A career in international development can seem like an unobtainable dream for many ethical job seekers with no overseas work experience. But former journalist Rowena Harding says it’s possible if you be realistic, research and apply the skills you already have. She shares her recent experience of getting a first job in international development 

I worked as a journalist in Australia, where I’m from, for more than 10 years. I always wanted to work in global conflict zones. However, the state of war changed a lot as I was working, so I decided that I should wait until I had more experience before heading to a war zone where journalists weren’t just accidental casualties but prime targets.

Rowena on location as a journalist in Australia

By the time I decided I was experienced enough, I’d also realised that there were other ways I could make a more positive impact on the world’s trouble zones, so I moved into PR and marketing for small charities and later, for my own consultancy.

Subscribing to sites

Still, I knew I wanted to do a volunteer placement and work in overseas development. But just as I had confidence that my skills were at the right level, I found myself burdened with debt, and not in a position to work overseas for two years. My best resource for getting a job was the internet, subscribing to a range of international development websites like BOND, VSO and Red-R.

I attended the various information days held by many non-governmental organisations, like Merlin or GOAL in Ireland. I also paid to attend a course with Red-R called "So you want to be an emergency relief worker?".

Seeking advice

At Red-R I spoke to a human resources manager who suggested that my marketing skills would be useful in international development head offices.

Her words inspired me and on the Monday morning I quit my job and applied for a post as a marketing adviser with Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). Fortunately, in September, I got it!

Thinking ahead

Next, I enrolled on an international development studies module at the Humanitarian Centre in Cambridge. I saw it as a low-cost taster before enrolling onto another course there which will give me a certificate in international development when I graduate in 2009. Then, when my debt is paid off, I’d like to volunteer with VSO.

Working at VSO, and studying at the Humanitarian Centre, has meant I’ve had daily contact with people who have worked in international development in a range of roles. It’s given me, at 31, a good overview of how people get into the sector to begin with.

So, here are my top tips for getting your first job in international development:

1. Get valuable experience
Many people who move from the corporate sector or don’t have specific field experience start with a VSO volunteer placement as it’s an excellent way to take your career skills and put them into practice in a strategic international development environment. There are no standard career paths for working in international development but the experience from working in a volunteer placement like VSO or with agencies like the British Council can be invaluable for immersion into the reality of working in developing countries.

2. Assess carefully
There are many organisations offering “volontourism” opportunities where you have to pay to work overseas. Some of these programmes return little of that money to the communities they claim to benefit. Additionally many travel companies offering volunteering programmes in developing countries cater to the needs of volunteers, rather than the communities they claim to support. Unwisely choosing which organisation to volunteer with may have no impact on your career.

3. Put together an action plan
If things stand in the way of your first job, such as financial, studying or personal commitments, make a plan to keep focussed and motivated during the time it will take to address those commitments. Think about what your training needs might be and how you can enhance these. You could learn a language, study international development or take a course offered by a specialist NGO. Create a new savings plan and bank account to help you fund a potential overseas move or cope with a drop in income or debt repayment. You could undertake local volunteering to expand your experience. Your action plan should include details about what your barriers are, how you plan to address them, how long that will take and what you’re going to start doing about them now.

4. Talk to people
Go to recruitment fairs or events like forum3, which are specific to the sector. Attend lectures and courses and talk to others to find out what skills and experience they have and how you can get it. Talk to aid workers at training courses as well as fellow trainee delegates; people who have travelled or lived in other countries. Useful forums and websites include Bond, Red-R, World Bank and Global Development Briefing.

5. Revise your CV
Think about the skills that will be of value in the kind of work you want to do. Team work, capacity building, staff development, change management, resourcefulness, flexibility, adaptability are all key skills for working in developing countries. Tailor your CV to reflect your achievements in these areas. Highlight any experience of volunteering, travel and languages.

6. Be realistic
You might have a responsible role in your current job but moving sectors can mean starting all over again. Be prepared to take a job that might seem like it’s below you, for example with less line management responsibility; the reality will be that you are no longer the expert! Be prepared to be paid less when you move from the corporate to the third sector, for less pay again for international development jobs and even less (if any) when working overseas! Be honest with yourself about your ability to communicate with people from other cultures and cope with difficult living and working conditions.

Good luck!

BOND
www.bond.org.uk

VSO
www.vso.org.uk

Red-R
www.redr.org.uk

GOAL
www.goal.ie

Humanitarian Centre in Cambridge
www.humanitariancentre.org

British Council
www.britishcouncil.org

forum3
www.forum3.co.uk

World Bank
www.worldbank.org

Global Development Briefing
www.developmentex.com