When leading a vegan lifestyle, it may seem like an unimaginable prospect to work in a career that exemplifies your cruelty-free aspirations.
You may think that there are only a limited number of careers suitable for vegans, however, as the list below demonstrates, there is, in fact, a diverse range of career and job opportunities to bolster your own vegan regime.
The careers listed below are only a small, varied assortment of career options that will improve the happiness in your own life, as well as those around you, including and most importantly, animals.
1. Nutritionist
Image Source: qut.edu.au
As committed, hard-working vegans, we all know what it mentally takes to re-train our eating habits. For most of us, we’ve grown accustomed to the habitual rituals of the food that we have grown up with, and finding the discipline and willpower to overcome these customs can be difficult at the best of times.
The struggle is only intensified by the plethora of consumer propaganda bombarding advertising and media outlets, so a well-educated and dedicated form of support can make the transition to a vegan diet that much easier.
A career in nutrition would be perfect for somebody who loves helping people achieve their goals and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Vegan nutrition is vastly becoming the key practice to deter chronic and carcinogenic diseases, and its power is demonstrated through such studies as The China Study, which is one of the biggest nutritional studies to date.
There is a high need for more vegan nutritionists, in promoting vegan diets, as nutritionists are usually the first expert people turn to for advice before transitioning to a vegan diet.
Unfortunately, too many nutritionists follow outdated and conservative advice, rather than ensuring the wellbeing of their clients.
2. Park Ranger and Conservation
Image Source: lackawanna.edu
Veganism is not just about the individual’s diet and health but also the environment and animal welfare hence those that follow a cruelty-free lifestyle usually have a strong connection to the natural environment.
Conservation is a crucial factor in respecting nature, as well as ensuring protection for native wildlife.
If you are someone that loves the outdoors, and being one with nature than a career as a Park Ranger or one in conservation might just be your dream vegan job.
Park Ranger duties usually include working for federal and state governments in national or state parks ensuring the protection of woodlands, forests, conservatories and other such natural environments.
It is a role that is predominately outdoors where they patrol campgrounds, trails and surrounding areas, the ensure the safety of the native wildlife, as well as any individuals visiting the area.
Park Rangers can also conduct tours and interact with park guests.
3. Eco-tourism
Image Source: quicksilver-cruises.com
If you love the outdoors, but pine for something more adventurous than national parks, then why not try your hand at eco-tourism?
If you are a natural leader and love spending time with new people than this might be the vegan career for you.
Eco-tourism is a form of sustainable tourism that focuses heavily on the awareness of environmental and cultural concerns while growing an appreciation of the natural environment and conservation.
Working in eco-tourism an individual can help inform tourists who are interested in the natural environment how to respect it and act responsibly to protect native wildlife.Some examples of eco-tourism are native safaris, cave exploring, coral and reef expeditions and guided hikes.
4. Animal Rights Lawyer
If you are passionate about the right of animals why no join the front-line and protect them legally?
Legal recognition for both wild and domesticated animals is almost non-existent and therefore there is a high need for more selfless and hardworking individuals to willingly protect the voiceless and defenseless, with the tenacity to go up against the mammoth corporate, industrial and agricultural powerhouses.
An example of what animal rights advocates can achieve was demonstrated in 2015 when the nation of New Zealand passed a law that recognized animals as ‘sentient beings’.
Though for us vegans, it may seem illogical to think that animals weren’t ever sentient beings, legal recognition is important in the fight for animal protection.
As Dr Steve Merchant of the New Zealand Veterinary Association stated at the time,
“Expectations on animal welfare have been rapidly changing, and practices that were once commonplace for pets and farm stock are no longer acceptable or tolerated. The bill brings legislation in line with our nation’s changing attitude on the status of animals in society.”
5. Chef
The more vegan chefs there are in the world, the better!
As an individual’s taste and personal preference is usually the key factor when deciding to transition to a vegan lifestyle, the more chefs there are formulating and cooking delicious vegan meals, the lesser the stigma of vegan food will become.
If you love cooking, have a deep sense of discipline, love working under strict time management and pressure, and love to make people feel pleasure, then a career as a chef would be ideal.
There are already a handful of infamous vegan chefs making their name in the world due to their innovative and ethical cooking, and gain instant recognition and success from their vegan celebrity counterparts, who consume their food, notably Ellen DeGeneres’ personal chef, Roberto Martin and Tal Ronnen of the restaurant Crossroads.
6. Retail
If you love helping people and retail is your passion, why not shape it to a more vegan clientele and spread the message of veganism at a more consumer level.
As the vegan population grows considerably larger and larger within the major capital cities of the world, the demand for exclusively vegan products, shops, and services arises alongside with it.
Currently, though some countless major consumer companies project they are vegetarian, rarely are there many that state they are vegan and most vegan products are either found in health food shops or online, which does not suit everybody.
Why not fill the vegan gap in the market and develop 100% consumer goods?
Though it may seem like a niche market, even non-vegans can purchase vegan products, and benefit from them.
7. Teacher
Why not influence and inspire the next generation of potential vegans?
Now, more than ever before, more and more parents are feeding their children vegan diets for their health, and the stigma of doing so has decreased dramatically over the past few years.
So much so has the image of adopting a vegan lifestyle for your vegan children is that there are now vegan preschools, that instead of feeding their pupils pizza and chicken nuggets, they give them mushroom lasagne and miso soup.
Are vegan schools the next step?
Well, hopefully, one day there will be no need for designated vegan and non-vegan schools as the acceptance of veganism increases, however, why not be part of the generational revolution and promote the benefits of a vegan lifestyle the people who will eventually be a vital influencer in the planet themselves.
8. Writer/Filmmaker
If you have a passion to influence people to transition to a vegan lifestyle but don’t have the patience for education, why not show off your creative skills in a career in writing and filmmaking.
As vegans, we all know the power that such documentaries as Forks over Knives and Earthlings had to push ourselves in making the transition to a vegan lifestyle.
As more and more celebrities are adopting a vegan lifestyle the push for more ethically and animal-advocating productions are welcomed.
Now, Time to Start Your Vegan Job Search
In conclusion, as you can see by the list above, there is a wide and diverse range of career path for vegans, with directions not necessarily thought as the classical cruelty-free route.
There are a plethora of jobs suitable for vegans out in the wider community, however, as we know, almost anything in the world can be transformed into a cruelty-free enterprise, so don’t hold back, release your potential and make the world that little bit more vegan!
How about environmental,health,and safety professionals?