We all want to make a difference. But too many jobs require us to leave our conscience at home.
If you want to put your ideals front and center when you leave college, consider a job with the state Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs). Our agenda: we address real problems and get meaningful results.
The PIRGs are a nationwide network of non-profit activist organizations which advocate on behalf of the public interest. Starting with thorough research, we tackle problems which no one else seems to be solving -- whether from lack of will or losing the way.
Two positions are described below, the Fellowship Program and Campus Organizer Program.
The state PIRG's Fellowship Program was created to give smart, self-directed college graduates the opportunity and hands-on-training to assume a high level of responsibility within the public interest movement. PIRG Fellows work side-by-side with the organization's top researchers, attorneys, scientists and lobbyists. In that context, Fellows play five key roles: They become experts on a social problem, they research and report on that problem, they make our case for solving that problem to decision makers, they act as a spokesperson on that issue to the media, and they organize a politically powerful alliance of supporters. Through this work, PIRG Fellows employ a wide variety of skills, from writing to public speaking to one-on-one persuasion. Outstanding writing and verbal skills are required, as is a two year commitment to the position.
Each Fellow receives comprehensive training. Upon completion of the two-year program, PIRG places Fellows in leadership roles within the PIRGs.
Fellowship Program positions include, but are not limited to:
A key part of the PIRG mission is to train leaders who are capable of designing a winning public interest campaign, from the first steps of research to the last new conference where the governor signs our bill into law.
PIRG trainings emphasize basic and advanced skills. Fellows learn how identify and research social problems, write reports, organize campaigns, work with the media, build networks of supporters, lobby decision makers and raise funds through grant writing and canvassing.
PIRG Fellows receive an intensive, 10-day, paid training starting in mid-August in Boston, MA. Fellows attend four additional national trainings throughout the year. Training includes lectures, discussions, skills workshops and issue briefings. In addition, participants in the Fellowship Program receive ongoing supervision and training from a senior staff director.
Fellowship Program candidates are encouraged to be geographically flexible. If a Fellowship Program candidate wishes to be considered for only certain locations, it is preferable to identify at least three placement locations. Candidates who are selected for Fellowship positions will be assigned to jobs and geographic locations during the Boston training.
We are looking for motivated individuals who are willing to commit themselves to getting results. We value experience with campus groups or student government, academic achievement, public interest commitment, and outstanding verbal, writing and leadership skills. But most of all, we look for people who find a way to make a difference.
Current graduates earn $17,500 in their first year with PIRG, and $19,000 in their second year. Participants in the PIRG Fellowship Program also receive full health insurance, accrue two weeks paid vacation - three weeks in the second year, and are eligible for college loan assistance.
The state PIRGs are currently hiring for positions in: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NM, OH, OR, PA, RI, TX, UT, WA, WI and Washington, DC.
Pick up a brochure at your career placement office and schedule an on campus interview; or send a resume and cover letter to: Ellynne Bannon, The state PIRGs Hiring Department, 29 Temple Place, Boston MA, 02111; call (617) 292-4800; email Ellynne, or apply through our Web page at www.pirg.org.
More than any other segment of society, students have the time, the energy, the resources and the idealism to make a difference on social problems. PIRG Campus Organizers work at 75 campuses across the country. As a Campus Organizer, you lead public interest campaigns, educate and empower college students, train new leaders, and build a strong organization that's capable of tackling the problems that confront our society. Among the Campus Organizer's goals:
Over the course of a semester Campus Organizers work with students on four to six projects. Campus Organizers oversees up to 30 student interns who receive course credit for their projects and hundreds of student volunteers.
A key part of the PIRG mission is to train leaders who are capable of designing, fighting and winning campaigns to defend the public interest.
The state PIRGs provide an intensive, four-week, paid training program for Campus Organizers. Training begins in late July and includes two weeks of field work with PIRG's citizen outreach staff, followed by two weeks of classroom training.
At the end of training, new Campus Organizers are placed at a specific college campus, with placement determined by the individual organizer's skills and experience. Campus Organizers also participate in other training events, including regional conferences and a national staff training in Denver, Colorado.
We are looking for motivated individuals who are willing to commit themselves to getting results. We value experience with campus groups or student government, academic achievement, public interest commitment, and outstanding verbal, writing and leadership skills. But most of all, we look for people who find a way to make a difference.
Current graduates earn $17,500 in their first year with PIRG. Campus Organizers also receive full health insurance, accrue two weeks paid vacation, and are eligible for college loan assistance.
The state PIRGs are currently hiring for positions in: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NM, OH, OR, PA, RI, TX, UT, WA, WI and Washington, DC.
Pick up a brochure at your career placement office and schedule an on campus interview; or send a resume and cover letter to: Ellynne Bannon, The state PIRGs Hiring Department, 29 Temple Place, Boston MA, 02111; call (617) 292-4800; email Ellynne, or apply through our Web page at www.pirg.org.
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