Whether you’re delivering much-needed food aid to displaced people or helping rebuild villages in the aftermath of an earthquake, working in humanitarian and disaster relief is valuable and rewarding, but it’s also a tough sector to break into.
“It will take you many, many letters, phone calls, visits and interviews to find someone who wants to give you a foot in the door. Don’t be put off by a series of rejections. In some ways, the determination and thick skin you develop will be great training for the work you’ll do,” writes Nick MacDonald, author of Getting Your First Job in Relief and Development.
It’s also a thriving industry – around 500,000 people in the UK work for charities and NGOs that work overseas – and because the sector is so diverse, there’s no set route to working in the sector.
“There’s a range of jobs. From doctors, nurses, psychologists, midwives to logisticians – we need to provide [aid and relief] for hundreds of people. There’s engineers, architects, finance people, HR people,” explains advocacy manager Hassiba Hadj-Sahraoui. Whatever your field, look for openings at NGOs and see where your skills could fit in with a charity relief effort.
MacDonald agrees that you need to be flexible when looking for your first humanitarian job. “You should take pretty much any job in the field that you are offered and not worry too much about whether it is what you really want to be doing. It’s a fast-moving business, and the chances are you will be able to move on to what you want to do pretty quickly.”
So, if you would like tips on breaking into the humanitarian aid sector, join us on Wednesday 14 September from 1pm–2.30pm BST for a live chat with our expert panel. We’ll be discussing:
- Career options and routes into the sector
- Tips on finding voluntary experience and internships
- Ways to break into the humanitarian or relief sector
- CV, cover letter and job interview advice
The Q&A takes place in the comments section below this article. Taking part is easier than ever: create a free Guardian account or log in using your Twitter or Facebook profile to comment. Alternatively, you can tweet us @GuardianCareers or email your questions to charlotte.seager@theguardian.com who can post them for you.
Panel
Nick Macdonald is a relief and development professional with over 15 years of experience working in conflict and disasters, including the Balkans, South East and Central Asia. He teaches conflict and humanitarianism at the University of Oregon, and runs the website Humanitarian Jobs and is the author of Getting Your First Job in Relief and Development.
Toby Evans is head of liaison in recruiting group for Capita, and commands an Army Reserve training unit in his spare time. Prior to this he worked as a military advisor to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), and as part of the Army recruiting group. He also served as a regular British Army officer for more than eight years.
Katherine Tubb founded volunteer agency 2Way Development, to support thousands of people to gain access to volunteering and career opportunities in international development. Tubb now works as a consultant advising development organisations on designing international volunteering models. She has also worked for development charities in Asia and holds a Master’s in development studies.
Tristan Shirley is a senior consultant for Prospectus, a non-profit recruitment specialist. He works with organisations across the sector, including international development, to source the most relevant and highest-calibre candidates for their posts in the UK and abroad.
Rachel Locke is an adviser for the National Careers Service and provides advice at regional and national careers events. She works to ensure schools and colleges have access to quality careers advice and guidance.
Lydia Fairman is an HR and resourcing specialist, who owns HR and recruitment consultancy, Fairman Consulting. Fairman also offers free CV advice and interview guidance to help job seekers succeed in the UK and internationally.
Looking for a job? Browse Guardian Jobs or sign up to Guardian Careers for the latest job vacancies and career advice
