When hiring new staff, organizations evaluate whether or not candidates have the right experience, skills, and personality for the position. Likewise, during a job search, potential employees need to ascertain whether or not the job—and the organization—is in keeping with who they are, what they want to be doing right now, and where they are going professionally. Ideally, this is a process of mutual discernment, at the end of which the candidate and the organization will be in agreement that they are a good fit for each other.
With just about any job, there are basic considerations that you, as a potential employee, need to keep in mind. Does this job help you have a positive impact (however you define that) in the world? Will the work environment be stimulating, meaningful, and enjoyable? How will this position help you grow professionally, personally, spiritually, and otherwise? Are the salary, benefits, and working conditions adequate for your needs?
In the case of a humanitarian, human rights, or other overseas jobs in areas of conflict or poverty, you need to take additional factors into consideration. Do you understand and are you willing to assume the security risks inherent in the assignment? Are you prepared mentally and physically for the stress and potential trauma that you might experience? How will taking this job affect your personal relationships? To what degree will the organization support you in dealing with these issues?
There are many more questions that you should ponder when considering any particular overseas position, whether paid or volunteer. The resources below will help you ask those questions. The idea is not to dissuade you in your search, but instead to assist you in making the most well-informed decision possible.
This free book offers tools, advice, tips, and evaluative exercises to help you hone in on your field of interest and structure your job search. The link above lets you choose from two versions of the book (for sector switchers or first-time job seekers); after selecting a version, you download the entire book or individual chapters as PDFs.
This article aims to provide a list of the "universal essentials" that anyone going on a humanitarian assignment should consider. Thinking through your own preparedness for the issues raised is a useful step when deciding if the job is right for you.
Chapter Seven of this free book focuses on the importance of evaluating organizational culture, and offers tips and advice on how to research the culture of a potential employer. The link above lets you choose from two versions of the book (for sector switchers or first-time job seekers); after selecting a version, you can navigate to Chapter Seven and download it as a PDF.
It is useful to familiarize yourself with the culture, history, policies, and protocols of an organization prior to commencing a project. This list may assist you in orienting yourself to an agency. Also listed are some useful enquiries to make about an organization's policies on stress and trauma prior to going into the field.
This article takes a realistic look at why people want to do relief work, what it takes to do the job, and what type of person the agencies are looking for. Does the applicant have "experience" and what does that mean? Is the applicant resilient and how does one screen for that?
This brief article highlights that disaster workers are a population whose emotional health is especially at risk. A description of these risks is followed by a discussion on the importance of coping and accompanying suggestions for coping mechanisms.
This online resource center is designed to help people make informed decisions about volunteering in another country. Much of the advice will be of use to people exploring paid opportunities abroad, too. This is also a great resource for people considering a career in humanitarian work, since volunteering abroad can serve as an entry point and "test run" for a full-fledged career in the field.
This overview of entry-level work and volunteering abroad (not specific to humanitarian positions) is a great resource for students or recent graduates considering working overseas.
This page in Idealist's Career Center links to groups with information on obtaining work visas in the United States, Europe, and Australia, embassy listings worldwide, as well as general information about working abroad.
This site's "Volunteering Abroad" section provides an overview of the issues to consider when volunteering abroad, from health and mental preparation to finding an opportunity that is right for you.
Another great way to get a sense of whether humanitarian work is right for you is to go on a few informational interviews. Find out more about what an informational interview is and how to get the most out of it in this column by Cathy Wasserman.
Idealist has a number of resource guides (including one on working in human rights) that feature information one might gather in an informational interview.
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