Top 5 Reasons You are Not Ready for NGO Jobs
The Australian branch of the NGO World Vision accepts one graduate application out of every 400 they receive. In a tight job market, getting NGO Jobs has become increasingly difficult. You are competing with passionate, committed people from around the world for positions that generally require exceptional skills and abilities.
In that light, here is four reasons that let you know that you aren’t ready for a job with an NGO.
1) Your passion to make a difference is not matched with practical skills.
Every aid agency gets 100s of applications from people who are sincere about wanting to make the world a better place. However, good intentions are rarely an effective substitute for real technical skills. Skills like engineering, medicine and agriculture are going to stand you in better stead than a bucketload of sincerity.
2) You are running away from something
Reports suggest that interviews at the International Red Cross regularly ask candidates “what are you running away from?” It’s important to remember that aid or NGO work should not represent an escape route from personal problems. It might have the updated mystique of the French Foreign Legion, but the serious nature of the problems it tackles requires a full commitment.
3) You look for work in only the most obvious of places
NGO work is intensely competitive. It’s global nature means that amazingly qualified candidates are applying for every position. Major job sites like Reliefweb or DevJobs generate thousands of applications every day (meaning that you will generally need to exceed the required job qualifications in any advertisement) Looking at smaller, less familiar agencies will generally increase your chances ten-fold.
4) You haven’t served your apprenticeship
Most NGO Jobs require some form of experience (you will be surprised at the number of years required for entry level positions) It can often be difficult to achieve these targets because few job opportunities exist for absolute novices. To earn your NGO jobs you need to make sure that you have explored every available other opportunity to gain skills and experiences. This means taking up volunteer positions, doing courses, learning languages and trying to build an arsenal of other practical skills.
Stay tuned for more tips and tricks. In particular watch out for our regular featured NGO jobs!
