No matter how much you love your job, work can be a challenge. However, if you’re working towards something grander and nobler than just padding your bank account, it makes it infinitely easier to trek to work each day.
When you’re deciding on your next career, consider one of these jobs that are all about helping people.
- Personal Injury Attorney
You might have mixed feelings when you hear about personal injury attorneys, but when it comes down to it, they’re there to help. If you’ve been injured in a car accident caused by someone else, and the at-fault party refuses to cover the damages and medical expenses, you’ll be glad you have an attorney to get you adequate compensation.
Auto accident lawyers are like knights in shining armor for people who have been injured and need support. An auto accident attorney can help them find the evidence they need and file a court case so that they can get their lives back to as close to normal as possible.
Medical bills must be paid, and your client needs a working car to get around. In some cases, the injury can be so bad that your client is unable to work. If someone has taken the right to free mobility away from your client in an accident, helping them sue for compensation can be the best course of action.
Personal injury attorneys live a comfortable lifestyle. Their hours are relatively regular, and they work on a commission basis. That means that if you want a good income, you have to win a lot of cases. That being said, the average personal injury attorney makes between $73,000 and $164,000 per year. You can help a lot of people on a salary like that.
- Cancer Researcher
If you’ve never given up hope that there’s a cure for cancer and you’re constantly looking up facts about lung cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, or any other carcinoma, a job in cancer research is probably the best place for you.
Cancer researchers work in teams to identify causes of cancer and develop strategies to diagnose, treat, prevent, and even cure it. You’ll collect and generate countless pages of research through studies and experimentation.
You can choose the specialty and area you’d like to work in. If you prefer experimenting and creating your own research, you’ll want to look into a lab job. If researching facts and making connections on the studies of others is more your thing, search for a desk job.
Cancer researchers are medical scientists, and such occupations require extensive education. You can get started in the field with a master’s degree, but most major research facilities prefer a doctorate of medicine degree (M.D.) and adequate licensure.
Having an M.D. also gives you more freedom to research in every capacity. If your research is successful, you’ll eventually move to clinical trials on human patients, but you won’t be able to be a direct part of the process if you’re not a doctor.
The median salary for cancer researchers is good at $82,000. There’s also a rapid growth projection, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find a job once you finish your education.
- Nurse
One of the oldest and noblest professions for people who want to help others is nursing. A nurse like a critical care nurse assists doctors in performing treatments, educating patients, and doing lab testing. Nursing is the largest health occupation in the United States, and it’s in constant demand.
As a nurse, you’ll have the opportunity to work in a hospital, clinic, or private practice. Hospital nurses tend to live a more fast-paced lifestyle as they rush between patients or pull shifts in the emergency room. They may also work odd hours, since hospitals must be staffed 24/7.
If you prefer a slower pace, working in a private practice or clinic is best. You’ll work more regular hours and won’t have to pull night shifts. You’ll also work more closely with doctors in these practices.
Nurses should be interested in helping people. They spend more time with patients than doctors do, and they can help to cushion the blow of bad news and make patients feel better when dealing with pain or sickness.
Currently, there’s a nursing shortage in the United States, which means that you won’t have any problem getting a job as a nurse. Baby boomers make up a large population of older nurses, and they’re retiring. That leave a lot of openings for freshly educated nurses to take their place.
To become a nurse, you’ll need formal education. You can start with a certificate program to get your CNA, but it’s more beneficial to at least get an associate degree in nursing (ADN). After getting an associate or bachelor’s degree, you can take a test to become a registered nurse, which raises your pay outlook significantly.
Pay varies by state, but the average salary for a registered nurse is $68,000. That’s above average for a two-year degree, and if you get a bachelor’s degree or beyond, you qualify for more pay.
- HVAC Contractor
Imagine that your AC has just gone out and it’s 90 degrees outside with 90 percent humidity. You have fans running, but it just doesn’t cut it. Can you imagine anything more welcome in this situation than an HVAC contractor coming to fix your air conditioning?
An HVAC contractor specializes in installing, maintaining, and repairing all things related to ventilation, air conditioning, boilers, furnaces, heat pumps, and refrigeration systems. They inspect, clean, maintain, and repair HVAC systems in both residential and commercial buildings.
An HVAC contractor might also help clients decide on the best HVAC system and equipment for their needs. Most people know very little about heating and cooling, so your job as a technician will be to educate them and help them make a great choice.
Helping people repair things they can’t fix themselves is a great profession, and it pays close to $30 per hour. You may also be eligible for commission on sales and repairs, offering excellent growth opportunities.
- Dietician or Nutritionist
The obesity epidemic is a plague, and dieticians and nutritionists are out to cure it. Along with helping people lose weight through the right foods, they promote health through healthy eating tips and lifestyle changes.
Nutritionists often work with those who have long-term diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure. They coach patients on what to eat to avoid exacerbating their illness. They may also help patients eat right when recovering from an injury.
As a dietician, you’ll have the opportunity to work in a variety of settings including cafeterias, hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and private practices. You’ll meet with a variety of clients and work alongside them in an often-difficult lifestyle transition, so good people skills are a must.
A nutritionist needs at least a bachelor’s degree to get into the field, but you can seek a master’s or doctorate if you choose. The median salary is about $60,000, and it’s in very high demand. The growth rate for the dietician occupation is much faster than average, so getting a job should be a cinch.
There’s nothing more gratifying than helping people in your work. It takes the edge off of bad days and helps you stay positive. Whether you’re looking for a career change or getting started in your adult career, consider these career opportunities which provide rewards far beyond the typical paycheck.