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Job Search Dilemma - Advantages to for-profit jobs before work on purpose?

The pragmatic vs. passionate. Are there advantages to pursuing a bit of time in the for-proift realm prior to following a social passion? What skills would be most useful? Should the socially mineded consider this route to build skills before entering the social realm or is this merely a safe move?
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I think it depends a lot on your situation. Net Impact as a resource that might be helpful to you. It’s called “Corporate Careers that Make a Difference.”


Answered about 1 year ago laura_white 150 4 from United States
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I agree that there is no prescribed path, no “right” way.  Actually, that's why we designed this site around questions and challenges instead of advice (we had a hunch that your answers would be more useful to you than others' answers).  That having been said, I have some advice. ;) 

There are plenty of people who have created careers with impact that started off in the for-profit space, and there are plenty who started off in the nonprofit space.  My advice is to choose a few of your favorites--3-5 of the people that you think are absolutely stand out amazing, folks who have lives and work  that is inspiring to you, and similar to that which you most want to do.  Then, research these people. If possible, even interview them.  Pay attention to where there are similarities among the paths of those you admire.  Those similarities are clues to you about what might be a good next step for you.

More than one of our Fellows did this very thing (though in an organic way) to help them discern the next steps that eventually led them to the place they are now in. For instance, Elizabeth Hausler choose to get a Fulbright after learning that Martin Fisher, founder of KickStart, had done so before launching his organization.

If you do this, let me know how it goes!

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Answered about 1 year ago linda kay klein 142 4 from United States
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You may also want to consider the perspective offered by Dan Pallotta in his September 27, 2012 article, “Change the World Without Losing Yourself,” in Harvard Business Review’s HBR Blog Network. <http://blogs.hbr.org/pallotta/2012/09/change-the-world-without-losin.html&gt; 

Answered 8 months ago exdir1 143 from United States
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