idealist.org

You should always research the organization you will be working with before making a commitment. The Action Without Borders/Idealist.org staff reviews all site content, but we do not have first-hand experience with the majority of the organizations on our site and cannot vouch for their operations.

• We do remove organizations and their listings when we receive complaints from users. However, we cannot guarantee that every listing on our site is legitimate.
• Please review our Terms of Use for more information.

While it is reasonable for organizations to request information about future employees be cautious about the kind of personal information you release, and to whom. Disclosing the personal identification information in passports, drivers' licenses, national identity cards, and the like can all result in identity theft or scams, and should be handled responsibly.

Be especially careful about sending photographs unless you know exactly what they will be used for. Photographs can be easily manipulated with today's technology and you do not want them ending up in the wrong hands.

If your employment position involves some form of payment (application fee, placement fee, etc.) and you will be performing credit card or bank transactions, make sure you know who will be handling this information and under what terms and conditions.

Before paying for anything, make sure to request a written agreement about what the money is being used for, what the refund policy is, and what kind of a guarantee you will receive by sending money. Although email exchanges are a useful way to get this kind of information, make sure to ask for something more than an agreement established via email. The organization you plan to work with should be able to send you a scanned file, or to fax or mail a copy of some kind of signed agreement.

Please note that processing your visa is primarily a personal responsibility and should usually not require the intervention of your host organization. Be wary of organizations that request personal identification information and/or money to process your visa. Contact a local embassy/consulate for the host country to find out what kind of visa/working papers you will need, rather than going by information provided by your host organization.

Read more...

1. International Job Tips
2. Articles About Working Abroad
3. Country Information
4. Migration and Relocation Issues
5. Getting Ready to Go Abroad
6. Psychosocial.org