Impact Tuesdays
The latest from humanitarian and early impact-careers coach, Daniel Higgins
Hey Everyone!
Welcome to your weekly dose of Impact Tuesdays, your go-to roundup for students and recent grads ready to launch a career that matters.
Each edition, I’ll share 4 quick wins, fresh tools, and real-world lessons to help you move from “just thinking about it” to actually building your impact career. Expect practical tips, honest reflections, and a few shortcuts I wish I’d known when I started out.
Coaching News
Career Lessons
Capacity to take on 5 new students from September.
Join the waitlist to stay informed.
Something new with me
Creepin’ public databases for impact startups
I’ve been creeping government databases to check out what kind of impact companies are on the rise.
Denmark, where I live, is an awesome place for this as they give a whole host of information that would think hard to find otherwise!
Try: Virk or opendata.dk
If you are looking to get into the impact sector, then I would not rule out impact driven start ups and businesses.
These are often not even on people’s radars when studying - siding more for the larger EU, UN, INGO etc..
BUT, they offer a great breeding ground for private sector skill development, quick promotion alongside that lovely sense of instability that we come to love in the sector.
So if you have a country where you’d like to work, then check out if they have a business database. Search via thematic and reach out to see if you and your potential company align in values.
P.S. The UN job from last week had 900+ applications.
Something cool for you
Check if the job is real.
I mentioned "ghost jobs" before. Basically, you want to avoid positions where the hiring manager already has a good idea on who will get the role.
Be it a student assistant who will stay on, or someone from their network who has put in their schmoozing hours.
You don’t want to be on the other end of this process, which includes days and weeks wasted on application processes, research and interview prep.
But how can you tell if posted positions are truly competitive?
The most simple and direct way is to ask BEFORE applying. If you get a vague answer, or no answer at all (after a follow up email), then I might do some more digging or just ditch.
Example
Subject: Quick check on [Role Title] - is the search active?
Hi [Name], appreciate your time. Noticed the [Role Title] in [Team/Location] and it’s a strong fit with my experience in [1–2 relevant skills/outcomes]. Before diving into a tailored application, could you confirm:
Has a shortlist been set, or are you still reviewing new candidates this week?
[Ask question related to the job role]
[Include your motivation here]
Thanks for the guidance,
Best,
[Full Name]
[LinkedIn or site]
[Email | Phone]
When to send:
To the hiring manager first; CC the recruiter if listed to keep comms clean.
If unsure who owns the role, message the team lead and a peer on the team, signal you’ve done your homework without spamming.
The caveat to this is that it delays your application if you will go for the job.
SO, I recommend doing this whenever you have a stack of job applications in the pipeline and not sure which ones to apply to!
NOTE: a big part of this is reading between the lines. Try to be smart, talk to team members, CALL people, just go out there and understand the systems you’re playing in!
Something useful you might not know
Protection
Protection is quite the word.
There is some dynamic here between responsibility, power, and fragility. When we associate protection with a mother and child, it comes from a more primal understanding of protecting something that stands dear to us.
But what stands dear to us as a society?
Think of the state and the main functions of the state. Many would say that the primary purpose of the state is to protect.
Rights.
Lives.
Culture.
Infrastructure.
Standards of living.
…
When these protections falter, rights can be abused and the institutional systems that people relied on may no longer work in their favour.
This protection gap can manifest in gender based violence, domestic abuse, modern-day slavery, lack of access to education, diminishing rights, and more.
That’s where protection programming steps in.
Where government systems fall short (or need support) protection programming fills the gap. It’s not just about doing good; it’s about doing good safely, ethically, and inclusively.
Core objectives of protection programming:
Prevent harm: Reduce risks of violence, exploitation, and abuse.
Respond to harm: Provide support and services to survivors.
Promote rights: Ensure people can access justice, services, and participate in decisions affecting them.
Strengthen systems: Build local capacity and institutions to uphold protection standards.
Protection programming is rooted in dignity, accountability, and participation. It’s about ensuring that no one is left behind…not in policy, not in practice.
Interesting?
Then check out the Home | Global Protection Cluster for more info.
Quote from the sector
“Every action, no matter how small, is like drips on a rock - over time, they can carve a canyon through even the thickest, most immovable layer of rock.”
— Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action
Interested in hearing more?
0 comments