Careers in Education, Social Service & Nonprofit

Use this section to research career paths, typical job titles, and how to start building skills to get prepared for this industry.

• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Educational Instruction and Library Occupations
• Occupational Outlook Handbook: Community and Social Service Occupations

Use this section to learn about student organizations you can join at UT to learn more about your desired industry, network with professionals and peers with similar interests, and build transferable skills.

• Volunteer at one of the many university-assisted community schools in Knoxville through the Community Schools Initiative
• Join an education-focused student organization, such as the Aspiring Student Affairs Professionals or the Student Tennessee Education Association
• Take a service learning course, like Education 100
• Enroll in a service learning course such as the Grief Outreach Initiative (Counselor Education 404) or Recess Vols (Psychology)
• Join a student organization like BSWO, Best Buddies, Psi Chi, or the Council of Family Relations
• Volunteer in high-impact areas through the Center for Leadership and Service

Use this section to learn about professional organizations you can join.

• American Association for Employment in Education
• American Counseling Association
• American Psychological Association
• American School Counselor Association
• National Association of Social Workers
• Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education

Use this section to search specific job and internship boards for this industry. For more options, use Handshake to explore a wide variety of roles.

Volunteer and Intern

• Become a TN Achieves mentor
• Get a job in an afterschool program like Emerald Youth Foundation or the YMCA
• The Alliance for Better Non-Profits provides support and resources to local non-profit organizations, but also has a job board, list of local non-profit members, training and educational options, and opportunities to network with local non-profit leaders.
• Volunteer Knoxville lets you search their extensive database of both short term and long term volunteer opportunities in East Tennessee.
• Idealist is the premier non-profit job, internship, and volunteer opportunity database.

Job Search

Higher Education

• Higher Ed Jobs lists job openings in various areas of higher education, both faculty and administrative positions.

International Education / Teaching English Abroad

K-12 Teaching, Administration, and Support (with a certification)

• Teachers-teachers.org for teacher, administrator, or other related services personnel postings.
• School Spring is a web crawler you can use to find positions in education.
• Southern Teachers Agency recruits teachers for private and independent schools in the Southeast.
• Carney, Sandoe & Associates recruits teachers for independent schools across the US and internationally.

K-12 Teaching (without a Certification)

• Southern Teachers Agency recruits teachers for private and independent schools in the Southeast. Licensure not required for many positions in middle and high school.
• Carney, Sandoe & Associates recruits teachers for independent schools across the US and internationally. Licensure not required for many positions in middle and high school.

Non-Profit

• Work for Good is a job board dedicated to helping nonprofits connect with job seekers looking to make a difference.
• Bridgespan is a job board focused on all types of non-profit employment.

To identify nonprofits in other areas of the country, you are encouraged to visit the United Way for that location and search for community partners.

Graduate school is common and sometimes necessary for students seeking roles in education and social services. Find information on being a competitive candidate, funding graduate school, and more in the Plan & Apply section of this website. If you are searching for a graduate program, start with these resources:

• Peterson’s Graduate School Search
• Directory of CSWE-Approved Social Work Programs
• Directory of CACREP-Accredited Counseling Programs

Graduate students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, have access to all of the resources offered by the Center for Career Development & Academic Exploration. Check out the Graduate Students section of this website to explore career resources for graduate students.