professional skills they gained here at Penn by pursuing internships and rewarding careers in the not-for-profit and public service sectors.
Idealist’s Guide to Nonprofit Careers for First-time Job Seekers is a great primer for students interested in exploring careers in the not-for-profit sector.
Students interested in interning and working in the nonprofit sector in Philadelphia are encouraged to attend this event on Friday:
Philadelphia Not-For-Profit & Public Service Career Fair on Friday, February 25th, 1:00 – 4:00 pm, Bryn Mawr College, Thomas Great Hall
This is your chance to meet and talk with 50-60 representatives from a wide variety of not-for-profit and public service employers with internships and jobs serving many missions. Employers include those in the arts, education, environment, health, law and justice, politics and government, religious and ethnic causes, science, social service and women’s issues. Bryn Mawr is an easy train ride from Penn. Click here for directions. For more information including a list of the over 65 participating organizations, please visit: www.haverford.edu/cdo/services/recruiting/nfp.html.
Interested in a Year of Service/Gap Year? Another great way to gain professional experience in the public service/nonprofit sector is to do a post-graduate year of service. Several organizations who offer these programs will be attending the fair on Friday, and you can learn more about Service Corps and Gap Year options at tomorrow panel:
MORE THAN PEACE CORPS: GAP YEAR FELLOWSHIPS AND SERVICE CORPS OPPORTUNITIES (CO-SPONSORED BY CAREER SERVICES & CIVIC HOUSE) Thursday, February 24, 5:30pm, Civic House Living Room
Do you want to make the world a better place? Are you looking for a job during the “gap year” between college and graduate school? There are a plethora of community service fellowships out there that typically include work in the U.S. or abroad in a wide variety of fields (teaching, advocacy, community development, health care, immigrant services, social work, environment, etc.). Many programs also feature a training program prior to the work period, living in community (or own one’s own), deferment of student loans, and scholarships for graduate school. Come to this workshop + panel to learn about these fellowships and service corps programs, whether they are right for you, and how to submit strong applications. A panel of current and former fellows from selected programs will also discuss details of their experiences and give their take on vetting programs and applying to them.