Working with an NGO is an attractive
option for people around the world. The
sector has grown significantly over the
past two decades as organisations have
become larger, more sophisticated and
increasingly professionalised. Working
for an NGO provides an opportunity to
make a difference, support others in
need and create positive change in
communities the world over.
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 organisations.

NGOs operate just like any other
business, they have people working in
accounting, management, fundraising
and operations. Whilst the larger
international development organisations,
such as UNICEF, OXFAM 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 thousandsof
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 organisations 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 organisation
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.
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 organisation 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.
Professional Development
Invest in your future by developing
professional skills that are relevant and
in demand for the role and organisation
you want to work for. Some of the most
valuable skills that can enhance your
NGO career propects are outlined below:
Speak another language: Depending on
your role and choice of organisation,
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 organisations.
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 organisation’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 organisation. 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 organisations 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 behaviour.
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 organisation.
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 organisation’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:
United Nations Volunteers
World Wide Helpers
Volunteer Service Overseas
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 organisation 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.

Jobs in NGOs

United Nations Careers
Aid Workers
Idealist
Devex
Relief Web

It doesn’t matter what your experience
is, if you have the passion to support
people you can find a job in an NGO. If
you have any questions feel free to ask
us in the comments section and we’ll get
back to you as soon as we can.


For more detailed information and free guidelines visit: www.youwingrant..com.

lovely.

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Do you have any Abuja link. Volunteering position? Thanks

i stay in lagos, i hv been looking for NGO to work wit, but i couldn't see any. I hv even tried volunteering in red cross but the branch chairman is just playing around, come today come tomorow stuff, please anybody wit an NGO address should let me know, brownemmanuel43@gmail.com

Any abuja link will be appreciated.... . 08153007343

Their pay is awesome if you get a job with them.

Abuja link please.... Ashiruyemi@yahoo.com

Please I need a link for NGO in Port-Harcourt...08066455357 thanks

All this Lagos NGO's is them them. Please if you know any in Lagos, please contact me via email. boboye209@gmail.com. Thank you

NGO has been my first choice since when I started studying Economics as an Undergraduate student, I worked part-time with a Development NGO for 3 years and it was a good time to learn a whole lot about humanitarian work - Somtochukwu Lady-Diana Okoye.