Where to find an impactful job

By now, you’ve likely identified a few directions you’re excited to pursue—roles or fields where you could imagine doing meaningful work. The next step is turning those ideas into concrete opportunities.

This stage can feel like a leap. Moving from “possible paths” to actual job searches often brings new questions: Where do I even start looking? How do I know if something is a good fit? What if nothing seems quite right?

That’s normal! Job searching isn’t just about finding listings—it’s about learning, exploring, and uncovering options you may not have considered yet. In this chapter, we’ll help you navigate that process with a practical, impact-focused lens: how to widen your search, find openings, and open yourself up to opportunities.

Start by broadening your search

You might already have a few roles, organizations, or industries in mind—but this early stage is also a valuable moment to zoom out and explore. It’s easy to miss out on impactful, well-matched roles simply because they don’t fall into the most obvious categories.

Instead of narrowing in too quickly, try to stay open and curious. Casting a wider net now can help you uncover opportunities that align with your skills and motivations, even in areas you might not have considered yet. Here are a few ways to approach it.

Brainstorm role titles beyond the obvious. Start with one of your career hypotheses—for instance, “improving mental health through program coordination.” Now ask: what job titles might involve that kind of work? Go beyond the first label that comes to mind. Different organizations often use different language for similar roles, so broadening your search terms can help surface opportunities you’d otherwise miss.

In this example, alongside “Program Coordinator,” you might come across “Program Associate,” “Community Outreach Specialist,” “Patient Advocate,” “Project Assistant,” or “Administrative Coordinator” within mental health-focused nonprofits or clinics. Use job boards, LinkedIn, or AI tools to explore related terms. The goal isn’t to settle on one title, but to build a flexible list that can guide your search.

Look for organizations doing work you care about. Shift your focus from just job titles to organizations whose mission and impact genuinely align with your career hypotheses. Start compiling a list of these organizations—whether they’re nonprofits, government agencies, social enterprises, or mission-driven companies. As you progress in your job hunt, make it a habit to proactively visit their career pages or subscribe to their newsletters. You might discover roles they’re hiring for that perfectly fit your skills, even if the job titles don’t immediately match your initial thoughts.

Decode job descriptions for skill alignment. Even if you’re not ready to apply yet, make reading job descriptions a regular practice. Look at roles that seem even tangentially related to your hypotheses or the organizations you’ve identified. Focus specifically on the skills and responsibilities outlined. This isn’t about finding an exact match, but identifying which of your transferable skills are in demand and potentially uncovering new job titles or areas you hadn’t previously considered. For instance, you might find a “Research Assistant” role in a mental health organization that heavily utilizes your organizational and analytical skills, which you might not have initially considered.

Use job boards, but don’t rely on them alone. Job boards can be a useful tool for exploring the landscape, but they’re most helpful when used strategically. Here are a few boards and similar places worth looking at:

• Probably Good’s impact-focused job board. Our job board provides a curated list of impactful roles across several fields and causes, including global health, climate change, animal welfare, and more.
• Industry- or cause-specific boards. Many niche job boards cater to specific industries or causes. They often list jobs that don’t appear on major platforms, giving you access to more tailored opportunities with less competition. Do some research to find the top job boards in your industry or cause area—or check out this list.
• Large job boards. Popular boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, or others can sometimes be a good place to start finding opportunities. However, we advise against applying only through these sites as many relevant (especially more impact-oriented) jobs may not be posted there.
• University career-service boards. If you’re a student or recent grad, these can connect you with entry-level roles tailored to your skills and education.

To get the most out of job boards, it helps to focus on platforms that align with your field and career goals. Niche boards and company career pages often feature unique, up-to-date opportunities you won’t see on larger, more general sites. This can save you time and help you zero in on roles that are a better match. Large job boards also tend to have other issues, like excessive numbers of applications, outdated postings, and even “ghost jobs”.

It’s best to think of job boards as just one part of your job-search toolkit. Pairing them with more proactive approaches we’ll cover below—like building connections and creating opportunities for yourself—can give you a much better chance of landing the right role.

Build a network you’ll actually use

A lot of jobs are filled through connections, referrals, and word-of-mouth. You can absolutely land a job without a big network, but investing time in building connections now can open doors in ways you may not expect down the road.

To make networking feel less daunting, think of it as planting seeds. You’re not looking for instant results; you’re starting conversations and letting relationships grow over time. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Start with people you know. Your current connections – friends, family, former colleagues, mentors – are a valuable starting point. Inform them about your career aspirations and the types of opportunities you’re exploring. A simple update can sometimes lead to unexpected connections or insights.
• Keep it authentic. Networking doesn’t have to be about schmoozing at events—it’s about building real relationships with people you find inspiring or whose work you admire. Approach it with curiosity: start conversations, ask thoughtful questions about their experiences, and share your own goals and interests. When you’re not forcing it, it’s easier to form meaningful connections and feel more motivated to do so.
• Show up to things that interest you. Actively participate in communities, events (both online and offline), and discussions related to your fields of interest. This “targeted serendipity” allows you to naturally connect with like-minded individuals and learn about potential opportunities within your areas of focus.
• Utilize your network. Building connections is one thing, but leveraging them is just as important when searching for opportunities. Review the LinkedIn or social connections of people you know to see if they’re linked to relevant industries or roles. Ask close connections to brainstorm career directions or recommend specific roles or workplaces. Reach out to those who can offer strong referrals, even if your relationship isn’t purely professional. 

You can also explore mentorship opportunities, which offer a more structured way to connect with experienced professionals in your field. Programs like Magnify Mentoring connect job seekers with experienced professionals, and some industries have their own mentorship networks (like this one for alternative proteins). If you’re a student, leverage student groups, research projects, or thesis work as natural ways to reach out to professionals for insights, which can be more effective than directly asking for job advice. Student-run conferences and workshops also frequently provide direct connections to industry professionals.

Reach out to people

Reaching out to someone you don’t know well can feel intimidating, but when done thoughtfully, it can be very effective for discovering new opportunities and growing connections. The key is to make your message specific, respectful of their time, and easy to respond to. Here’s how:

• Explain why you’re reaching out to them. You don’t want your message to come across as ‘I sent this to everyone.’ Instead, you need to quickly contextualize why you’re reaching out to them specifically. Start by researching the person you’re contacting—look into their work, projects, or expertise—and write a message that shows genuine interest. Reference something specific they’ve done, clearly state the topic you’d like to discuss, and provide just enough context for them to understand why you’re reaching out. 
• Frame your request as seeking advice (not a job). Rather than directly asking for a job or leads, focus on seeking advice. Reaching out with genuine curiosity—whether about someone’s career path, their organization, or the field in general—can lead to more natural and engaging conversations. This approach also makes it easier for the other person to respond, since advice is lower-pressure than evaluating a potential hire. If the conversation goes well and there’s a mutual fit, it may naturally lead to job opportunities down the line.
• Have a clear ask. While you don’t need to know everything you’re hoping to get out of the conversation, it helps to be specific about what you’re looking for. That might be a quick call to hear about their path into a certain field (especially if you already know them a bit), their perspective on transitioning into a particular role, recommendations for early-career opportunities, or suggestions for useful resources, skills, or courses. Clear, focused asks make it easier for someone to respond—and more likely they’ll say yes.
• Ask for introductions. If someone in your network knows someone you’d like to connect with and you have a good enough relationship with them, you can try asking for an introduction. Personal referrals typically have a much higher success rate than cold outreach because they come with a built-in level of trust. When requesting an introduction, be sure to keep your message short, clear, and respectful of the other person’s time. Clearly explain why you’re reaching out, how the connection could be mutually beneficial, and make it easy for them to help without imposing a lot of effort. 

Open doors by building visibility

Beyond exploring roles and reaching out to others, another part of your job search is making it easier for opportunities to come to you. This means creating a visible, authentic presence that highlights your interests and strengths—especially those related to the kinds of roles you’re aiming for.

This is less about self-promotion for its own sake and more about creating signals that help the right people—potential collaborators, hiring managers, or mentors—find and recognize what you can bring to the table. Here are a few ways to approach it:

• Cultivate your online presence. Ensure your professional profiles, such as LinkedIn, clearly articulate your skills, experiences, and career aspirations in the context of your impact goals. Use relevant keywords that align with the types of roles you’re targeting. Consider creating a simple personal website or online portfolio to showcase your work.
• Share your work publicly. Demonstrating your abilities through tangible examples can significantly enhance your visibility. Whether it’s a blog, a portfolio of projects, contributions to open-source initiatives, or case studies of your work, sharing your work allows potential employers and collaborators to see your capabilities firsthand.
• Engage in relevant communities. Actively participate in online communities, forums, and discussions related to your fields of interest. Sharing your insights, asking thoughtful questions, and contributing to conversations can help you build connections and establish yourself as someone knowledgeable and engaged.

By proactively building your visibility, you can position yourself to attract opportunities that align with your career hypotheses, often before they are even formally advertised.

Looking ahead

Finding a role where you can do meaningful, satisfying work takes time and effort. The strategies in this chapter—from broadening your search and decoding job listings to building your presence and making connections—are all part of testing your career hypotheses in the real world, like a scientist would.

Next, we’ll look at how to actually land these roles by strengthening your application and strategizing where to apply.