What Motivates You ?

Making the best when working for the underserved communiuty

It takes a special kind of person to work in a profession that demands you to consistently think about others. Putting the needs of others above your own is the cornerstone of being of service to those in need. When I worked with at-risk youth, I would often ask potential employees why they wanted to work in youth development. Most would say they wanted to give back to the community or they were once an at-risk youth and know how important this work was. But the real question is, were they being truthful?

I often believed that for some the money, which for some was not much, motivated them to apply for the job. For others it was a matter of power when they had no power at home and others really wanted to help the youth. In order to be successful in this industry you have to find something that connects you to the job. 

If supporting your family is your motivation, there is nothing wrong with that, but use that motivation to drive you to do the job well. No one wants to give overtime or special assignments to a person that doesn’t perform well. It will be harder for you to get promoted if you have no interest in learning the job. If your supervisors sense that you do not care about the people you are charged to care for, they will limit the access you have to them because you are a liability.

Use your “motivation”, to set small goals that will get you to the financial place that you desire to be. Take advantage of every training opportunity, volunteer for positions that will make you an asset to the organization. Make sure that the people you are charged to care for, know you care. This doesn’t mean you have to be a bleeding heart and do anything that makes you inauthentic, but give the clients what that deserve, especially if you are working with underserved youth.

Finding what motivates you and using that to keep you propelling forward is key to surviving an industry that can be mentally draining.

Nicole Atchley LLC

If supporting your family is your motivation, use that motivation to drive you to do the job well.

Nicole Atchley