The NGO world is vast and the work varied. Like any job search, you first need to figure out where you want to work through a personal assessment and a survey of the field to allow you to identify the type of work that you want to pursue. Then you need to build the experiences and skills that will help you land the jobs you identify as meeting your interests.
During my career, I have worked for NGOs such as Norwegian refugee council and Lebanese Red Cross, as well as smaller local NGOs that focus on more local issues.
Working directly for NGOs is great experience if you can get it. Unfortunately, NGO work is in high demand.
Working directly for NGOs is great experience if you can get it. Unfortunately, NGO work is in high demand.
So, when you approach an NGO for work, you will need to overcome their doubts over your true motivation for working with them, these organizations tend to place a lot of rules and restrictions on the relationship.
So what we need to get into International NGO?
How to actually secure a job with an NGO is a question that is frequently asked by people considering breaking into the industry. Do I need a degree? Do I need to speak different languages? Do I need to volunteer first? What experience do I need? The truth is that there is no single route of entry into the sector with people from a diverse range of backgrounds, employment history and experience finding employment in not-for-profit organizations.
NGOs operate just like any other business; they have people working in accounting, management, fundraising and operations. Whilst the larger international development organizations, such as UNICEF, OXFAM, NRC and Save the Children, maintain whole departments for marketing, logistics, public relations, business development, human relations, product development, legal and more.
There are tens of thousands of opportunities advertised in NGOs every year, but the first thing you need to do is decide exactly what it is you want to do. What do you want to achieve? What drives you? What change do you want to see in the world? Take time to understand what motivates you and what will give you job satisfaction.
This will help you to significantly narrow down the type of work you want to do and what types of organizations you want to work for. Whether you want to work with refugees, animals, children, disabled people, victims of war, the elderly or any other cause that you can think of, there will be an NGO providing solutions and opportunities.
This will help you to significantly narrow down the type of work you want to do and what types of organizations you want to work for. Whether you want to work with refugees, animals, children, disabled people, victims of war, the elderly or any other cause that you can think of, there will be an NGO providing solutions and opportunities.
Securing a job in an NGO is competitive and just like any other it is your personal qualities, skills, knowledge and experience that will determine whether you can get your foot on that first step of the ladder. Invest in yourself and develop skills that are valuable to the role you want to do and the organization you want to work for.
Look for jobs you might be interested and note what skills or experience they are looking for. You can look at entry-level jobs to get an understanding of the basic requirements but look too at more senior positions to establish an appreciation of what experience and qualities you may need in the future.
Look for jobs you might be interested and note what skills or experience they are looking for. You can look at entry-level jobs to get an understanding of the basic requirements but look too at more senior positions to establish an appreciation of what experience and qualities you may need in the future.
For work in the field on in emergencies there is really no substitute for getting out there in any way that they can. If you can get even basic support work experience in an NGO in a developing country your prospects for securing a job in similar work will be significantly increased. If you’re unable to travel and want to gain experience in your own country you should investigate if you can volunteer within an organization that supports projects in the developing world. You will still be able to learn a great amount and develop knowledge that will set you apart from your rivals.
PERSONAL ASSESSMENT
NGO work may suit you if you are able to affirmatively answer the questions about:
▪ having, or being willing and able to build, international (preferably “local”) work experience
▪ building regional experience or other skills relevant to the NGO work you seek
▪ building language skills
▪ being willing to live with the challenges (tenacity needed to land the job, resource and possibly pay limits, possible emotional toll of some of the work, possible diminished comfort level in your work and living surroundings, and possible safety concerns) of NGO work
▪ building regional experience or other skills relevant to the NGO work you seek
▪ building language skills
▪ being willing to live with the challenges (tenacity needed to land the job, resource and possibly pay limits, possible emotional toll of some of the work, possible diminished comfort level in your work and living surroundings, and possible safety concerns) of NGO work
IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES
There are too many NGOs to list in one book and many more listed within the OPIA jobs database as well as through PSJD. You can also read other books to find out about many other NGOs. There are books that describe what it is like working in different sectors, such as the American Society of International Law’s publication Careers in International Law that contains narratives written by attorneys working on different aspects of international law. Additionally, there are books that list numerous NGOs. You can also use the web. Through websites it is possible to research NGOs as well as current issues in the field. For example, to research the kinds of NGOs in a particular field, the UN website provides information on organizations and trends in NGO work. You can also simply link to these sites from the Bernard Koteen Office of Public Interest Advising (OPIA) website at http://www.law.harvard.edu/current/careers/opia/ and click on Job Resources, then Public Interest Links.
NETWORKING
Most importantly, to learn more about the NGO universe talk to people who are working in the field; Finding NGOs is easy. Discerning among them is more challenging and requires careful research. For general networking tips, see the Networking section of the OPIA website.
With international NGOs, students often conduct much of their research and networking by email. However, please remember that local NGOs, particularly those in the developing world, may not have as reliable internet and email access as U.S. law students. Thus, you may want to follow-up by fax or, better still, with a phone call. Personal contact – in many contexts – is important and sometimes more so in other cultures. Below are two examples of email networking or fax inquiries. As you will see, these notes are short and to the point. Other networking letters are more formal. The students first decided what types of work they wanted to do and where they wanted to be. These emails were sent to people in their fields of interest to whom they were referred either by students, faculty, alumni/ae or other people they found through panels and research about their fields of interest.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Invest in your future by developing professional skills that are relevant and in demand for the role and organization you want to work for. Some of the most valuable skills that can enhance your NGO career prospects are outlined below:
Speak another language: Depending on your role and choice of organization, developing additional language skills could be a significant advantage when applying for jobs at an International NGO. The ability to speak and understand other languages is especially valued, and sometimes demanded, in some development organizations. Knowledge of foreign languages will enable you to communicate with different client groups, government officials, media and personnel that will allow you to work far more effectively. If you want to work for the United Nations for example it is necessary that you are fluent in at least of the organization’s official languages – Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian or Spanish.
Being able to speak a second language is not always critical depending on your role and organization. For example, if you plan as working in accounting within a domestic NGO it may not be especially beneficial at all. But if you want to work for an NGO in the Middle East you are likely going to need at least a good understanding of Arabic. Whilst development organizations that work with grassroots communities often seek individuals to work in the field who are able to converse in indigenous dialects.
Cultural Understanding: Language skills alone would be insufficient for someone keen to take on a career working directly with beneficiaries in an NGO, especially in a foreign country. For this type of career, or any where you are working with different groups of people, it is vital that professionals are able to demonstrate that they are adaptable, able to manage difficult situations and capable of effective conflict resolution. NGO professionals in the field need to be sensitive and able to adapt to different cultural demands and expectations that demand changes in their behavior.
Respect for other cultures and ways of life are expected by almost every NGO but these skills are critical for certain types of development work including emergency relief, rural development, women’s empowerment and others. For some people these qualities come fairly naturally, for others they are a skill that can be developed with the right training, knowledge and experience.
Respect for other cultures and ways of life are expected by almost every NGO but these skills are critical for certain types of development work including emergency relief, rural development, women’s empowerment and others. For some people these qualities come fairly naturally, for others they are a skill that can be developed with the right training, knowledge and experience.
Work experience: Not only does a work experience arrangement provide you with valuable experience that can help you land a job in development, it can also provide valuable insight into what type of work you would like to do within an NGO. Some larger NGOs offer internship opportunities that often pay some costs and enable you to learn the ropes from the inside, work alongside experienced professionals and align yourself with a reputable organization. You can find internship opportunities on most NGOs websites otherwise you can always make contact with them by phone or email to discuss how you might be able to support them.
Volunteering: By far the most common method of gaining suitable experience for work in an NGO is simply by volunteering for one. Even just a few hours a week can make a big impact on you over a short term, helping you to understand your skills and enhance your CV. Volunteers contributes millions of hours a week in work in every country in the world. Many NGOs simply couldn’t survive without the dedicated time and support of a network of volunteers that enable NGOs to do certain work for less and therefore enable more money to be spent on their development work.
NGOs are always looking for volunteers’ eager to learn and who are committed to their work. Many NGO professionals have gotten their first experience and taste for working within an NGO by volunteering. Most organization’s will be able to offer you a choice of different roles and opportunities meaning it is important that you select the opportunity that is going to benefit you the most and is closely related to your future career.
You can discover volunteering opportunities in NGOs around the world using NGOs own websites or some of the listed sites below:
FINDING A JOB
Ultimately, finding a job within an NGO is similar to finding a job in any other industry. After you know the role you want to work in and the field your chosen organization works in it is time to start job hunting. The d best place to look is online whether it is on NGOs own websites or using a dedicated jobs site. There are a number of websites that offer development jobs around the world; a few of the best are listed below.
So to work for International NGO, It doesn’t matter what your experience is, if you have the passion to support people you can find a job in an NGO. As you have to know that earning a living is critical for us to be able to continue doing what we do. But few things are more rewarding than helping the causes we believe in through our work.
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