If you're at the early stages of your career and you're not yet sure the path you want to take but you know you want to help people, you're in the right place. There are so many different ways in which we can have a positive influence through the work we do. So keep reading if you want to learn more about these ways.

Family Social Worker

A family social worker role allows you to work directly with young people and families who are going through challenging situations. It's a job that presents great variety and gives you the opportunity to help people repair damaged situations and relationship breakdowns, supporting everyone involved in the way that's best for them moving forward.

Defense Lawyer

If you have a legal background or it's something you're interested in, entering the field of defense law and helping people who are in need of affordable representation might be the career you're looking for. Lots of people suffer from a lack of adequate legal representation and there are ethical （道德的）lawyers out there who aim to fill that gap for them and provide them with the legal advice and representation they require.

Consultant or Youth Worker

Consulting or youth work is an important field of work, and you can get started on that career path with a degree in consulting. These career paths involve guiding and helping young people who are in need of direct support, and it requires a sympathetic nature and the ability to communicate very well. It's certainly an important and worthwhile line of work to enter.

Dietician or Nutritionist

If you're someone who's interested in health and food, you combine those interests with your desire to help people and pursue a career as a dietician or nutritionist. More and more people are turning to these kinds of specialists in order to live healthier and longer lives. It's a branch of healthcare that's becoming more important and more in demand.

Forget calling the front desk. If you’re a guest at an Affinia hotel, the staff will try to find out what you need just by looking at you.

The Affinia Hotel Collection is improving service in its five hotels in New York City and one each in Chicago and Washington D.C. Everyone from housekeeping to management will communicate with guests based on body language.

A body language expert trained employees on what cues(信号)to look for. A guest who makes eye contact while walking down the hall, for example, may be open to conversation. A businessman frequently touching an ear is probably nervous and may be interested in a therapeutic pillow(理疗枕头).

“So many companies, when they talk about service, they program it to how many rings till you answer the phone,” says John Moser, marketing officer for Affinia. That doesn’t sound very reasonable. Let’s give employees some tools they can use to find out what’s the right way to talk with somebody at a particular time.”

Patti Wood, a body language expert who carried out the Affinia training, says she has never seen such training given to all hotel employees. “All of the training is to make sure every single guest is treated as special,” she says.

Staff questions about a guest’s day won’t disappear, Moser says. But, he says, small talk isn’t always enough to get a reading of a guest’s needs. “You can’t always tell from the first sentence whether someone is happy or unhappy," he says. “Measuring some of the things they’re showing with the way they’re talking to you, can help our employees provide a service that’s more personal for them.”

When it comes to breaking rules during a job search, career coach Angela Copeland encourages jobseekers to think beyond the normal barriers or unspoken rules.

“It’s always been my philosophy that you have to think outside the box. 【小题1】 because then no one is going to know who you are,” says Copeland. The best jobs, she says, go to those who try harder, who are creative and who break the rules in their job search.

Copeland offers four top rules to break while looking for a job.

1. Don’t listen to HR about how to apply.

The standard line is to apply for a job online. Copeland suggests finding other ways to apply, too, whether it is in person, via a headhunter or through a friend inside the company. 【小题2】.

2. Don’t worry if you don’t meet all qualifications.

【小题3】. The hiring manager will be interviewing candidates who don’t have all the qualifications, which often is a wish list for the company. There will be parts of the job description that are optional or that they’re willing to teach you.

3. Don’t worry about bothering people.

Put yourself out there and network with people in your industry. Attend events and reach out to people by email or phone. Out of 10 contacts, you may only have three who respond. 【小题4】.

4. Don’t be afraid of social media.

When applying for jobs, know that potential employers will Google you and look through your social media profiles. 【小题5】. But also use social media to meet new people. Many senior executives manage their own accounts online, and it’s good to engage with them when possible.