“ SOCIETY”——– The word is a derivation of the French word societe, which came from the Latin word societas meaning ‘a friendly association with others’. A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction. A society can also consist of like-minded people who work together for a common cause. Why is society being defined here? Well, society and humans are interdependent on each other. Sometimes we are dictated by norms of the society. And other times we make rules that society follows.
Society is important because it provides us with a system and a platform to work together for the betterment of the world. With the collective efforts of the society, we are able to improve our living and social conditions. The support given by society can be of the physical, emotional, financial, or medical form. So, how does this mindset help a woman to make a career comeback? She can by contributing to the society by being a part of it. Her contribution is valuable, helpful and adds to the collective. Working for an NGO provides an opportunity to make a difference, support others in need and create positive change in communities the world over.
There are many organizations and corporate that are primarily NGO and are quite professionalized. So, how can you be a part of it? Here are few tips that could help you step in that direction.
- 1. What does your soul call for?
There must be that one cause that you feel deeply for and may drive you. You want to bring about changes in that area and are motivated to do it. Whether you want to work with refugees, animals, children, disabled people, victims of war, the elderly, environment, the underprivileged, rural areas or any other cause that you can think of, there will be an NGO providing solutions and opportunities.
Over the years Tata group has helped raise different underprivileged communities, along with scheduled caste and scheduled tribes, through initiatives like Tata Steel’s tribal welfare programmes and projects supported by the Tata trusts. The Aditya Birla group schemes are carried out under the aegis of the “Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development”, led by Rajashree Birla. The centre is engaged in many social activities such as formal and non-formal education, adult education, scholarships for girls, merit scholarships and technical education for boys, girl child education, Widow re-marriage / dowry-less mass marriages, self-help groups (microfinance for women and farmers), integrated agriculture development and many more.
- How are you equipped to take up a role?
There is no set rule or degree or skillset that would be your single route of entry into the sector where people from a diverse range of backgrounds or employment history and experience come together for a common cause. A job in an NGO is just like any other job. It is your personal qualities, skills, knowledge and experience that will determine whether you can get your foot on that first step of the ladder. So, do invest in yourself and develop skills that are valuable to the role you want to do and the organisation you want to work for.
If you are digitally literate, you can teach the same. Reliance industries have been contributing to the community in areas of health, education, infrastructure development in various ways. The Infosys foundation partners with various Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) to help the unfortunate earn a sustainable livelihood through the Computers@Classrooms initiative launched in January 1999. Microsoft Corporation also participates in this initiative by providing relevant software. Similarly if you have the gift of knowing 2 or 3 languages then you can be useful in multinational NGOs that aim to culturally work for other countries and communities.
- Does previous work experience matter?
It doesn’t matter what your experience is, if you have the passion to support people, you can find a job in an NGO. Some larger NGOs offer internship opportunities that often pay some costs and enable you to learn the ropes from the inside, work alongside experienced professionals and align yourself with a reputable organisation. You can find internship opportunities on most NGOs websites or you can contact with them by phone or email to discuss how you might be able to support them. You can also volunteer for few hours a week.
NGOs operate just like any other business, they have people working in accounting, management, fundraising and operations. The larger international development organisations, such as UNICEF, OXFAM and Save the Children, maintain whole departments for marketing, logistics, public relations, business development, human relations, product development, legal and more. Be a part of the change that you want to see!!!
You may also want to read other articles written by the same author ‘Decoding Stress‘, ‘Communication made easy…‘, , ‘Personal Finance Planning’, ‘Are you financially fit?’, ‘3 M’s… Mantra for Morale‘ , ‘Tips for effective interaction with management’, ‘Adapting to global work culture – locally‘, ‘8 Advantages of Online tutoring as a work from home career‘, ‘6 Tips for health management at workplace‘, ‘Marriage and Finance‘, ‘Passion with a Purpose‘.
About the author:
Padmaja Acharya – From the ancient language of Sanskrit comes my name ‘Padmaja’, derived from Padma (meaning lotus) and Ja (meaning to take birth from). A woman as created by the divine. An Engineer and MBA by virtue of education. A dance choreographer, teacher by virtue of passion. A soft skill trainer and educator by profession. An author and speaker as guided by my calling. This is what encompasses me.
(The author is a guest blogger at Her Second Innings. The opinions expressed are those of the author.)
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