Can you Earn a Livelihood Doing Social Work?

The best part about living in the 21st century is: you can do what you love! A lot of stereotypes about certain careers stop us from perusing it, social work is one of them. In fact in a country like ours, people believe that social work cannot be a lucrative career. Most of us tend to be in the flow of those opinions and don’t dig deeper. However, if you’re a soul who believes that the world can be a better place, here’s some good news for you!

1. It’s a larger network than we imagine!

Most NGO’s today are not just institutions where people’s needs are taken care of. In fact, a lot of them have grown over the years to be larger organisations. Nowadays, some NGO’s have a workforce of over 500 people working across India. With the plethora of platforms that NGO’s use to communicate, there is no dearth of marketing work here! Mediums like websites, posters, magazines, and blogs are extensively used by NGO’s to communicate with people. Apart from that, NGO’s also have work profiles like finance, designing, operations and human resources. Hence making money while working in an NGO is not just restricted to a few roles. You can easily pursue what you’re good at, as well earn money and make a difference.

2. Of Course, you can earn well!

Many people are of the opinion that working in a social organization is only rewarding in terms of experience. However, there has been an improvement in the monetary terms as well. Thanks to increasing investments and long-term outlook, NGO’s have grown economically over the years. Graduate level entry jobs usually start at 25,000 Rs. per month (including qualifications and experience). If you’re a complete fresher, chances are that you’re starting salary will be around 7,000. For people with the required experience and skill set, their salary can begin from a neat Rs. 50,000. Of course, your salary will definitely increase as you climb the ladder of progress.

3. Yes, you have a secure job!

If I would ask you, from where do you think NGO’s get money, the most likely answer will be grants. But no! Although NGO’s encourage donations, they are not necessarily dependent on them! The main goal of the NGO is to give back something to the society in exchange for money. As opposed to the old school of thought, NGO’s aren’t unstable and don’t shut down so easily. Some NGO’s have tie-ups with companies, while most of them have now turned into self-sustainable ventures. If you feel that social organizations cannot give you job security, then you’re mistaken!

Don’t let the misconception about money lead you to not follow your dreams. NGO’s like Teach for India, train and pay teachers for teaching students. Although it might not be a large sum, it’s definitely enough for you to have a decent livelihood!