Over the past decade, there has been a quiet, yet striking, shift in employment toward public service. Our nation is grappling with pressing problems — from rising drug prices to widening income inequality — encouraging more and more Americans to blend work with purpose and leave the for-profit world for non-profit work.
According to the latest from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, non-profit employment has increased consistently year over year from 2007 to 2012 — rising from 10.5 million jobs to 11.4 million — a gain of 8.5 percent. This trend is only predicted to continue.
I understand the impulse to leave the private sector: I made the switch 15 years ago. After graduating from law school, I worked as a corporate health lawyer. I enjoyed the work, but without seeing any direct human benefit, I needed a change. So, in 2003, I booked a one-way ticket to Delhi and joined a human rights and legal aid organization advocating on behalf of low-income communities.
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