There are many careers that focus on supporting the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) Community. From mental health counseling, to policy reform, to education, various jobs offer the chance to further gender and sexuality equity. Given its wide range, the following information provides guidance and resources for exploring careers in LGBTQ+ advocacy.

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Education Requirements

Depending on what you would like to do within LGBTQ+ advocacy, there are different requirements you would need to meet in order to best succeed in your field. Regarding an undergraduate degree, listed below are a few examples of different majors you may consider:

  • Psychology
  • Nursing
  • Criminology
  • Social Work
  • Education

To ensure you are prepared to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, having a minor in Gender, Women’s, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS) is best to have under your belt. GWSS classes provide crucial history, theoretical frameworks, and foundational information for understanding the variety of injustices within the community. Examples of these classes can be found under Course Suggestions. Incorporating gender studies into your formal education will lead you down a path to best advocate for the LGBTQ+ community regardless of what career you choose.

Regarding graduate school, many careers will require further education. For example, you would need to earn a doctoral degree if you are interested in LGBTQ+ health care. Another example is mental health counseling, which would require a master’s degree in either psychology or social work. Nonetheless, other careers only require an undergraduate degree, such as careers in the nonprofit sector.

Experience Suggestions

Outside of your typical education, there are also many opportunities out there where one can further their education in other ways. For example, the University of Iowa offers many certificate programs that can aid a career in social justice. Some of these programs include Critical Cultural Competence, Human Rights, and Nonprofit Leadership and Philanthropy. Programs such as these offer a greater sense of knowledge about an area, as well as show future employers that you went out of your way to learn more.

United Way, Indeed, and LinkedIn are websites that offer greater insight on entry-level positions, volunteer opportunities, and also internships. It is helpful that you can see exact opportunities that align with a career in LGBTQ+ rights. Also, LinkedIn not only offers the ability for you to connect with organizations that you are interested in, but places seeking job applicants can also see your profile and reach out as well. LinkedIn is a great resource for remote networking, especially as a college student entering the career field.

Nonprofits to Volunteer or Intern With

There are many organizations to volunteer and intern within the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids areas. In the field of LGBTQ+ rights, there are a number of organizations that focus solely on this topic. For instance, the LGBTQ Iowa Archives & Library offers both volunteer and internships. On their website, you can easily locate future events and other ways to get involved as well. The LGBTQ Relationship Center of Iowa also offers internships, as well as scholarships on their website.

Student Organizations

While still being a student at the university, multiple student organizations exist for those within the LGBTQ+ community, as well as allies. The Pride House, one of the multicultural centers on campus offers a place for both LGBTQ+ students and allies to meet, exist, and engage with each other. There are other organizations on campus that focus specifically on your desired career field, such as EQUAL Meds and oSTEM. 

Career Fairs & Networking Events

Career and networking fairs are a great opportunity to learn from professionals currently working in the field. It is also a good way to begin forming professional relationships and finding opportunities such as internships, volunteer experiences, or even openings for post-graduation positions. Below are recommended University of Iowa events that are held either annually or every semester.

  • All Majors Career Fair
  • Student Involvement Fair
  • Helping, Health, & Public Service Industry Career Fair
  • QUEERnival Information Fair
  • National Philanthropy Day Networking Events

Course Suggestions

Given the importance of incorporating intersectionality into social justice work, any class within the Department of Gender, Women’s, & Sexuality Studies will be relevant to LGBTQ+ advocacy. However, below are listed some specific recommendations that you may want to consider taking during undergrad.

Job Search Engines

  • Indeed: Download the app or access online, make an account, upload a resume and let employers know you are looking for a job, find many different job levels and remote work
  • Simply Hired: A site similar to Indeed
  • Glassdoor: Provides anonymous company reviews and salaries to evaluate the job before you apply
  • Google For Jobs: A job search engine that compiles jobs from many different websites
  • Career Builder: Make an account and download the app, all levels of jobs, has a skill assessment to help find similar jobs
  • Ziprecruiter: One of the largest job posting websites, can make an account and search jobs
  • Monster: Upload a resume and search for jobs
  • The Ladders: A site that has 100,000’s of jobs as well as high up and entry-level positions, recruiters can reach out to you
  • LGBTCenters.org: Jobs posted for LGBTQ Community centers, as well as other organizations or institutions that work towards LGBTQ equality
  • Company Career Pages: Companies will post job openings on their individual websites

Informational Interviews

Seeing as there is no single career path, it is beneficial to conduct brief informational interviews with current professionals. These provide a great opportunity to learn more about the field, different types of positions, valuable experiences to seek, and more. The examples below demonstrate the useful information that can be gathered from these types of interviews.

Accounts from a Physician at an LGBTQ+ Clinic:

As the head of an LGBTQ+ Clinic, this professional primarily helps transgender youth in their transition and makes them feel comfortable walking into the doctor's office. Specifically, they meet with transgendered patients to get them the medicine they need to facilitate a smooth transition, as well as works with insurance companies to see what can and cannot be covered. Regarding their education, they received a doctorate degree and felt the need to help the LGBTQ+ community because of the lack of services within hospitals. When starting their clinic, this professional provided services at night so that people felt more comfortable going in. However, as the number of patients grew and trust was built, the clinic now operates around the clock. Altogether, the facility has been in operation for 30 years under this physician.

Accounts from a National Policy Director at an LGBTQ+ Nonprofit:

The primary responsibility of a National Policy Director is handling all of an organization’s federal legislation work regarding the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups. This involves combing through new bills, lobbying, writing public comments, writing letters of recommendation for judicial nominations, and other regulatory work. Regarding this professional’s educational background, they received both their Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in International Relations. With this background, they spent over 20 years working in the international sphere before transitioning to domestic politics. They also have extensive experience serving on different national boards, such as the Victory Fund Board, the Women in International Trade Board, the Board of OutRight Action, and the Board of Council Equality. Ultimately, when asked what advice they would give to someone interested in a similar position, they said that networking and curiosity are the most important skills for working in policy.

Examples of Companies

  • McCormack + Kristel: National provider of executive search consulting services for nonprofit and philanthropic organizations
  • Human Rights Campaign: Strives to end discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and realize a world that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all
  • SMYAL: Advocate for LGBT youth so that they can seize each day and prepare for the future
  • Sam and Devorah Foundation for Transgender Youth: Supporting transgender and non-binary youth by offering safe spaces and programs where they can connect, thrive, and be empowered
  • OutRight Action International: This company works at the international, regional, and national levels to research, document, defend, and advance human rights for LGBTQ people
  • Family Equality: Their mission is to advance legal and lived equality for LGBTQ families
  • Panorama Global: Their mission is to maximize social impact by partnering with visionary leaders to co-develop solutions with audacious thinking and bold action
  • Pride Foundation: Their mission is to fuel transformational movements that advance equity and justice for LGBTQ peoples in all communities across the northeast

LinkedIn Resources

  • LinkedIn Learning Hub: Skill-building platform
  • LinkedIn Career Interests: Let recruiters know you are open to new opportunities even if you are not actively looking,
  • LinkedIn Salary: After a recruiter has spotted you and you need to know your compensation expectations, gives you the going rate for that job in whatever state you apply
  • LinkedIn Pro Finder: After a recruiter has invited you for an interview and you want to refresh your interview skills, you can find top career coaches to coach you on how to have the best interview and what skills are needed most

Resumes

  • Resume Maker: This is a free website that takes you step-by-step on how to make a resume. It starts by asking you how much experience you have for the job you are applying for and if you have ever made a resume before. Once you have answered those questions it shows you templates they recommend you use for your resume. After clicking on the template of your choice you can choose whether to make a new resume or adjust an old one. It will have you fill in all your information to help make creating your resume a little simpler.
  • Sample Resume

Cover Letters

  • My Perfect Cover Letter: Similar to Resume Maker, this is a free website that takes you step-by-step on how to create your cover letter. It provides the same services as Resume Maker, allowing you to choose your format, while also assisting you in wording and adding necessary content to your cover letter.
  • Sample Cover Letter

Interview Etiquette and Tips

  • Kelly’s Do’s and Don’ts: This is a detailed article of things you need to do to prepare for your interview.
  • MyFuture: This article provides useful tips and tricks to get you through an interview. There are different sections to help you focus on things you may struggle with the most.