How to Find the Perfect Role in Social Impact
Not every job is meant for you.
And in social impact, the right role is less about titles and more about alignment—with your story, your values, and the change you want to create.
Your story is your compass
When I lost my fiancé Naz in 2014, I had a choice: stay silent or speak up.
That story shaped everything I’ve done since - founding a charity, delivering 80+ talks, directing an award-winning documentary, and now helping others turn their impact into stories that move people to act.
Your own story is the same. It holds clues about the issues that make you come alive, the people you want to serve, and the values you’ll never compromise on.
Ignore those clues, and you risk ending up in a role that drains you. Follow them, and you’ll find work that feels like purpose - not just employment.
Step 1 - Start with your values
What makes you angry? What breaks your heart?
The best social impact roles aren’t just jobs—they’re extensions of what you care about most. Whether it’s climate justice, LGBTQ+ equality, or ending homelessness, your values will point you toward organisations where your passion becomes power.
Platforms like Idealist make it easy to filter by cause area, from education to human rights. Use your story to guide those searches.
Step 2 - Choose the environment
It’s not just what you do. It’s where you do it.
Some people thrive in grassroots charities, rolling up their sleeves on the ground. Others come alive in the strategy rooms of global NGOs or in the CSR department of a consumer brand.
Ask yourself: where does your energy flow best?
The Impact Job is brilliant for this—its curated listings highlight the organisational context as much as the role itself. Transparency around culture and salary helps you see if it matches your values of fairness and equity.
Step 3 - Translate your skills into impact
Your story isn’t just about what you’ve lived. It’s about what you bring.
Maybe you’re a communicator who can make complex data human. Maybe you’re an organiser who can mobilise communities. Maybe you’re a strategist who can reimagine systems.
Your past matters. Those skills—earned in business, tech, education, or art—are the building blocks of your impact.
Social Impact Jobs, with thousands of opportunities across health, education, and philanthropy, is a great place to match your skills to a cause that needs them.
Step 4 - Follow what energises you
Impact work is tough.
If you’re not energised by the mission, you’ll burn out faster than you think. Look back—what projects gave you energy? Which drained you? The answer is a map to the roles where you’ll thrive.
Probably Good takes this seriously. Their job board is beautifully designed and curated for high-impact opportunities that align with where you’ll make the biggest difference.
Step 5 - Connect before you apply
The job description is just the surface.
The real story lives in the people already doing the work. Reach out. Ask: What does a day look like? What keeps you going? What’s hardest about the role?
That’s how you find culture fit. That’s how you know if your story belongs.
For global development, Devex is the go-to platform. It connects you not just to jobs, but also to professionals worldwide. Start conversations before you submit applications.
Why employers care about your story
The truth is that hiring in social impact isn’t just about skills.
Funders, boards, and communities are looking for people who feel the mission. Your story is proof. It shows that you understand the human side of the work.
When you share the “why” behind your journey, you do two things:
You build trust with employers who want alignment, not just experience.
You show how your lived experience can deepen the impact of their mission.
That emotional connection is what moves you from being “a CV in the pile” to “the candidate we need on our team.”
Closing thought
You don’t find the perfect role by chasing titles.
You find it by following your story, and letting it guide you to the places where your skills, your values, and your energy create the greatest change.
And when you do? It stops being just a role. It becomes your purpose in action.
About the author
I’m Matt Mahmood-Ogston – a London-based multi-award-winning storyteller, social impact photographer, and founder of the Naz and Matt Foundation. After losing my fiancé Naz to religious homophobia, I dedicated my life to helping others never feel alone because of who they are or who they love. Over the last decade, I’ve documented social impact initiatives with dignity and purpose, directed award-winning films like My God, I’m Queer, and delivered 80+ talks to charities, NGOs, and government bodies. Today, I help purpose-driven organisations turn their impact into stories that inspire change and win trust.
If you’re ready to turn your organisation’s impact into stories that move hearts and open doors, let’s talk.
→ Message me for a free 15-minute consultation.
Or start today with my free 36-page guide to social impact storytelling:
