To Profit or To Non-Profit?

So far, I’ve dabbled in the govt., non-profit, and unemployment sectors. Each has its unique nuances. But until recently, I thought I would be lingering longer in the non-profit world. Now, I’m thinking that maybe I should explore new territory? How you doin' private sector? But should I?

Some say, this line of reflective questioning, “soul searching,” is inevitable. It’s only a matter of time until I start thinking less idealistically and begin voting like a radical, gun-touting, conservative.

Is it just the natural progression of life? The more I think about it, a better question might be: Is there a non-compromising alternative for smart, social-change minded folks out there?

I explore these questions and frustrations not only for myself, but for other friends and readers out there who have found that they struggle with the same dilemma.

The story goes something like:

• I CAN CHANGE THE WORLD DAMMIT - We get out of school with: bright-eyes, fresh new ideas, and ready to change the world for the better! Bring it on!!
• I AM WORTHY! - Unless we have a great network, and/or are extremely aggressive (which Asian families don’t socialize you to be), we struggle but end up finding something because…hello….we have a lot to contribute.
• THE BUBBLE BURSTS - Thrilled to be launching a career to make the world just a little bit better, we realize that the non-profit world is not as open and accommodating as we falsely imagined.
• THE DARK SIDE - There are office politics, inefficiencies in management and leadership, and of course, we are too young and inexperienced to be taken seriously and given a chance to bring our strengths to the table. Maybe next year…
• THE DARKER SIDE - What’s more, we realize that very often, non-profit orgs are not really determined to fulfill their selfless mission and put themselves out of business. Many would rather not put ourselves out of a job and hand over the work to the community. But instead we want to stay important and valued and talk about sustainability and expansion when it would be more “self-less” to move onto something else and let people take ownership over the work, and their own lives and livelihoods.
• LIFE IS TOO SHORT -Months, years pass. We are not in our twenties anymore. Enter the cynicism and bitterness (ha, can you tell?).
• WHAT ARE WE DOING? We start thinking about our lives, and how our other friends who weren’t as “altruistic“ as us, are making enough money to actually survive without help and enjoy other parts of life, and we continue to toil in a field that we have less and less faith in.
• CASTING THE FIRST STONE - We stop judging other friends for being less altruistic and realize that at least they were being true to themselves from the get-go unlike many non-profit leaders. And they have money to travel!
• KEEPING US DOWN - Attempts to transition to something more challenging are met with: “You don’t have 30 years of experience abroad,” or “You don’t have 10 years of management experience or you cannot speak 5 different languages.”
• KEEPING US DOWN -RESPONSE (that you never actually say aloud): Sorry that I’m not yet 70 years old to justify the required years of experience, and was not lucky enough to be able to afford years of international experience (ie. travelling abroad) while paying off student loans….
• ASIDE: If you want to be amused, please visit a great non-profit job site like: Idealist and observe some of the starting salaries that are offered. Sadly, it isn’t a joke.
• DESPERATION -We get desperate and apply for jobs we are overqualified for. We are rejected because we are overqualified.
• RECAP: If we do not “sell-out” in some way or the other, we are not getting paid enough to live, we do not enjoy our jobs because our strengths and interests are not being engaged AND the economy stinks and even otherwise, without a personal connection, we are not getting opportunities for growth.

WHAT TO DO?

OPTION 1- Stay in the non-profit field, in your job, becoming more dissatisfied and unpleasant to others, hoping you will stumble upon something new and amazing…

OPTION 2 – Stop to re-assess if this is what you are meant to be doing as a job. And if not, figure out what to do about it.

OPTION 3 - ????

What do you think? Especially, in light of my rant? Seek professional help? J

For now, I think I will certainly explore other options although I don’t know if I will ever be ready to join the mobs attacking town-hall meetings on health care.

And because I am still not ready to see things without a silver lining, I am grateful to my non-profit world experiences for cultivating my strength to explore these difficult life questions and lessons. Seriously. They say the best insights into life and happiness are gained that way. I hope THEY are right...