(Need Advice) How to transition from Corporate to Social Impact Work

TanyaKhan·Mar 09, 2021

Posted in:Navigating Career Transitions Advice Job Hunting Personal Growth Career Growth

Has anyone transitioned from corporate roles to social impact work? Can you share what you like/dislike? Anything unexpected that you discovered once you made the transition? More importantly, how did you make the transition? I know social impact work has such broad definition as it can range from non-profit, for-profit companies with social impact arm (foundation, CSR, etc.) or B corp companies that truly integrate social impact in the work that they do. I am open to hearing all perspectives, though I feel like based on my background, joining a company with a for-profit model that has a social good mission makes the most sense. I am currently looking for my next role and can really use any tips/advice for someone who had done this. THANK YOU!!Additional background about me:I have been working in various marketing and sales roles in various Fortune 500 companies for more than 15+ years. I've had a great career but 2020 has made me reevaluate my priorities and assess what I really want out of my career. I've always yearned for that social impact work and actually moved to US to pursue my MBA, with the intention of focusing on social entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, that didn't work out due to work visa requirement, so I've been working on corporate roles since then. I know it's easier to transfer to a different role within a company, but I don't really see that happening with my current company for various reasons (lack of focus, culture fit, etc).

lilyf·Mar 15, 2021

Hi @TanyaKhan! I'm an officer for the MIT Social Entrepreneurship Alumni Group (MIT SEAG), and though I personally have not made the transition from corporate to social impact work, I'm quite sure that some members of our community have made similar decisions in their careers. The group is open to all who are interested in social entrepreneurship and/or investing, so I welcome you to join and pose the same question to the SEAG community. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! https://mit-seag.mn.co

TanyaKhan·Mar 16, 2021

Thanks so much Lily! I just submitted my application to the Slack group. (The application asked how I learned about the group and I mentioned your name. I hope you don't mind!) I am sure I will have more questions once I join the group, so will reach out to you then. Thanks again - really appreciate the info.

lilyf·Mar 16, 2021

My pleasure, Tanya! I don't mind at all! Feel free to DM me with any questions at any time. :)