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Unless you’re at risk of poverty, in which case you’ll understandably take any job, most people want their job to be impactful.
Of course, all ethical work is impactful, from ditch digger on up. But if you’re thinking higher, perhaps this list will help. These ten careers are likely to yield major impact.
1. Program evaluator: Program evaluators are core to determining which innovative programs to fund, expand, or cut. Programs range from psychological techniques to approaches to tax collection to gene therapy.
Obviously, the ripple effect is huge: Expanding good programs and cutting bad ones can benefit countless people. For more info, see the American Evaluation Association.
2. Genetic researcher: Especially on preventing or curing the big diseases—for example, depression, autism, and, beyond the psychology domain, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Pharmacological, psychotherapeutic, and behavioral approaches aren't yet fully successful, so gene therapy would be a valuable addition to the fight.
Alas, a doctoral degree, perhaps a post-doc too, is the hunting license for most researcher-in-charge jobs. For more info, see the American Society for Human Genetics.
3. Teacher or tutor of high-potential children: Helping intellectually gifted kids live up to their potential can yield great ripple effects. Fully flowered, these kids as adults are the most likely ones to cure our diseases, create more useful products, and become wise leaders.
For more info, see the National Association for Gifted Children.
4. Politician or political campaign manager: The American government is enormous, employing 22 million people with an annual budget, per the most recent census, of $66 billion. Politicians' votes can affect the nation's 330 million people. For more info, see Politician on Princeton Review.
5. Lobbyist: For better or worse, lobbyists, whether for industry or activist groups, have a great impact on the laws and policies that affect America’s populace. For more info, see Lobbyist on Princeton Review.
6. Manager/leader: Competent and wise leaders benefit their employees and the quality of the organization’s products or services, which indirectly benefits the customers and other stakeholders. For more info, see the American Management Association.
For example, a product manager for a make-a-difference product, such as an improved mental health app, holds the promise of bringing mental health services, perhaps including addiction recovery, to even very low-income people worldwide.
For more info, see "What is the Product Manager Career Path?"
7. Executive coach: People who help managers and leaders become more competent also have a great ripple effect. Some of my most rewarding work is in helping leaders improve their strategic, communication, and time-management skills. For more info, see the International Coaching Federation.
8. Environmental economist: Not that consensus is always right, but the current consensus is that climate change is at least partly man-made and is dangerous to the world. Environmental economists impose rigorous analysis on the cost-benefit and liabilities of various attempts to cool the planet. For more info, see "What is an Environmental Economist?"
9. Nuclear engineer: Reducing carbon emissions is key to controlling global warming, but solar, wind, and geothermal sources currently produce insufficient amounts of energy. Many experts argue that nuclear energy, which can produce a limitless quantity of clean fossil-fuel-free energy, must be part of the energy mix.
But how to create power plants that are safer and less costly? That’s the nuclear engineer’s critical job. For more info, see Nuclear Engineer.
10. Terrorism expert: Programmers and cryptographers who stay a step ahead of the hackers are key to preventing break-ins to the banking system, electric grid, etc., which would cause years-long devastation to millions if not billions of people. For more info, see Cyberterrorism.
As weapons of mass destruction are ever more miniaturized—for example, mutated highly communicable bio-viruses—the bioterrorism expert is key to the world’s survival. Because detection and rapid response after an attack are crucial and difficult, researchers in this area may have the greatest potential for making a difference.
For more info, see Bioscience, Bioterrorism, and National Security.
In conclusion
Of course, ten careers represents but a tiny sample of occupations that could make a big difference, and another observer might well have chosen a different ten. But if only to trigger your own ideas, I hope that scanning these ten helps you to make a bigger difference.
I read this aloud on YouTube.
This is part of a series. The others are Career Change for Counselors, Career Change for Teachers, Career Change for Creatives, Career Change Ideas for Boomers, Future-Ready Careers, Big-Five Careers, 11 Big Money and Status Careers, and Careers for Liberals and Conservatives.
