“…you don’t meet anyone as wholesome and nice as you do working at a charity. Everyone’s there because they want to be there. No one’s there just for the money or because they’ve forced their way into that role. They’re there because they care about the cause, they care about what they do…” – – Tomek Pozniak
Do you work in a charity alongside a lot of young men? If the answer is yes, you might be in the minority. A lot of our friends at Charity Chat have told us that they don’t come across many young guys in the sector and would love to try and understand why this is. In this episode, we sat down with Daniel Quinn at Marie Curie and Tomek Pozniak at Movember to get their opinions on the topic.
1. Location vs salary
Whilst some of the issues raised such as how much you get paid working for a not-for-profit and the fact that it is a very London-centric industry are not unique to young men, it appears that these are more of a barrier to entry for them. The juxtaposition of having to move to London whilst often being on a lower wage than at a like-for-like role in another industry feels like a wider issue that needs to be addressed by the sector at all levels.
2. The role of education
It's clear from this episode that whilst a school which promotes charitable activities can give boys a philanthropic outlook, the way a lot of young-men are culturally pushed to be career-centric, it’s hard to spot a charity career as a viable option after education. A key area of focus could also be to consider entry roles which are less broad in their scope as the lack of focus on one area can make it harder to feel that you are entering the job market with a defined career ambition.
3. Loving what you do
Similarly to nearly everyone that you encounter working in the third sector, both Dan and Tomek love working in the environment both because they love what they do and enjoy being around like-minded people. As with any organisation trying to attract talent from different demographics, it’s important for charities to go to the spaces where young men look for jobs.
This episode of Charity Chat has been brought to you by our platinum sponsor Work for Good. Work for Good believes everyone should be able to turn the work they do into good. Through their fundraising platform, they offer charities a way to engage and work with small businesses, including founders, owners and sole traders who want to make an impact for charities through their sales. To find out more, please visit workforgood.co.uk.
We hope you enjoy this week’s episode.
Related episodes that you may be interested in:
E171: Dive to Thrive - Coaching for a Better World -
E157 - Charities And Mayors With Sabrina Francis -
E57: Strategic Partnerships with Jo Taylor -
Comments