Helders worked as a paralegal for a law firm in Rotterdam from July 1929 until February 1931 Helders worked as a civil servant for the Ministry of Colonial Affairs in Batavia in the Dutch East Indies from February 1931 until April 1936 and as a senior tax collector in Bandung from April 1936 until May 1941 and as chief tax collector in Batavia from May 1941 until March 1942.

Following the end of World War II Helders moved back to the Netherlands and worked as a civil servant for the Ministry of Finance from December 1945 until February 1948 as Deputy Director-General of the department for Legal Affairs from June 1946 until April 1947 and as Director-General of the department for Legal Affairs from April 1947 until February 1948.

After the election of 1956 Helders was appointed as Minister of Colonial Affairs in the Cabinet Drees III, taking office on 16 February 1957.

The Cabinet Drees III fell on 11 December 1958 and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until it was replaced by the caretaker Cabinet Beel II with Helders continuing as Minister of Colonial Affairs, taking office on 22 December 1958.

For his 105th, 106th and 107th birthday the mayor of Wassenaar visited him, and on each occasion he wrote in his blog that he was surprised that Helders was still in such good health and well aware of current affairs.