Trying to decide on a career after you graduate from college is so daunting. There are so many options, even within the field that you studied, and a lot of them don’t always seem that appealing. So many young people feel as though they’re going to be stuck in a boring job for the rest of their lives and they’re never going to earn a decent living from it, but it doesn’t always have to be that way. If you’re the kind of person that wants a fulfilling career but you also want to be able to afford a house at some point in your life, public sector jobs are a good way to go. You’ll get a good salary and benefits but you can also do something that feels a little more worthwhile, rather than sitting in an office all day working for private industry. If that sounds appealing, you should check out this list of the best public sector jobs.
Teaching
When it comes to rewarding careers, teaching has got to be at the top of the list. Helping your students to make their grades and move on to the next stage of their lives, just like you did before you went off to college, is such a great feeling. Most teachers start on around $40,000 a year but as you get more experience, that salary will soon go up. If you’re going to be a teacher, you’ll need a Master’s degree in a lot of places and then you’ll need to get a separate teaching degree on top of that. It’s a few more years in education but it’s definitely worth it if you’re looking for a fulfilling career that also pays a decent wage. However, it takes a certain type of person to be a good teacher and dealing with that many kids at once can be stressful. There are a lot of long hours involved as well because even though the school day is done, you’ve still got marking and lesson plans to do. If you think that you can handle all of that, teaching could be a great career for you.
Healthcare
There are a lot of private sector jobs in healthcare and it’s a great industry to get into if you want to do something worthwhile. But there are also some brilliant career options in the public sector working for government agencies. There are positions available for people that will advise the government on health policy and you could even get a job in the foreign service branch of the government. They always need people in many different areas, especially health, to assist with foreign aid efforts. This is an incredibly rewarding branch of the public sector and it gives you the chance to travel which a lot of people would not be able to afford otherwise.
Policing
Policing is an ideal career for people that want to make a difference in their local community and it’s still a very male dominated field so it’s ideal for women that are looking for a fulfilling job. There are so many different jobs in the police force, it’s not just about being an officer on the street. Even if you majored in science, for example, you could look at going to grad school and training to become a forensic scientist for the police. They also need criminal analysts that have some training in psychology and criminology. If you want to get the highest paid jobs in policing, you can take an online BA in Policing (click to view program here) which will set you apart from the competition and help you earn promotions. If you move up the ladder, you could retire with a very healthy retirement fund which is a big concern for a lot of young people right now.
Nonprofits
Working for a nonprofit is one of the best ways to help out people that are less fortunate than you both at home and abroad. There are so many different charity organizations that deal with all manner of problems so you’ll definitely be able to find one that suits you. A lot of the skills that you learn in college will serve you well working for a nonprofit, especially things like persuasive writing for fundraising efforts etc. They also need the same people that private industries need like accountants, marketing staff, and even basic admin staff. The salary might not be as good for some of these jobs but there are often travel opportunities and it’s an incredibly rewarding field to go into.
If you’re worried about graduating and spending the rest of your life in a job that you hate, why not look into some of these public sector jobs instead?
