How to Get Your First Job Out of College Fighting Human Trafficking

Getting your first job out of college can be one of the most challenging experiences a young person goes through. But if you're looking to get into a field like human trafficking where budgets often involve cutting shoestrings in half, it can feel impossible. However, there are a few things college students and recent grads can do to help themselves float to the top of the pool of entry-level applicants.

I went into college a corporate advertising major, hoping for a job making music videos for MTV (this was back where there were music videos on MTV) or selling Apple products. I came out of college a committed abolitionist and human rights activist, without any idea of how to get a job in my desired field. My college career center didn't seem to understand that "human rights" could be considered an industry and Monster.com kept inviting me to apply for sales gigs. But after a several months long search that ranged from tedious to depressing, I landed an entry-level job at a small anti-trafficking organization. And here are some tips from the lessons I learned along the way:

1. Get the word trafficking on your resume. There's nothing like applying to a niche field like human trafficking with experience in that exact field under your belt. Take an internship or volunteer with a local anti-trafficking organization. Or, if like me, you go to school in a rural area where there aren't any organizations, start one at your school. You can also try hooking up with an anti-trafficking organization across the country or the world and offer to host a fundraiser, collect research, or call donors for them. Having experience, even volunteer experience, with a trafficking organization shows you're committed.

2. Use your classes to explore your passions. If you're interested in a job in human trafficking, write a paper about it. You'll learn a lot about the topic and have a strong writing sample to present to future employers. And since human trafficking touches on so many areas, it can fit nicely into an economics, political science, religion, health, sociology, philosophy, art, or just about any other class you can imagine. Having conducted research shows employers that you've thought the issue through and are ready to dive in.

3. Make friends with the person whose job you want. Google the staff of anti-trafficking organizations and pick someone whose job looks really amazing. Then, try and develop a relationship with that person. Helping out their organization may help with that relationship. Don't settle for the receptionist if you eventually want to be an executive director -- think big and start making connections with people in the field.

4. Prove yourself worthy of attention. I get a few letters a week from high school and college students interested in getting a job in the field. If you're going to write to me or anyone else asking about jobs, here are some tips: Tell me why I should take the time to mentor you, why this is your passion, and specifically what you hope to accomplish. Don't disparage yourself in the first paragraph. Spell check your letter before sending it. Write in traditional, non-texting English — for example, "howd u get ur job?" is not appropriate. In other words, if you want me to take you seriously, act serious.

5. Don't bide your time waiting for job offers. If you've been looking for a job without luck, find something to take your mind off it — and I don't mean beer or video games. Volunteer at the organization you'd like to work for. If you rock, they might just hire you. Or, get involved in an online community, like <cough> Change.org. That way you can point out to perspective employers that the petition you started has gotten 8,000 signatures. Keeping active in the field while waiting for your break keeps you connected and shows initiative.

Getting into the anti-trafficking field can be challenging, but people do it. All it takes is a little smart effort to help you stand out from all those applicants who don't read this blog.

Photo credit: socialisbetter