Landing a Field Job

Getting a Job

One of the difficulties facing people interested in working in some of these disaster regions of the world is in fact finding and getting a job.

The first port of call should be looking at the job lists on reliefweb. This website is produced by the UN OCHA however almost all Non-Government Organizations (NGO's) will use it to advertise their positions vacant. Then of course you can look at the job pages on the various organizations that have projects happening.

What are they looking for?

It goes without saying that experience rules. This is followed of course by appropriate qualifications. Having been a program manager, I was more interested in having people with me that could get the job done knowing the sorts of conditions we would be working under and the environment. I have some colleagues that are not qualified yet I would have no hesitation in engaging them again. Also I worked with some well qualified people yet had expectations of the field situation beyond what was practical. Being able to make the best of the least is an essential requirement.


The Types of jobs out there and what you can expect

First up are the volunteer organizations that field workers for short periods into local NGO's to assist them with matters such as putting together a proposal or setting up a management system to control the funds and program implementation.

These guys work for a basic (and I man basic)stipend that covers their food and perhaps most of their lodging costs but that is the bottom end of the scale. I take my hat of to them, they are the true volunteers. Many even pay their way. I have seen situations where people are taken advantage of however it is a excellent way to get started and gain that first hand experience.

Next would be the International NGO's. Engagement varies depending on the organization. Some of the NGOs have a religious base and it can be a requirement that you maintain some religious affiliation in order to be employed. Others are semi-private concerns that offer differing scale of support depending on their backing.How much they offer by way of remuneration depends on each organization. Some ask for volunteers other will have a scale of pay that might be considered low but they will normally take care of the room and board and all the travel costs etc while you are away. Expect a pay range anywhere between $1000 and $6000 per month.

Next on the pecking order would be the UN and all of its various branches. There are some 29 different UN agencies doing all manner of things around the world. They also have UNV volunteers. It is a great way to start a career with the UN however it takes some application as many people are on their roster. It was where I started with them in 2003 when I was sent out to Kandahar to sort out a bunch of program problems, another story. Generally to work with the UN, tertiary qualifications and some experience are generally required as mostly the role is advisory to governments in nature. Expect to be paid a basic stipend as a UNV although it is enough and up to 12,000 per month for a senior manager position. I think that also depends on what country you are coming from as salaries have regional weightings.

Next up on the pecking order are the commercial organizations who take on donor country contracts to build major infrastructure or even to provide an in-country PX service.

It is private business so salaries can be anything as it is in the outside world, sometimes more.

The Application.

Expect to not hear back if you are not exactly what the organization is looking for.
Prepare a good covering letter and a comprehensive CV. Try to keep the letter to one page and the CV to 3 pages.

A book written and recommended about being an aid worker can be found here although I have not read it my self. http://www.gignos.ch/aidworker/