How to Use Any Job to Do Good

Once upon a time, I did marketing work for a university. We had great stories about things our students and alumni were doing to create a more just, sustainable world.

Sometimes I would complain to a friend and colleague that I wanted a job that would allow me to make a more direct impact on the world.

“You’re attracting students to this school, where they’re learning to make a difference,” she said. In other words, I was indirectly making an impact through our graduates. But I wanted to be doing the things our students were doing. Indirect influence wasn’t good enough.

There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be someone who makes a real, lasting impact on the world. But over time, it’s been a little easier to accept my friend’s wisdom and see how I am making a difference even if I don’t have an amazing career as a change-maker.

This post is for all people who dream of working on the front lines of change, who feel frustrated because they believe that what they are doing doesn’t make a difference. I want to acknowledge that your dream is beautiful and good, and I hope that you are able to pursue it. But you can make a difference right where you are, no matter what you’re doing. Here’s how:

• Make a difference in the lives of those around you. The easiest way to use your job to make a difference is to treat customers and coworkers with kindness and respect. Try to show up for your colleagues, to listen to them not just as a coworker but as a friend. Be generous. If someone is doing a good job, let their supervisor know that. If someone is going through a challenging time, consider joining in with your office mates to give them a gift that will lift their spirits, or arrange a Meal Train so that they have help while they are home with a new child or recovering from surgery. No matter how lousy your job is, look for ways that you can show love to the people you interact with.
• Volunteer. If your organization allows you to spend a certain number of work hours volunteering, or if your office participates in some kind of volunteer activity, use the opportunity to make a difference in the name of your workplace. Even if those opportunities aren’t available, see what you can do for others to make their work easier (without neglecting your own). Does your organization ever ask for volunteers to staff an event outside of normal business hours? Do what you can to show up at least some of the time.
• Offer suggestions for change. Look for ways that your organization can make a difference and share your ideas with management. Maybe your company can sell more fair-trade products. Maybe you can stock the break room with more sustainable supplies. Or, maybe you see ways your workplace could be made more accessible. In some cases, you can just throw out your suggestion. In others, you may have to pull together a written proposal and make a formal pitch for your idea, being sure to point out how it will benefit your employer. Either way, if you see a way your organization can make the world a better place, speak up!
• Blow the whistle. This last suggestion is difficult, and I hope you will never be faced with the need to consider it. But if you see something illegal or unethical, speak out. I know this is easier said than done. Even with protections from whistleblowing laws, you may have a valid fear of retaliation. Nevertheless, if you remain silent when you know about wrongdoing, you may become complicit in the act. I am not a lawyer and am not offering legal advice here. What I can suggest is that if you know of illegal or unethical behavior in your workplace, please consult a lawyer and determine the best path to bring an end to that behavior.

Do you have additional suggestions for ways that anyone can make a difference through their job? Please share them in the comments!