Attending numerous recruiting events for different companies, I frequently see bright-eyed, fresh-faced youth asking more about the non-profit work a company engages in than the work the company normally does. Are these kids just trying to (unsuccessfully) curry favor with the recruiter, or are they legitimately concerned about the ills of this world? Even if the latter is true, and even if they ultimately end up eschewing traditional corporate employment for non-profit work, does that grant them moral high ground over people simply concerned with stacking bills really, really high?

Not necessarily. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against doing good deeds. On the contrary, I think good deeds are the only things that keep an already tainted world from collapsing into chaos altogether. I wouldn’t be here today if a kind soul hadn’t risked his life to save my grandmother from certain death in Nazi Germany. I’m not too particular on the exact reasons for why a good deed is performed, either — if you help out at an elderly home to score points with an attractive volunteer, at least some elderly people are better off.

My concern lies mainly with joining a non-profit directly out of undergraduate for the wrong reasons, and condemning other forms of employment as lesser in moral standing. Working at a non-profit doesn’t necessarily equate to producing good deeds.

First, however, I want to declare that I am by no means against non-profits — there are a lot of non-profits out there that are doing great work. But, if your reason for joining a non-profit is to better the world, there are still a few things to consider. So I want to propose some guidelines for choosing the non-profit route at the onset of your career. One is that a lot of organizations need money, not necessarily people, which means that the organization may not be able to fully utilize your talents. Also, there can be a lot of stratification in the effectiveness of different organizations. Make sure to pick one that makes real changes if that’s your concern.

Additionally, working for a non-profit is not always more enjoyable than working at a for-profit corporation. Pay is low, non-profits can be chaotically and frustratingly managed (perhaps more so than for-profits due to less severe market pressures), and at the end of the day, a job is a job is a job. You’ll have to put up with the same bureaucracy and unpleasant tasks as you would in any other place. And perhaps most importantly, and why I warn against non-profit entry-level positions, you may not have any pull in instituting change on the issues you care about. Of course, this happens in all jobs, but if it stifles the passion for change that led you to take the job in the first place, you will be left a sad, broken shell of your former self.

So do you just sell your soul then and join a for-profit mega-corporation? While capitalism may have its problems, it is not the embodiment of evil. Right now it’s the only — and probably the best — thing we’ve got. There’s no way to duck out of its grasp, even for non-profits. Unless a company is doing something really dubious, for the most part companies help society progress. Being an investment banker doesn’t by default make you evil; it’s just a way of life. Besides, in this world the bar of morality is set so low that just being a generally agreeable, law-abiding citizen is enough to make you a good person.

Also, there are a lot of jobs in the for-profit sector which are doing great work but receive little recognition, like nursing or janitorial work. Plus working at a for-profit can give you experience, money and power, which can translate into greater influence to effect change in a non-profit. Then you can really have your way!

If you truly desire to work at a non-profit, and feel you have good reasons, then by all means do so — they can be very rewarding positions. Just remember to also consider the for-profit sector, where you can perform some good deeds for your wallet, your parents’ anxiety over your wallet, the approval of your capitalist-loving columnist, and perhaps the ability to make a bigger and better change in the world later on.