Career Development
Career Development / Career Communities / Public Service, Non-Profit, Law & NGOs Career Community

Public Service, Non-Profit, Law & NGOs Career Community

An important and meaningful path for improving communities, and advocating for others. Be it law, communications, government, or contributing to a nonprofit organization, you can engage in work that improves lives. As with all career communities, several majors allow you to pursue these industries, each with its own unique spin on advocacy and allyship.

Willamette student and professor walking in the Oregon state capitol

The following are commonly chosen majors, though any Willamette major can prepare you for a career in this community.

Sample Careers

 Willamette student in a discussion room at state capitol

  • Attorney
  • Communications Professional
  • Development Fundraising
  • Economist
  • Grant Writer
  • Nonprofit Manager
  • Nonprofit Administrator
  • Paralegal
  • Policy Analyst
  • Urban and Regional Planner

Sample Work Settings

Government (local/city, state, federal), Businesses (as legal counsel), Nonprofit Organizations and NGOs, Schools (K-12), Schools (University or Community College)

Transferable Skills and Knowledge

Two Willamette students planting saplings

  • Debate
  • Event Planning
  • Fundraising & Development
  • Global/Cultural Fluency
  • Persuasive Writing & Communication
  • Political Communications
  • Public Policy
  • Public Speaking
  • Research

 

 

 

Internships Map

Select a marker on the map to learn about specific internships Willamette students have pursued.

Internships for Credit

Career Development can support students seeking academic credit for internships. In order to earn internship credit, students must be enrolled in our Internship for Academic credit course.

Internships for Credit

Fast Facts

Individualized career advising helps WU students achieve goals throughout their college careers.

Photo of female Willamette student smiling infront of city backdrop

  • 67% of WU Undergrads do at least one internship during their time at WU
  • 81% of graduates are either working or in graduate school 6 months after graduation
  • 20% of WU grads go directly to graduate or professional programs
  • 1300+ one on one career advising appointments completed per year in career development

 

 

Alumni Highlight

Adrian Uphoff, '20

Major: Politics, Policy, Law & Ethics
Job: Health Policy Analyst, Minnesota Medical Association

Job Description: Offers research and administrative support for a statewide, nonprofit association of physicians, specifically by staffing four committees through which physician members draft and advocate for various healthcare reform efforts.

Advice from Adrian

“You can have your cake (a passion-fulfilling career in the nonprofit/public sector) and eat it, too (make a living/comfortable wage), but it requires that you get in the kitchen early (relevant internship/work experience in college), and it requires that you follow the unique recipe for success in this anomaly of a sector (e.g., rolling with stringencies in government job postings, tying emotion to missions in job interviews, public sector networking, etc).”