Many students enter into the summer employment hunt with the goal of making the most money or working for the most prestigious employer that they can come up with. As rewarding as these two goals may seem to be, they cannot compare to the personal reward to be found in attaining a summer job working for a nonprofit organization. There are a great variety of opportunities for students to find summer jobs in the nonprofit sector; the key to finding such a job is simply to know where to look.

One great way to gain invaluable life experience is to work for a nonprofit abroad. By working for a nonprofit abroad, not only will you be able to gain the rewards of helping others through your work for a nonprofit organization, but you will also be able to experience all of the great perks of traveling and experiencing a new culture and a new part of the world as well. There are many different types of nonprofit work that can be done abroad depending upon your individual interests. Interested in working to help underprivileged children? Volunteer to teach in rural schools in Central America. Interested in fighting the spread of HIV and AIDS in Africa? You can work with local communities teaching them how to protect themselves from becoming infected by this virus. The opportunities really are endless. Whether you are interested in education, health care, agricultural development, sustainability, or nearly any imaginable field of work, there are countless opportunities to work for a nonprofit abroad and do a summer job that you are passionate about.

However, working abroad is not for everyone, and there are tons of nonprofit organizations at home in the United States for which students can find interesting summer job opportunities. There are numerous organizations that allow students to become mentors for low-income children or to work to develop affordable housing options across the country. Additionally, there are a large number of nonprofit organizations dedicated to climate change and environmental sustainability for which students could choose to work. Similarly to working for a nonprofit organization abroad, there are nonprofit organizations in nearly every imaginable field to be found throughout the United States.

Another interesting domestic area to look for a nonprofit summer job is the U.S. government. The U.S. government is involved with a great number of nonprofit organizations that hire students for summer internship positions. From the areas of international relations to finance and budgeting, there are many Washington, D.C. based nonprofit organizations that students can easily become involved with. One important thing to be aware of in seeking this type of employment, however, is that it is often a competitive field, and you will have to start the application process early in order to obtain such a position.

Whatever specific job in the nonprofit sector that you choose, the feeling of true personal accomplishment is likely to follow. As appealing as it may seem to say that you are going to work for the most prestigious investment bank in New York City, there is something much more personally fulfilling to be found in doing work for a nonprofit organization that you are truly passionate about.