Job Opportunities Amidst the Recession: The Merits of Career Roads Less Travelled

In the wake of the current economic recession, employment prospects seem mediocre at best. Recent large-scale layoffs seem to be unfavorable indicators of employment for recent and future college graduates. While the current economic atmosphere can certainly be disheartening, there are jobs out there. If you’re in the market for a new position, you may want to consider alternative career routes that can offer lucrative and fulfilling roles.

In recent years, the term social entrepreneurship has been used to describe ventures that “generate some of their own revenues and use business techniques to address social goals.” Essentially, such projects are non-profits that apply smart business practices in order to achieve the highest level of social impact.

Drew Chafetz, a University of Colorado graduate, is an example of a young social entrepreneur. Chafetz created his own nonprofit organization called love.futbol at the age of 25. Love.futbol aims to bring soccer fields to impoverished communities where recreational space is scarce. To date, this organization has built three fields in Guatemala.

Projects such as the one established by Chafetz are not trifling affairs. According to the Washington Post, over 30 business schools have established social entrepreneurship programs. Pamela Hartigan, author of “The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World,” believes a certain business sense allows those like Chafetz to achieve more with respect to their social endeavors. “Young people today…believe that change is going to be brought about by business and market discipline,” says Hartigan.

Even those who are typically viewed as stakeholders in the profit-driven business world are singing the merits of social entrepreneurship. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, is a proponent of nonprofits that practice business strategies. According to Gates, “creative capitalism” can result in increased social impact. If you’re entering the workforce and have an interest in social issues, you may want to consider researching social entrepreneurship. Amidst the current atmosphere of shrinking job opportunities, the social enterprise realm continues to flourish.