Career Change for Social Impact

How to find more purpose in your work and make an impact with your career.

When people think about creating good, they often think about donating money or volunteering their time. While these are important activities, your career is your biggest lever to create lasting social good. Why? Simply put, you’ll put more time and energy into your career than almost any other activity. Finding a career that is personally and professionally fulfilling is key to long-term happiness, so if you're unfulfilled in your current role, this page is for you.

The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.

- Steve Jobs

Social Impact Career Guidance Is What We Do.

We've helped hunreds of professionals transition their careers to make a lasting impact through our professional development programs, and we're excited to share some of our key findings with you.

Scroll down for a summary of our 10-step guide to making a career change into the social impact sector.

Looking for more? Download our full guide for tips, tools, and templates. And for more support, our MovingWorlds Institute Global Fellowship helps accomplished professionals transform their career for more impact.


Download our 10-step career change guide

10-steps to transform your career


These steps will help make sure you transition to a career path where you will thrive. Join our email list for the in-depth guide.

Audit Your Strengths

Figure out what makes you come alive (not just what you're good at).

Zero in on your purpose

Purpose is not a cause. It's what gives you energy while you work.

Shortlist the causes you want to impact

Some of us care about one cause. Many are passionate about multiple. Shortlist the ones you care the most about.

Decide on ideal workplace and team environment

Some of us like to work on teams in open floorplans. Some prefer individual work in offices. Some don't care, and others want to work remote. Which will sustain you?

Choose the type of organization you want to work in

Nonprofit? Social enterprise? Public sector? Take steps to figure out where you can do your best work.

Find your ideal organizations

Search for the type of organizations that lie at the intersection of your strengths, autonomy, purpose, and cause drivers — while also enabling the type of work environment you cherish.

Build the skills & experience you need to earn the job

Now that you know where to go, figure out what skills, experience, and knowledge gaps exist on your resume. Take steps to fill those. By volunteering, schooling, job-shadowing and traveling, get the experience you need to build the connections and your CV.

Build the RIGHT network

Strategically build your networking by "giving" more than you take. Optimize your LinkedIn profile for virtual networking to build your professional brand.

Fine-tune your professional resume

Adopt best-practices for your resume to help you stand out from the crowd.

Ace the interview

Use well-documented tips to nail your interview.

Career Change Articles & Resources

Learn more in our #SocialImpactCareerGuide blog series.


Step 1: Audit Your Strengths
Step 1: Audit Your Strengths

Step 2 – Zero In On Your Purpose
Step 2 – Zero In On Your Purpose

Step 3 – Shortlist Causes
Step 3 – Shortlist Causes

Step 4 – Decide on Ideal Workplace Environment
Step 4 – Decide on Ideal Workplace Environment

Step 5 – Choose the Type of Organization You Want to Support
Step 5 – Choose the Type of Organization You Want to Support

Step 6 – Find Your Ideal Organization
Step 6 – Find Your Ideal Organization

Step 7 – Build the Skills & Experience You Need to Earn the Job
Step 7 – Build the Skills & Experience You Need to Earn the Job

Step 8 – Build the Right Network
Step 8 – Build the Right Network

Step 9 – Fine Tune Your Professional Resume
Step 9 – Fine Tune Your Professional Resume

Step 10 – Ace the Interview
Step 10 – Ace the Interview

Our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.

- M. Scott Peck

Stories of Career Change


How this #GlobalFellow Embraced Change to Find More Purpose In Her Career
How this #GlobalFellow Embraced Change to Find More Purpose In Her Career

How This Finance Director Made an Impact In Ghana That Launched His Social-Good Career
How This Finance Director Made an Impact In Ghana That Launched His Social-Good Career

#GetAheadByGettingAway: The Art of Wayfinding to Navigate Career Change with Nate Wong
#GetAheadByGettingAway: The Art of Wayfinding to Navigate Career Change with Nate Wong

How this #GlobalFellow Stepped Out of Her Comfort Zone to Learn What She Was Truly Capable Of
How this #GlobalFellow Stepped Out of Her Comfort Zone to Learn What She Was Truly Capable Of

How I Made The Career Switch to Social Impact - And How You Can, Too
How I Made The Career Switch to Social Impact - And How You Can, Too

How this #GlobalFellow Stretched Herself Professionally to Find Clarity in the Unknown
How this #GlobalFellow Stretched Herself Professionally to Find Clarity in the Unknown

Start Your Own Story of Career Change


There is no passion to be found in playing small — in settling for a life that is less than you are capable of living.

- Nelson Mandela