Best Jobs For People With Higher Empathy
Many careers nourish your nurturing side. They can be found in government agencies, nonprofits, and even small or large businesses.
Do you care a lot about other people? If so you likely have a good deal of empathy. Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes, seeing things from their perspective…this comes naturally to you. Possibly you even feel their sadness, happiness, or other emotional states yourself.
Little wonder then that people with higher empathy often seek careers in the helping professions. Making a difference to those in distress, or contributing to a better society, can satisfy empathic impulses.
All sorts of jobs are available for people who have a nurturing side. From healthcare to Corporate Social Responsibility, showing concern can make your career a going concern.
Social Worker
People and families in crisis may rely on social workers for support. In this job you could find yourself working in family services or aid agencies, hospitals, school boards or Employee Assistance programs. There are also field-based roles that travel between locations, which might include shelters, correctional institutions and addiction centers. Good listening skills and knowledge of resources that affected people can access are vital.
Nursing
Does the medical field interest you? Nursing might be an option to consider. There are at least 10 different types of nursing jobs in Canada. These practitioners can be found in hospitals, schools, retirement homes, special needs centers, clinics and at home-visit agencies. In this profession you’ll often be taking care of people when they are frail and dependent. Steady nerves and quick thinking are job requirements, especially if lives hang in the balance.
Caregiver or Personal Support Worker
Caregivers are tasked with helping either children, the elderly, or people with disabilities get through their days. Duties could include feeding, changing clothes, playing, bathing and related errands. Unlike nursing, which requires at least a bachelor’s degree, caregivers normally do not need to have post-secondary education. Personal support workers, who typically earn somewhat more than caregivers, usually must have a relevant college diploma or certificate. Also first aid accreditation is mandatory.
Educator
Teaching has long been considered a noble career. Imparting knowledge to learners fosters personal growth. Educators aren’t just found in primary, secondary and post-secondary schools. There are private sector training and development specialists, fitness instructors, daycare centers, English as Second Language (ESL) facilities, tutoring companies and more. Bring with you skills in lesson planning, speaking in front of groups, and coming up with practical exercises. Patience is a real virtue here. So is dedication to the needs of your students.
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Jobs
Sustainable supply chain management. Fair trade negotiating. Directing an organization’s branded charitable giving. These are greater-good career paths that have emerged fairly recently. Corporate Social Responsibility jobs are cropping up in businesses, nonprofits and government departments. Duties might include producing an employer’s annual sustainability report, or creating brand partnerships that promote societally positive themes. Proof of your support for social responsibility – relevant volunteering and related education – give you a leg up.
Cause Related NonProfit Careers
There are more than 160,000 charitable and nonprofit organizations in Canada. Many are devoted to a specific cause. Eliminating cancer, feeding the disadvantaged, and protecting our civil liberties are just a few examples. Getting and maintaining funding is this sector’s greatest challenge. As a result, compensation might be somewhat lower than in the business world. However there are intrinsic rewards when working to improve your community (or the planet).
Advice For The Empathic
Careers involving compassion and hopefulness could lead to professional burnout. A caring nature makes you vulnerable to an excess of personal involvement. Establishing boundaries, pacing yourself, and having realistic expectations can buffer the inevitable strains.
Making a difference while making a living is a great vocational choice. Investigate and select the jobs most aligned with your temperament and personal mission.