Career advice

One of the most challenging aspects of searching for a career with purpose it that there is no roadmap. Instead there’s options, trade-offs, decisions and a whole host of different paths to explore. Gone are the days where professionals settled in with a company out of college and then defined their career success …

Depending on who you ask social media is described as a fun way to pass the time all the way to an amazing networking tool. Professionally, everyone knows they “have to be on LinkedIn” but is that the only media stream that matters? One of our favourite social media platforms for purpose driven professionals is twitter. When …

As the end of the year approaches, many people reflect on what they’ve accomplished and think about their resolutions for the year ahead. A new year symbolizes a new beginning and to those who are extremely unhappy at work (read: unfulfilled, frustrated, unemployed, or ready to move on) it provides …

Jaime Stein (pictured left) represents a different kind of Purple Sheep- one who uses his skills for good without breaking away from the corporate herd. For those of us who want to make a difference but can’t find the right impact job just yet, or are not ready to leave …

Finding the perfect social impact job takes hard work and persistence. Good career advice is sector, even company specific. Advice for getting a job at Google is very different than good advice for getting a job at TD or the United Way. But there’s some common tips that transcend all sectors and are …

A career in nonprofit can be an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling experience. Many are willing to forego a higher salary in order to work on a mission and a sense of purpose. Whether you are looking to switch into a career in nonprofit from the corporate sector, looking for a new …

Don’t wait for permission to create the change or job you want. That is one of the many life lessons we can learn from Zahra Ebrahim, founder and principal of ArchiTEXT- a design think tank and consultancy focusing on design based approaches to social innovation for government, charities and philanthropic organizations. Zahra’s …

It’s no secret that we love meeting fellow Purple Sheep. Although we’d argue that you’re always a Purple Sheep at heart, some show their colour early in their careers and others after years of experience. Jennifer Starr is a career switcher and recently transitioned from the corporate world to the nonprofit sector …

Diane Solinger has what many would say is one of the coolest job ever (us included). Working at Google in social impact, Diane holds one of the most envious job titles managing the GooglersGive program. Leveraging her experience from the nonprofit sector, Diane and her team help the 60,000 Googlers …

He’s not your stereotypical MBA grad working in finance. As a Millennial, Fayaz Manji represents a new type of professional living and working his values. An experience early in his MBA program changed his career course and set him on a path of purpose (and a paycheque). Bucking the trend that …

Whether you are looking for a promotion or trying to make a career switch, personal branding is something you must be doing. You may be thinking that branding is something only marketers do for products and companies, but that’s not true. Personal branding is not a new concept- from the …

Whether you are looking for your next job or simply not ready to leave your current one, there are ways to make your current job more impactful. The act of creating change from inside your company is also known as intrapraneurship and could be one of the most powerful ways to …

Finding meaningful work is a very personal experience and journey. Whether it’s working for a nonprofit, corporate foundation or a social good organization, meaningful work is all around. From high level advice on building your career to practical tips on your cover letter, three of our impact insiders and leaders in their …

A career in corporate social responsibility (CSR) is considered the holy grail for many professionals. Whether you are looking to switch into CSR or start your career it can be incredibly daunting (and competitive). How do you break into break into the limited number of CSR roles if you’re coming …

Despite a traditional background in economics and an MBA, Shama Ahmed’s job is anything but. On the cutting edge of Social Finance and Impact Investing, Shama leverages her deep skill set and experience at TD to take on the role of Manager of Financial Education and Social Finance. As part …

Alina Racoviceanu was a traditional engineer who transformed herself into a Purple Sheep.  A holistic and analytical thinker, Alina used her desire to ‘save the planet’ one act at a time to pursue a career in corporate social responsibility. Sustainability experts like Alina are secret weapons within companies, helping employees connect the …

Most recruiters won’t tell you all the things you need to do to switch into a social impact job. Beyond the traditional advice of networking and informational interviews – there’s one super important secret for career switching that is rarely discussed.

We’ve all been there, standing awkwardly at a networking event trying to make connections in between bites of hors d’hoeurves. Sometimes it even feels like a game – points for how many business cards you collected or people you’ve met. Regardless of how you feel about networking, when looking for a job …