We’ve written about quite a few software development jobs, and we feature non-profits every weekend, but rarely do the two overlap. There are a ton of tech based start-ups lately, but for some reason most non-profits tend to shy away from technology (maybe it’s the Bill Gates thing, make a ton of money in tech, then donate it to charities). The Wikimedia Foundation is a great example of a non-profit that is making the world a better place through technology. By facilitating the open exchange of information, they are expanding educational opportunities for people across the world.

Most college students should be familiar with Wikipedia, which is the Wikimedia Foundation’s major “product.” Not only is it a great research tool, but it is also one of the best ways to solve the infantile informational disputes that seem to happen every day in college. It seems like there aren’t too many questions that Wikipedia can’t answer. The amazing thing is that all of the content in Wikipedia, and pretty much all Wikimedia Foundation projects, is provided by volunteer contributors.

One thing that really surprised us about the Wikimedia Foundation is how lean of an organization they are. Wikipedia has become one of the most dominant sites on the Internet, and you’d think it takes a small army to maintain it. In reality, Wikimedia’s staff is quite small, as is their budget.

The Wikimedia Foundation is currently hiring for a Junior-Level Software Development/IT Support position. At the moment, this is the only job opening that appears to be appropriate for new college grads; however, Wikimedia’s job openings page says that there are more Software Developer positions to come (it doesn’t specify if they’ll be entry-level). The Wikimedia Foundation’s jobs page is a little different, since it’s built in the same format as Wikipedia, but we kind of like it. We’re especially fond of the fact that you can subscribe to new job openings at the Wikimedia Foundation through RSS.

So, for all you hackers who want to make the world a better place before you make your millions, keep an eye on the Wikimedia Foundation and their software development jobs.

Note: On April 27th we revisited entry-level jobs at Wikimedia Foundation.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• The Wikimedia Foundation’s Home Page
• Job Openings at the Wikimedia Foundation
• Wikimedia’s Projects
• The Wikimedia Foundation FAQ
• The Wikimedia Foundation’s Current Staff

We’re thinking of creating a job search wiki for college students to share information that they gather during their research on entry-level jobs. Would you use such a wiki? Would you contribute? Should we do it? Tell us in the comments.

We've identified Wikimedia Foundation as having career opportunities in the following categories:

• all employers
• California
• non-profit
• software development

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