₦airaland Forum

eboniest:
Have worked as a volunteer at WHO 2years back, please kindly link me to any available NGO job..

Npower:
Most NGOs have a budget for the stipend of their volunteers, hence, don't just accept volunteers anyhow. There should be something you want to offer as a volunteer and not just to come get the experience.
I was good with computers, so I volunteered to work as a data entry assistant in a state level NGO, while on it, I put eyes in other program areas like M&E, Proposal writing, and guess what, within 6 months, I was made an M&E Officer for one big project like that.
With that experience, I applied for a job in a bigger NGO and got it. From there, I have worked with other bigger international and indigiounous NGOs.
Today, my salary is unimaginable and most of my friends envy me but I have tried to link them to volunteer but after a month or less, they will drop because of the little stipend they get.
They want to earn like me but they don't want to start like me

NigerianMan:
You nailed it.

I started as a corp member. I remember my friends mocked me then that I would work round the clock and been paid stipend while they all served in big companies and organizations. During my NYSC, I gained a lot of experience in my department. though it was a local NGO.

After my NYSC, the ED retained me (All my friends went back to their different states cos they were not retained). I spent some months with the local NGO which I later got an offer with another NGO which pay 4 times what I was collecting. Presently I'm working for an international NGO with a mouth-watering offer that I can't even tell anybody.

People don't really want to start little, they want it big.

Girlbestfriend:
After reading your reply last month, I went ahead to skill up. I'm developing myself interns of digital skill and by the end of this pandemic I will come out a better and developed girl. Thank you very much for putting this out here.

PS: what small NGO'S can I apply for? I really don't care about the pay, I just want experience. Expecially in the area of Digital health/Monitoring and evaluation. I look forward to hearing from you.

Richdee1:
Which digital skill are you learning?


I wanna learn Data entry/analyst

Girlbestfriend:
Data analysis. SQL for data analysis to be precise.
I also learnt how to use Google spreadsheet..

If you're so interested, just Google "Google digital skill Africa" and pick whatever interest you. But some courses are not free__I initially wanted "Data science" I found out I had to pay to acquire that skill(I'm broke) so, I dropped it.

Shalom

Richdee1:
I'm kinda confused!
The goggle spreadsheet you learnt is it with the SQL for Data analysis or you learnt it separately??

Girlbestfriend:
I have always wanted to start little, it was just the opportunity I didn't get. If you have link of any NGO I can learn from. I'm opened please

NigerianMan:
Where is your location?

Npower:
So Oga, for someone who is in Borno state, this is what you call earning big? It's either the person doesn't want to tell you his salary or his is just a temporary staff (consultant). I'm a state Assistant mobilization officer in a south eastern state and that amount you mentioned is for our consultant who work 15 days a month.

Npower:
I understand exactly what you are saying bro but don't make it look like it's only in the Northeast that one can volunteer. There are a lot of NGOs in Abuja, Lagos, in fact every state in Nigeria has no less than 5 international NGOs working in it.
Finally, I won't advise anyone to take up a volunteering role in the northeast. I have a lot of colleagues whom even with 5 million naira per month salary, they won't near north so why would anyone risk his like for a voluntary role?. Remember, life is just ONE ...
So what I'm saying is.. You can begin your volunteering role elsewhere and not necessarily in the northeast.

Girlbestfriend:
Edo___Benin city

Npower:
Most NGOs have a budget for the stipend of their volunteers, hence, don't just accept volunteers anyhow. There should be something you want to offer as a volunteer and not just to come get the experience.
I was good with computers, so I volunteered to work as a data entry assistant in a state level NGO, while on it, I put eyes in other program areas like M&E, Proposal writing, and guess what, within 6 months, I was made an M&E Officer for one big project like that.
With that experience, I applied for a job in a bigger NGO and got it. From there, I have worked with other bigger international and indigiounous NGOs.
Today, my salary is unimaginable and most of my friends envy me but I have tried to link them to volunteer but after a month or less, they will drop because of the little stipend they get.
They want to earn like me but they don't want to start like me

NigerianMan:
If you are in FCT, it would have been easy to share some contacts I have worked with.

Rondybaby:
I am interested in working as a volunteer or an intern and I stay in Abuja, please I would appreciate if you can link me up please,

NigerianMan:
If you are in FCT, it would have been easy to share some contacts I have worked with.

Npower:
Most NGOs have a budget for the stipend of their volunteers, hence, don't just accept volunteers anyhow. There should be something you want to offer as a volunteer and not just to come get the experience.
I was good with computers, so I volunteered to work as a data entry assistant in a state level NGO, while on it, I put eyes in other program areas like M&E, Proposal writing, and guess what, within 6 months, I was made an M&E Officer for one big project like that.
With that experience, I applied for a job in a bigger NGO and got it. From there, I have worked with other bigger international and indigiounous NGOs.
Today, my salary is unimaginable and most of my friends envy me but I have tried to link them to volunteer but after a month or less, they will drop because of the little stipend they get.
They want to earn like me but they don't want to start like me

NigerianMan:
If you are in FCT, it would have been easy to share some contacts I have worked with.

AbdulAkpan:
Lingo Africa, the foremost human capital development platform in Abuja, Nigeria, had the honor of speaking to a head hunter who works in one of the top NGOs in the country and he told us that a lot of the time, human resources personnel go through hundreds if not thousands of resumes from new applicants after they post available positions on online job boards.

This, he says happens on a daily basis. However, he admitted that 99 times out of a hundred, a lot of NGOs fill available positions internally. What this means is that they end up giving the available positions to those who are already working with them in another capacity instead of new applicants.

This made us understand why we have received feedback from a lot of our followers, asking why NGOs never seem to hire them even if they send in applications all year long. That being said, we asked him how new applicants can actually get to work with NGOs as there are so many young, talented professionals who would want to deploy their skills in social development.

He said the only way was to start from the bottom. According to him, there are always available spaces for volunteers, who will work for NGOs, using their skills to offer solutions and at the end of the day, when the same NGO is looking to hire for a less temporary position, the volunteers are usually the first port of call. So, it is advised that new applicants first apply as volunteers to gain entry into NGOs.

He added that a lot of new applicants must realize that jobs at NGOs are only as permanent as the funding they receive. “It is good for people to know that NGOs are executors of projects involving people and situations and roles are only open for as long as the NGOs are able to get funding, it is the reason why grant writers are very important in any NGO because they hold the responsibility of convincing funders to give money to the NGOs, so they can execute projects in communities they have interests in.”

Dear new applicants, if you are interested in working in an NGO, you should try to volunteer for one. Kindly note that experience in volunteering for an NGO varies. Some NGOs will pay a stipend, others will not. It is good, however, that you focus on your goal, which is to ensure that you get a less temporary role within the NGO.

A client of ours landed a volunteer position at an NGO last year. She was reluctant to take it because they weren’t paying a stipend but later did based on our recommendations. After working three times a week for three months for free, she received a job offer and still works there as the project she is working on will run for three years. So, you see, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

The only thing constant when it comes to achieving your set goals is a compromise. What if she had gone ahead to reject the volunteer position? She would have still been on the lookout for an NGO job right now. Please, note that sometimes even after volunteering, the NGO may not offer you a job, but guess what? You have great experience and you can use that to apply for jobs at another NGO.

Say, for instance, you volunteered with the United Nations for a year and you did not get any job. You can apply to other NGOs or INGOs like the Red Cross, Society for Family Health, Action Aid, etc and if they see you have worked with the UN with measurable results, why shouldn’t they hire you?

Yes, internal candidates stand more chance than new applicants, however, the UN is like the holy grail of social development work, anyone will want to hire people who have great work experience from them. Lesson? Do not pass up volunteer jobs, especially from International NGOs!

As usual, relevant links are contained in the Source - https://lingoafrica.com/new-applicants-who-need-ngo-jobs-should-read-this/

Lingo Africa.

Npower:
Most NGOs have a budget for the stipend of their volunteers, hence, don't just accept volunteers anyhow. There should be something you want to offer as a volunteer and not just to come get the experience.
I was good with computers, so I volunteered to work as a data entry assistant in a state level NGO, while on it, I put eyes in other program areas like M&E, Proposal writing, and guess what, within 6 months, I was made an M&E Officer for one big project like that.
With that experience, I applied for a job in a bigger NGO and got it. From there, I have worked with other bigger international and indigiounous NGOs.
Today, my salary is unimaginable and most of my friends envy me but I have tried to link them to volunteer but after a month or less, they will drop because of the little stipend they get.
They want to earn like me but they don't want to start like me

Npower:
Most NGOs have a budget for the stipend of their volunteers, hence, don't just accept volunteers anyhow. There should be something you want to offer as a volunteer and not just to come get the experience.
I was good with computers, so I volunteered to work as a data entry assistant in a state level NGO, while on it, I put eyes in other program areas like M&E, Proposal writing, and guess what, within 6 months, I was made an M&E Officer for one big project like that.
With that experience, I applied for a job in a bigger NGO and got it. From there, I have worked with other bigger international and indigiounous NGOs.
Today, my salary is unimaginable and most of my friends envy me but I have tried to link them to volunteer but after a month or less, they will drop because of the little stipend they get.
They want to earn like me but they don't want to start like me