Charity sector offers rewarding careers with purpose at the core

There are currently an “abundance” of opportunities in the charity sector, says Áine Myler, CEO of Charities Institute Ireland

The non-profit charity sector is a great place to work, with a wide diversity of people involved and plenty of flexibility.

Charities Institute Ireland (Cii) is the representative body for Ireland’s leading and high-impact fundraising charities. Its 280 members employ 25,000 people and represent 40% of the overall public funding provision within the charity and voluntary sector. The aim of Cii is to promote greater transparency and impact for the sector through best practice in governance, fundraising, and financial standards.

In recent years, CEO Áine Myler has seen an increased interest by graduates for work in the sector: “That is largely because it is so varied with so many different parts to it. There are a multitude of different roles beyond the obvious ones of housing, health and education.” The arc of non-profit and charity is much wider than that, and includes areas such as the arts, animal welfare, museums and mountain rescue — to name but a few. “There are an abundance of opportunities for people from different careers coming into the charity sector, but also people who are starting out on the life path. That direct connection between the work that you do and the impact that it has is an awareness that has certainly grown over recent years, particularly amongst young people who are looking for that purpose in their lives.”