How much money do humanitarians make

Posted: Roslav Date of post: 30.06.2017

This chapter gives an overview of what I think are some of the pros and cons of working in international relief and development. Bear in mind that different agencies and different assignments vary greatly — these are the broad brush strokes.

If you find this site at least as useful as a beer, please consider buying my e-book on Amazon! Getting your first job in relief and development. I count myself very lucky to be able to make a living doing work that is in alignment with my values and the things that I believe in.

It seems to me that a lot of people have made peace with the idea that work is something that is separate from your values, from your passions and from your interests — something that fills the work day and pays the bills, and what you really want to do happens on the weekend and evenings.

I meet many people who express a level of frustration that the jobs they are in are not providing that level of fulfillment and purpose that they want in their lives. Mission driven organizations provide one way to reconcile the two elements of seeking professional fulfillment and paying the bills. Being a humanitarian aid worker is a lifestyle a calling, if you will — not just a job.

There is often no sharp distinction between work and the rest of your life, between your interests and passions and your job description. There is an upside to that work that you feel passionately about, and are not doing simply because you are getting paid to. On a good day, it can be the best job in the world. I cannot imagine anything else being as interesting, challenging, exhilarating, and rewarding as some of the jobs I have had. Plus, every now and again, things go right, and you walk away feeling that, for some people, in some places, the world is a better place because of something you did.

The people I have met in this line of work are among the most wonderful friends and colleagues I can imagine. The bonds that are formed working together in intense situations are very powerful, and friendships formed over even a few days can be long lasting although on occasion this intensity can produce equally high levels of acrimony! Being a part of this community of people who share similar values and aspirations is hard to quantify, but it is definitely a positive aspect of the job.

You will likely have more responsibility and authority earlier in your career than you would have in the corporate world. While this can be a double edged sword, it is possible to be given responsibility for multi-million dollar programs and hundreds of staff with comparatively little experience.

It can be a sink-or-swim situation, but if you swim, people will give you more and more responsibility. I remember vividly arriving in the office of a major NGO in Albania just as millions of refugees were fleeing war in Kosovo, and being put in charge of a major part of the logistics of supplying the food for hundreds of thousands of people.

Living and working in cultures other than your own can be fascinating and very rewarding. It is quite different from tourism, and lets you get to know a society and understand more about it than other types of travel. There are very few other careers that give you such an opportunity to experience a range of different countries than relief and development work.

You will also see things that no one else will see not all of them will be good, mind you, but they will be fascinating, challenging, and sometimes exciting! Furthermore, for most people working in the non-profit world, it is decidedly mediocre compared to careers in the private sector. In emergencies you may occasionally be called on to live in a tent or share a small room with co-workers, more frequently in insecure environments you may live in the same house or compound as colleagues.

You may not have reliable access to the normal amenities of the western world like electricity, hot and cold running water, reliable heat and cooling, and the freedom of movement to explore at your leisure. While aid agencies very rapidly find solutions for providing many of these things to their staff through generators, water purification systems etc the conditions in some postings can be distinctly primitive.

How big a deal this is to you will determine how long you want to spend in some of the more remote and inaccessible locations. Think seriously about how you feel about access to reliable medical care, social life with people from your culture, speciality food and drink, and other creature comforts, and pick your postings accordingly. Bear in mind that, when you are starting out, you have far less choice. The flip side of a values and passion-driven business that is focussed on changing the world is that the employees are often expected to work hard and make personal sacrifices.

This is not to say that organizations themselves are always unreasonably demanding of their staff, but that they often have cultures and work-ethics that are very demanding. You need to make sure that you take personal responsibility for managing your workload and stress levels. Some people want to work in this line of business because they want to help people and feel good about what they are doing.

In places with high levels of need and suffering where resources are insufficient, neither you nor the beneficiaries of your work will likely feel particularly uplifted by the amount you are able to do. You may spend a lot of your time refusing requests because of inadequate resourcing, deal with donors who are unsympathetic, officials who are uncooperative, or combatants who are unwilling to help. While it creates intense bonds between colleagues, the business can place enormous strains on marriages and relationships.

The pace of work, the upheaval of constant and unpredictable travel, separation from loved ones, and other stressors can make stable relationships difficult. Go into it with open eyes, and talk early and often about what is going on.

Against this background, the immediate benefits to be gained from a comforting, supportive sexual relationship may seem to outweigh the long-term costs of dealing with the consequences of such a relationship when returning to normality. Think seriously about the strains that this kind of work will place on your family relationships and friendships — not only will you be away for long periods of time, but your experiences will change you, and may make it more difficult for you to fit back into old relationships.

How would someone with a strong background in systems administration get a job in the humanitarian field? I am 15 years old and would love to be an international aid worker… Would there be anything specific I would need or that would help me when I am taking my A-Levels and further on a degree.

Hi Fran — first of all, good luck with your GCSEs! My main piece of advice would be to study what interests you, but to look for courses that include travel to the developing world. Get your A levels, and then find a degree course that includes travel, or maybe even a year abroad working somewhere in the developing world, use your summer vacations to travel or intern in the field, and network, network, network!

Let us know how you do, Nick. Hi Nick, My name is Aditi and I am looking for work in the UK I do have a work visa. I have been working in rural India for the past two and a half years on improving governance through increasing citizen participation.

I have worked on improving the implementation of some very crucial government schemes in India. Apart from this I have also written a few papers and presented them at national and international conferences. I almost always only get calls for internships and never for paid jobs. And I am very disheartened with this. Can you suggest something and would reading your book help me or you have some other suggestion for me?

One more thing I also did my MSc from the LSE. I am not sure if this is the best way to seek advice on my career. I hope you would not mind! Hello, My names are moses ejenavi,i live in liberia but am a nigerian,during the Ebola epidemic I was involved as an individual helping the sick people with my pickup car carring them from one hospital to the other,I will be very happy if i can be part of the humanitarian group that are saving life in the world, am willing to work you if am opportune with all my heart, Thanks,.

Hi Bill, Thanks for writing — how often I wish I had a little more information — especially where you live. This really affects hiring regulations — since this question is a lot about local labor laws. Now — bear in mind I am not a labor lawyer, and this is not legal advice.

For agencies based in the US, agencies are basically required not to discriminate on the basis of disability or illness, as long as the individual is fit to do the job.

That said, there are some jobs in the field that require a certain level of fitness and health — especially those that are far from medical facilities.

Basically, if your medical condition is controlled, and you are able to perform the job as described, you should be fine. Nick, I am 21 with a 4 year old son. I try to do whatever comes around locally that is avaliable to me. I work with special needs people, I volunteer with Make-A-Wish, and will be spending a few weeks working at an orphanage in India next year. Is there any advice you can possibley offer on ways I can help or a career field that is kid friendly or anything else?

Thanks ever so much! On the career questions, I would say a couple of things — first you mention studying history in school — I presume that means you are studying for a degree? If so I would encourage you to continue to do that, since having a degree these days is a basic requirement. Second, everything else on this site still applies. I would actually break from my normal advice in your case, and encourage you to seek jobs in INGO headquarters, then try to leverage those into field positions.

With a child in tow I think that may be the best bet, but let me ask around and see what the sense is from my friends and colleagues with kids in the field. Hope that helps, Nick. Hi I love biology and science. I would love to become a nurse and go to foreign countries and help out. Would they take nurses? Also how long are you their for about? Hi CJ — Lots of agencies recruit nurses — I would start with Doctors Without Borders, and then check out the other medical agencies including the Red Cross agencies.

You know, I really try hard to be respectful of wherever people are coming from, and not to come across as negative about ideas that people are exploring. Sorry about that, but better that you hear it from me at this stage than someone less sympathetic down the line. So, in no particular order, here are my thoughts: I contains north of 50 countries, with diverse cultures, languages, economic situations and geography.

Angola is not Algeria, Egypt is not Ethiopia, Zambia is not Zimbabwe. I wonder what kind of children you want to work with, in what context, and what professional skills you bring that would not be available locally? Unicef, Save the Children, etc etc. Of course, they tend to want people with extensive experience managing programs for children, and tend to employ local people in their front-line positions, which is the problem this blog is all about.

Please, please, please, I beg you, re-think your plans. Subscribe to National Geographic, and research some places to take your daughter on vacation.

Go there a few times, try to make some friends, build some personal relationships with people you meet, perhaps your daughter can become pen-pals with some children she meets. Try to think of this as a genuine exchange of cultural knowledge. Most people, in most parts of the world, are very interested and welcoming of foreigners who are genuinely interested in learning about their language and culture.

They may or may not want hundreds of second hand stuffed toys, but who knows? Thank you for this honest feedback to the previous comment, Nick! I wish more people in your position would provide such necessary truth in a cooperative, effective manner. This site is wonderful! The highest goal i have been able to set for myself is to become a hum. A pre-question to that lol: I was hoping you could direct me to an agency that would hire someone in my position to work abroad as a humanitarian.

My standards I think would be that I just want to make a difference and not freeze to death. But I would be open to most all opportunities. Hi there — thanks for the feedback — I appreciate it. Might I suggest that you read the rest of the site, which, I think, answers your question? I feel like I should do something meaningful with my life. However, I do have a somewhat diverse background. I am fluent in 3 languages English, Swedish, Urdu. Can you name any specific humanitarian organizations with whom I can gain experience with?

Hi — Thanks for your note. I think I may have misunderstood your question, because I feel like the answers to all of your questions are already on the site, insofar as I can throw and light on them.

Peace Corps is always a good start, CRS has probably the most built out program of fellowships, other organizations including Mercy Corps have good overseas internship programs. Thanks for answering all our questions! So many of us want to know how we can make a difference and contribute to the larger world and yet the responses to our inquiries seem distant and vauge.

Please keep it up. Nick, My name is Zak and I will be graduating with a degree in human biology this winter. I have already been on an abroad trip to the Dominican Republic for public health, and now realize this is what I want to do with my life. I am trying to figure out what kinds of jobs that this qualifies me for within agencies if any, or if there is another focus that would help me get my foot in the door. Thank you for your time, Zak.

The problem is most positions require substantial field experience. You might want to look at it another way — figure out your ideal job, and then work back from there.

And if my business degree with a HR and marketing major is suitable? I really do want to work in development but I plan on using a business degree to get into the company and then move around. Hi Sam — First of all, congratulations on having found something that you really want to do with your life!

The first thing I would do is take a look at http: A lot of organizations doing job creation also emily small business advisors and the like. The other angle that I would explore is the option of becoming a finance professional within the NGO world.

Like any business, INGOs employ bookkeepers, accountants, finance managers etc. Fourth — as you know, the drum I always bang is that your degrees and qualifications will help you later in your career.

NGOs will likely not recruit you out of college without a couple of years of field experience. Fifth — Good luck! Nick Oh, and please consider buying my book! Hi, I am liking what I am reading.

I have looked heavily into peace corps. I am currently an Architecture student but I am quickly realizing that Architecture is not how I want to spend the rest of my life. I am wondering if you have any idea on college programs that would give me the tools in helping people. I was looking into liberal studies to get a broad sense of humanities, ecology, health, and language. However; I am worried that even though this program covers many aspects, it does not get specific enough to actually help people in third world countries.

Good luck, and let me know how you do! Nick always has wonderful advice, so follow his lead. I just want to add, think about what you can offer a company or individual in another county.

If you were them would you want to hire a generalist or someone who could tell you how to grow the best crops, which seeds work well in your area, how to engineer a long lasting latrine, how to upgrade outdated wiring in a building, how to get government funding for a project.

These skills will also expand the choices you have with organizations like the Peace Corps. Without that your only option may be to teach english as a gateway to that international experience. First thing — love the site, exactly what I have been looking for, some good, first hand advice.

And yes, I will be buying your book — but I must be honest and say I have not got round to doing it just yet. Anyway, as you will probably guess, I am looking in to getting a position in humanitarian aid. I am currently 23 years old and i now feel as though I know what I want to do with my future. The reason for my post though is because in one of your comments, you mentioned a degree is now almost a basic requirement. My problem is this — I left school at 18 and was employed on a management course with a financial institution and whilst this has supposidly worked out for me as far as progression etc goes, I am not educated to degree level and i deteste the industry I have found myself in.

I know there are many other barriers that I will need to overcome, such as work experience etc, but are you saying without a degree I wont even be considered?

Get experience living and working in the developing world, volunteering, interning, making a nuisance of yourself. Get yourself know — network like your life depends on it. Hi Nick, I am a yr old undergrad working on my degree in psychology and am learning French and Arabic. I want to eventually work for an NGO in the Middle East and I have a couple of questions. Should I change my major from psych to international studies my college doesnt offer international relations?

If so, in what, counseling or international relations? If I dont need a secondary degree I was planning on joining the peace corps right after undergrad school. Would that count as some type of experience? I plan to get married and have 1 or 2 kids in the future. Will I be able to take them to my work site with me? Hi Erica, First off — please do consider buying my e-book — it really helps me support this site.

A psychologist and a relief worker. All things are possible — I guess it all depends what kind of psychology you plan on doing. There are certainly people who have that background and work in protection or psycho-social assistance, demobilization and reintegration of combatants, working with rehabilitation of victims of war etc, but there are few clinical roles for expatriates in those fields.

Check out organizations like UNICEF, Save the Children, or some of the orgs doing work around child soldiers for some examples. Only you can say. I address this on the site — my advice to most people is not to get a masters until mid-career. Peace Corps is a good idea, but make use of the experience to build your resume and make contacts.

It depends where in the middle east, how long for, and what kind of volunteer work. Broadly, yes, but it depends on who you work for and where the work site is. Most major agencies pay for dependent spouses and children if the environment is suitable. That rules out the obvious places without good security, schooling and health care, but still leaves a lot of positions open. The problem is that competition for accompanied posts is higher, and they generally go to people with a lot of experience.

Really enjoyed browsing your site. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Can you point me in the direction of any agencies who would recruit for construction roles in this arena? Ideals would be rebuilds in earthquake hit locations, war damaged etc etc.

Particularly interested in the DRC, Haiti, Burma, NZ, Bosnia, Japan. Appreciate any guidence you can offer. Hi David, Thanks for the feedback — as always, please do consider buying the ebook or rating it on Amazon — that really helps me a lot!

In terms of opportunities to use your carpentry skills, I think your best bet would be an organization like Habitat for Humanity, which definitely uses volunteers in this capacity. Having said that, a lot of agencies build a lot of things globally every year, and many of them are sorely in need of construction managers who can deal with overseeing design, procurement and contractor management. Let us know how you do! It is my last year of High School in Ohio in the USA. What would be your advice for me in choosing majors and minors and classes for my college education?

My name is Elise. I am currently in my sophomore year of college and was majoring in Special Ed. I have always been very interested in having a humanitarian job though. I never knew how to go about getting started. What major should I look into majoring in? Or what steps should I take to begin the process of starting a career in this feild? Just make sure that you take every chance you get to get overseas, do internships, get work experience in development and in developing countries.

What you do with your time your work experience and location is much, much more important than what classes you take! Good luck, and please consider buying the e-book if you found the site useful!

I am really curious about one part of this reply that you posted. To briefly explain other parts of my background, besides almost having an MPH, I am fluent in Spanish, and did missionary work in Central America for two years, so I have some international experience. I am hoping to work domestically in the U. A , and do international work with the possibility of periodically traveling overseas, especially to Latin America where my Spanish fluency can come in handy. To do this, I am willing to relocate anywhere within the U.

Thank you so much! Hi Jason, Glad you like the site, please do consider buying or rating the ebook on Amazon — that really helps me! She specializes much more in public health questions, and I think would be a better person to advise you on this — her website is here. Let me know if that works out, Nick. My name is Tasnim, and im currently in my Junior year of uni. I already am fluent in both writing and speaking english arabic and french a little chinese… and im looking froward to learning spanish this year….

No one has ever asked me what courses I took, what I majored in, or even to see the certs for the degrees I claim to have. Study what interests you, and pursue those internships and overseas opportunities- they are the things that make the difference!

Good luck, and please buy the e-book! I really want to work in a developing country, and for a while I wanted to study psychology to help people through traumatic experiences. Is there anything in the job market that involves psychology? Hi there Zenny, I promise, as I keep saying, to update this article to reflect my views on this — but my take is pretty much the same as it has been every time this question comes up. Take what you enjoy, and most importantly use the time in college to get experience living and working in the kinds of places where you want to end up living and working.

You are a reinforcer of faith in humanity with your very articulate wise words and knowledge. Perhaps a link at the side with the itinerary would enable easier access to buy your book, which I shall be doing. On a personal note, there was a young lady called Lizzie with a four year old son who contacted you on August 9, 6: You mentioned that you were going to look into it.

I was wondering if you had any more advice on this. I am in a similar situation with a very bright 6 year old daughter and would like to assist wherever I can in the world but ensure that my daughter is not only safe and comfortable but gets an education and has balanced time with me. Naturally, as with the U. K, I understand that I may need the services of a childminder. Ultimately whatever I do needs to have as little impact on her as possible…working in Kosovo is not an option and neither is living in a tent, put it that way.

The kinds of positions that you would need to take to build your resume might well not be suitable. You might have more luck going the route of looking for HQ positions in the UK or elsewhere and working on transitioning to the field or into a job with travel from there. At 45 years old I have realized that it is not too late to live a life dream even if it means starting from scratch. Lack of formal education is possibly the largest setback I have, only completing junior high school.

I have however, worked as associate editor of a national magazine, Ed in Chief of a regional newspaper and am a published author all without formal qualifications.

I was raised in Papua New Guinea, live in Australia and spent a few years living in Indonesia. I have traveled to 25 or so countries, some many times over, and a number of them third world. I do know what it is like to live in bamboo and thatch huts, bathe in freezing cold or salt water and cook over open fire for extended periods. Culture shock is something I dealt with on my first trip to a third world country many years ago, and very little shocks me any more, be it poverty, disease or corruption.

I wish to work with orphans in Zimbabwe, and if possible children with AIDS. I am planning to volunteer with an agency for a month later next year, but in the meantime have decided to further my education and get started on gaining some tangible qualifications. What would you suggest I should study in order to work specifically with orphans in Zimbabwe? And one final question, if I continued to volunteer in Zimbabwe for a month or so per year until my education is completed, would it enhance my chances of securing a full time position with an agency?

Your time is much appreciated. It sounds like your first career has been pretty interesting. While the goal of working with AIDS orphans in Zimbabwe is a laudable one, and not unachievable, I would advise you not to be too picky when looking for your first job, but rather take anything that will give you overseas NGO experience, and then specialize once you have a little direct experience under your belt.

What qualifications you will need will depend on what, precisely, it is you want to do. If you want to work in some therapeutic capacity then you will clearly need some kind of medical qualification, but if you want to work in project management, fundraising, etc, then you may not necessarily need anything formal.

Find someone who has the job you want and sit them down over coffee and get their story and their advice. Consider seriously whether your resume is good enough with your experience, and whether you even need a formal qualification. At your stage in your career it may be possible to pivot without a degree — talk to agencies on the ground and get their advice.

Good luck — let us know how it goes! Hey there Nick, thought I would pop in again and let you know how all is going. I decided that the best thing to do would be to at least get a few credentials, so started college this month getting my community services certification 1 year full time, and diploma 1 year part time next year. I managed to convince my coordinator to allow me to volunteer overseas to gain the necessary work placement credits I need this year.

Will let you know how it all goes with my first voluntary placement later in the year. Hi Kelly — great to hear from you — congratulations — it sounds like things are going really well!

Dear Nick, I am a Nepalese Army officer and I am 27 years old now. I am serving in nepalese army since and currently my rank is captain. Within my service period i got a chance to take park as a peacekeepers in the UN DRC in Now I think to change my job and work in the UN nations.

Working in the United Nations is my dream job. Would be thankful if you give me some ideas. My name is Grace. Hi Grace, Thanks for writing. I was wondering what degrees are required to do this, as well as some organizations that have jobs like this.

Hi there Mariel, Thanks for commenting — if you find this blog useful, please do consider buying the ebook on Amazon, or at least reviewing and rating it — that really helps me to cover the costs of this site. As to your question, there are a huge variety of roles in bringing medical aid to countries in need, and a wide range of organizations working in those sectors.

I suggest the InterAction member directory as a good place to begin your research http: I am planning to do a week volunteer experience in Africa, ideally working as a nurse. This would be an experience i would be paying for and there are lots of companies out there who organise such experiences.

Secondly, do you have any recommendations or advice when choosing which company to organise such an experience with? Thanks in advance for your time,. While this might well be positive for you, and potentially a good way to check the area and field out, I would advise you use a lot of caution and due-dilligence when researching a group to go with.

Talk to people who have been with them — while some of these firms are legit, some are pretty shady! Hi Nick, By writing this reply, I have obviously read your page, which by the way is very resourcefull and spurred me on to buy your e-book. As I, like others replying on your page, also wants to persue a career in humanitarian aid. Anyway , I am trying for 3 years now to find a way in how to get a relief job. Will give your book a go , if not , I will pop a question or two … what ever the consiquences.

Dear Lida, Glad you found the page useful, and saddened that you are scared to ask a question. Sometimes the internet is a funny thing, and text responses can be open to interpretation with very little context. I do confess to having a somewhat overdeveloped sense of sarcasm, which can occasionally get the better of me, but I do hope that you and others understand that my primary goal here is to give people frank and honest information that I wish had been available to me when I was trying to break into this line of work.

I do hope that you feel able to ask anything that you want to, Yours, Nick. I am looking into what paths I may take to get into humanitarian aid and development work. I am 25 and hold a three year diploma in business administration with a focus in international trade. I was interested in this field but could never really picture myself pursuing a career in it. I have been employed with a reforestation company in Canada for the past 5 years where I act as a crew foreman.

This has given me experience working in very remote areas living in work camps with only basic daily necessities. I am responsible for the recruitment and management of seasonal employees who replant deforested areas. The job requires frequent problem solving in a fast pace and stressful environment in which I thrive. I am constantly away from home in sometimes horrible environmental conditions. I enjoy the challenges of the job, however need a sense of purpose in what I do and think I may find something in this field that will coincide with my values.

I have traveled through numerous developing countries in South America and South East Asia without any volunteer experience that would hold any real weight on a resume. I have always been interested in international affairs and cultures but have never really been able to find a specific way in which I could turn these passions into a career. I keep focusing on the fact that you generally need some type of specific profession to offer in order to obtain a job.

While there are certainly a lot of jobs out there that require specific skills, a lot of relief work in particular has to do with getting things done in tough environments.

The second is to try to get some experience volunteering overseas, while searching for work at the same time. I honestly think that this is going to be easier, although you need to be very careful that you do your homework.

Good luck, let us know how it goes, Nick. Could you do anything about that? Mariama, First of — thanks so much for you kind words. OK — the ebook situation — first off — unfortunately it is only available in kindle format, but luckily there are free kindle reader apps for the ipad and most other tablets.

Buying the ebook is a way for people who like the site to help me offset some of the costs of maintaining it, which I appreciate a lot! Hope you might be inclined to rate or review it on Amazon, sorry not to have better news, Nick. I am currently a junior at my college studying Global Studies with a track on Developmental, Environmental, and Public Health work.

I can speak both French and German, not fluently, but I can speak well enough to hold a conversation. I am currently also interning at the Department of Human Resources, Emergency Operations in Baltimore City. So far I have traveled to several places including Germany, Canada, Austria, Canada, Jamaica, Ireland, the Carribeans, and Thailand the only third-world country.

I am not sure exactly what I want to when I am done with school but so far I feel like I have a calling to do humanitarian work, or something with the environment. I also have a passion for traveling preferably to sites of indigenous populations, or third-world countries , and that is something I am set on doing. Having that said, what do you think some of my next steps are besides finishing school? What would you advise me to do or look into?

This is a concern, because I would like to volunteer in a third-worrld country, and that may be difficult having a digestive disorder and a supressed immune system.

Erika — thanks for writing — please do consider buying or rating the eBook on Amazon — it really helps me offset the cost of running this site! You need to get out there, do internships, volunteer, and figure out whether this is the kind of work you want to do. Secondly — you have a medical question, which, I am afraid I am not qualified to answer. Having said that, I have known many people with different sometimes serious medical conditions who work in the relief and development field, sometimes in surprisingly remote conditions.

Only you, with advice from your doctor and some common sense, can make the decision about whether your medical condition disqualifies you from any given job. My name is Abby from the Philippines. I have a Bachelors Degree in Nursing and a Masters Degree in Global Development and Social Justice. Currently I am working as a University instructor but I want to change career and work in the field of development.

I tried researching about NGOs in the Philippines but most of them require several years of experience. Is my 4-year volunteer experience enough?

Can you give me advice about the next step that I should take? Thank you so much. Hi Abby — Thanks for writing — please do consider buying the ebook if this site is useful to you, or at least rating it on Amazon! That really helps me offset the costs of maintaining the site.

Network, get yourself known, and build relationships in those organizations. Perhaps you can jot me a note with a little more information, Good luck! I apreciate your help bc i am completely green about this topic.

I hve alot to offer ad i want to give but I know my needs and I would not be able to tolerat the conditions you describe above-location matters to me as healthwise tugh i am extremely fit I do not tolerate extreme heat well nor rusti accomoations, I am more of a lotus than a tough shrub: Hi Tatiana, thanks for your comment.

Please do consider rating or buying the ebook on Amazon if this blog has saved you from an inappropriate career choice! My name is Grace and I am a senior in high school trying to figure out what to major in so I can have a stable career in some sort of humanitarian work; whether it be international or within the states. What is your take? Do you think a bachelors degree in something like sociology or cross-cultural studies is a solid foundation for a humanitarian aid career?

Also, I want to say thank you for taking the time to get the information out. Reading over some of your pages have helped me out a lot with questions I was having a hard time finding answers to. I feel even more compelled to pursue this type of work. As to the topic, I think the specific matter much less than getting out to the kinds of places you want to live and work. Please do jot me a note and let me know if I missed something in your question, Let us know how you do!

I am definitely planning to get experience in college and after I graduate, maybe something like the Peace Corps. I am a case worker at a non profit in Austin, Texas. I am looking to shift into a career where I can both travel and make enough to pay off my absurd amount of student loan debt.

I studied abroad in Spain and would love to go back. Do you have any advice? My first thought is that it may not. Hi Nick, you seem really dedicated with replying to all these posts!

I have a masters in architecture, I did an internship with an international cooperation in Asia, and now at an EU institution. I am trying to find out what would be more useful to specialize in, but the answers are not very obvious. I would prefer to work in a governmental sector or some kind of consultancy where I think the conditions are less tough than in the NGOs.

Urban planning, water engineering, emergency management, climate change, environmental or energy field…. Nina, Thanks for your comment. Just a little statistic for you — this site got about 10, page views last month, and the associated ebook on Amazon has 6 reviews… Just saying — you might like to make that 7 for me… Anyway — your question. You know, my advice is pretty much always the same… Get out there, spend some time volunteering or interning with the kinds of organizations you want to get a job with, and hang out with the kinds of people who are doing the jobs you want to have in the future.

Most of us in the line of work who are not technical specialists and even some who are spend most of their time in the field trying to get things done in tough environments. The skill set that is most in demand is to be able to solve tough problems under pressure in resource scarce environments. I think architecture sets you up well for that, but would encourage you to go out and get your boots dirty before you consider another degree.

So far I have taken all the possible development modules… do you think this is enough to get a placement in some kind of development related organization in my third year? Any other tips on what I should do at university to improve my chances at this? Veera, Thanks for your comment.

If you find this blog helpful please do buy the ebook on Amazon, or at least leave a review and rating! When I research possible organizations it seems you can only apply if you have a degree. Hi there Erika — first off — please do buy my ebook on Amazon — or at least review it!

That really helps me to offset the costs of running this site! OK — working without a degree is not impossible — I know people who have worked their way up by demonstrating their use and ability. It is tough these days though — an undergraduate degree for most people is the bare minimum, a lot of people have graduate degrees, and relief and development is becoming a more technical and structured field.

Being only 18 is not an absolute impediment, but to be honest, I think the question is what skills do you bring to the table? Good luck — let us know how you do! Heyyy nick That was amazing post , it has really helped get good idea of aid worker i am very grateful. My education for becoming an aid worker is doing business course for two years then going to university to do international development.

After reading loads of great information on both your blog as well as the comments and reponses left on your page I am certainly purchasing your ebook! I was wondering if you could help me futher my chances of working for and NGO like Unicef or similar to it. I am a rising Junior in Maryland, double majoring in either political science or public policy still deciding between the two, any suggestions?

I learned that experience and knowing various languages are very useful in this field of work so ive studied French and chinese and am fluent in Spanish thanks to my Argentinan and Bolivian parents!

In terms of experience, my freshhman year of college I spent 5 months interning with Save the Children in Ethiopia and realized that developmental work was most definetly my life dream job. Since then, ive volunteered in Costa rica 1 month and am currently interning once again with Save the children in Bolivia for 2 months. Do you have any advice to further my chances of working in this field?

I would love to work as a regional or country director for Save or Unicef. Also, what are my chances of finding a job or at least a paying internship right out of college? Thank you so much for your dedication. Thanks Diana, I appreciate the feedback — it really helps me help defray the costs of this site when people buy the ebook, and review it on Amazon — so thanks for that!

OK — your questions: French is awesome for West Africa. The only thing I would say about Chinese and Spanish is that there are not that many expat jobs in the aid world in China, or, increasingly, in the Latin American world. Good luck, tell us how you do! I know you continuously say that degrees do not really matter as much. Does one really suit my dream of traveling abroad better? And in terms of language, right now I know German and French.

And, would love to pick up Spanish. Out of the 3 is there a specific language that would be of more use? But, whatever — you asked me to pick, so I pick International Studies. OK — so — you speak German and French — well- French is by far the most useful of the two if you want to work in West Africa, Spanish if you want to work in Latin America although there are not many jobs for Gringos there these days.

Arabic certainly puts you in the running for a lot of challenging jobs — that would be my pick! Firstly, many thanks for the blog and the book which I will definitely be purchasing. Whilst I was studying and living abroad Chin and Japan I volunteered for a number of organisations in Tokyo and London, mainly working on refugees advocacy, advice and guidance as well as some fundraising and outreach projects.

Due to lack of funds mainly after many, many, many unpaid internships and voluntary internships , I never managed to actually volunteer in a developing country so I have no first-hand experience of working on development projects.

Any advice you could give would be much appreciated. Thanks for the feedback Ellen, and thanks for buying the e-book — it really helps me cover the costs of running this site. OK — to your question: What this will do however is give you the opportunity to make connections and meet people.

You can build a network of relationships of people who have seen your work and will vouch for you as reliable and able to get things done.

Make sure you tack some days on to your Zim experience to hang out in the capital and network with ngo and donor representatives, hand out your resume. Better yet, plan to stay an extra months and volunteer there, make yourself useful and look for work.

Good luck — do let us know how it goes! Thank you for the advice its been very helpful. My name is nobu, a student studying development studies and minoring in psychology in zambia. I would love to travel and be exposed to new cultures in which ever field I am going to do and I highly doubt that an office job would give me such an oppourtunity. I was considering studying food and relief aid but after reading your blog, I am not quite sure if I can withstand the intense conditions of the job.

Secondly, for my psychology minor, I thought health or child psychology. Which one of the two, do you think would be a useful minor with my development studies degree? Thirdly would I be able to work abroad or my course only limits me to Africa? One other thing does not having a second international language work against you when looking for a job?

Is it cardinal that I learn another language? Of the main languages, how do I know which language would be of best help? Thanks for the feedback Nobu. Which one you learn is going to depend on where you want to work. Good luck, let us know how you do! What degree would you suggest would enable me to get into this?

Hi Nick, I have to say fair play to you for giving the attention and reply to the comments left on your site. Your book would be something I would be interested in purchasing after recently purchasing a book looking into the UN organisation.

Ideally I would like to be Working as a Field Officer abroad in a development context,possibly with the UN who have UNV internships funded by the Irish Aid opening soon.

My downfall is the lack of experience I have abroad. Money obviously being a big factor in that, and I dont really like the concept of fundraising money, other than if solely for the organisation and not for your own expense. I have nearly 3 years experience volunteering in local homeless shelter, which I would consider the humanitarian sector, would this be beneficial to me?

Sorry for it ending up being a long winded comment, currently in process of applying for internships and any help would be brilliant if you could. What type of diploma will I need? Hi Ruth, Thanks for writing. But I have a question for you too. I know I want to be hands-on and work for an organisation as a nurse, but I wonder how that fits into a series of organisations where paid work seems so focused on administration and project management and co-ordination.

So I guess my question would be are there jobs for nurses rather than doctors? Where are they and how do I get my hands on them! I am still in high school and plan on dedicating my life to helping the world whether it be environmental or humanitarian, I love marine biology but I also love bio-medical engineering and psychology… I have been on humanitarian missions to Ghana, marine conservation expeditions, I am a volunteer with green peace and a local anti-bullying campaign.

My problem is I LOVE THEM ALL, I thought that by participating in all of these id find the one that calls my name, but I love all of them. Any advice on what to study or how to figure out which one to dedicate myself to? Hi there Yaya, You have a great problem! My question is where do I go from here? Would a graduate degree be the best thing for me as far as applying with different relief programs or are they mostly looking for experience?

Any help would be great! While you may not have money for travel right now, I think getting experience living and working overseas is vital to a career in this line of work. There are various ways you might get that, not all of which require you fund travel. Great article, thank you for the information. I have looked at your book on Amazon, however unfortunately I do not have a Kindle.

how much money do humanitarians make

I just wondered if you could give me a little advice. I do not have any spare money to travel places and all I have is my BSc in Medical Science. In your opinion, would there be any opportunities for me to pursue in this field?

Hi Nick…I have so many questions about how I could help people around the world going through all sorts of difficulties but that will be for another day…today,let me just say…you are doing an amazing job! Thank you, for being human in character. I would like to start almost immediately. I only have limited experience in the US. But, I believe my drive will make up for that. I have been doing research but I just want to get started I think the best way to do something like this is just to do it, after a fair amount of research of course.

Hope this comment reaches somebody. Hello Nick, Im Nigerian, live in nigeria and I studied communication in uni so right afterwards, I got a job at a tv station. Anyway, I check online for ngo jobs all the time, i think im even obsessing sometimes but they all require some ngo experience and basically no entry level position. Its not Your country where there are programs you can volunteer for, they always seem to need qualified candidates all the time.

Now for someone like me, it becomes a problem mainly because the nigerian system is not well structured. Please I need your advise. I really want to work for an Ngo but all the openings never seem to match my qualification and sometimes I apply anyway but they never reply.

Im thinking of getting a masters degree as soon as i can afford it so please, How else can I get in? I am a Cameroonian presently in Korea on studies. Before living my country for further studies,I have been working with local N G Os. I just won the US lottery so I plan to stop my P H D program and relocate to US. Would it be easy for me to find a relief job there with my MA in N G O studies? Accept my best regards, Walters.

As an african it kind of amuses me to see the. I want to go to the worst of the worst places and do humanitarian work. Thanks Nick, Where can I find this post at? Also, sorry for being so upfront. I volunteer here in my home town, but whenever I try to go abroad I get turned down. Got to be rich. Seth, The field is very competitive, perhaps especially at the entry level. Your comments on class privilege are not unusual — unpaid internships and volunteer positions are very common ways of getting a break, and people with more financial security are definitely better able to do that.

Hi Nick, Do you have any ideas about how a musician might get into humanitarian aid work in Southern Africa?

Or how a musician living in the US might prepare himself to become a good candidate for this kind of work? There is a good chance that I will be moving to South Africa in a couple of years to pursue an advanced degree and my partner, a successful musician with no college degree, will be coming with me. He is interested in getting into aid work, but a degree is a prerequisite for most organizations we have researched thus far.

Should he think about finishing school as he has a couple of years worth of community college credits under his belt , at the very least, or can he bulk up his experience with extensive volunteer work prior to our departure?

I loved reading your article! My name is Jennifer and I have a dual degree in Psychology and Religious Studies. I have lived in South Korea teaching ESL for three years and was able to volunteer in an orphanage there and I am currently volunteering with the Red Cross in Arizona. I have always wanted to do humanitarian work and make it a career, not just something I volunteer for from time to time.

I am currently looking for employment; what advice to you have for me? Hi Nick, for a long time I wanted to be a pilot but after a year of studying in business and environmental management at university I have changed my mind. I would like to work in international development so to focus on the area of development more I am changing to a bachelor of Social Science majoring in development this year.

Just wondering if you have any ideas or links I could have a look at? Hi there Bianca, did you read the post on this on the site? Take a look, and let me know if you have a follow-up question — thanks! Very soon i will be an enrolled nurse, is this a good attribute to have to be hired in international aid work??

Also, do i have to start in volunteer work before i can move to a paid position? Hi there Samantha, I need to get something up about medical specific opportunities, but essentially yes, nurses are in demand for international postings — you might want to check out MSF, ICRC, and IMC as starting points. You may have to volunteer, but there are certainly paid positions available. Check out REDR as well. I am just about to finish a 3 year International Relations BSc degree.

I am very interested in working in NGOs in the field. I have volunteered in Zambia and Tanzania, each for a month at a time over previous summers, and would love to become a humanitarian worker.

Before applying for these jobs I want to boost my criteria in order to have a greater chance in being accepted, perhaps with a year out to work on this. What would you suggest I do now in order to give myself the best chance? Hi there Rich — this site is sort of my accumulated advice on this topic — the most important thing is to get field experience under your belt!

Can you kindly find me one to work with during my part time. Hi, my name is Emma and I am a sophomore in high school. I love traveling, meeting new people, doing community service, working with kids, and well i came across international aid workers and seems very intriguing.

Hi Emma — thanks for your question — did you read the site? Perhaps you have a more specific question for me! Ok, ok, I will buy your book and i will rate it; Safe. I was on a diatribe and was rudely cut by my phone and a wrong button. I was trying to say that as my son gets older I can go where I have actually wanted to for a long time.

Help me out in the right way to apply and add myself to the skill set I know I can bring. I am bilingual English Spanish 26yo male from Spain currently living in Colombia. I really want to find a job on humanitarian aid, Any suggestions? Many thanks, great website. Thanks for the work you put in for this site, the information is great! I have become increasingly interested in humanitarian aid work since I left the army back in During that time I deployed for 15 months and learned well what it means to live in austere environments, while I also saw first hand how hard people in third world nations can have it and how much they often suffer.

Recently, I completed a Masters in Economics and I have begun to look around for opportunities in the aid world. However, my wife has epilepsy and I am afraid that will be a no-go for us. Can you shed any light on working in the aid sector when you have family members with disabilities?

Furthermore, we do not have children and would be interested to find work together.

how much money do humanitarians make

Certainly some environments would be ruled out for her, but in general is their aid work and organizations that will work with her epilepsy so ensure she had access to her medication?

Finally, if I alone find work, is it common for these organizations to provide decent medical coverage for the family? Hi Jonathan, Thanks for the feedback! So — first off, epilepsy is not necessarily a problem for finding work. People are often on medication, be it anti-malarials, heart medication etc, most organizations are set up to be able to deal with this kind of thing. Secondly — dependent spouses — this depends very much on the job is it relatively senior and in a place where dependents are acceptable from a security perspective , and the agency.

Most of the larger US and European agencies provide for dependents in many cases, but you need to check on an agency-by-agency and job-posting by job-posting basis. As an example, the benefits offered by Mercy Corps here give an example of what a mid-to-large size US organization offers expatriates.

Nick, I completed Master degree: Currently I work in regasification plant at construction site as a civil engineer. I would like to connect my future to humanitarian engineering. My dream is to take a part in projects which main purpose is to improve life quality of people who have been struck by disaster or misfortune.

Currently I search on line articles, website where I can learn more about humanitarian engineering. At the beginning I am planning start as a volunteer and step by step get to know new environment.

Due to fact that I do not have any experience in humanitarian engineering I can face difficulties in finding a job. I hope my involvement and determination will help me to fulfill my dreams. I would be grateful for any advice in following subject. Where I should search advertisement? Thank you in advance for help,. Hi Kinga, Thanks for your comment. That said, I do hope you find this site which is my distilled advice for people wanting to get into the field helpful, and if you have specific questions please do post them!

Good luck with your search, Thanks, Nick. I am a public highschool teacher for 11 years and a community organizer since college…I find it limiting my true passion to just work in the classroom…will you help me find a meaningful career that could satisfy both my teaching and social inclination? I am in my senior year of high school, about 3 months away from graduation, and I am interested in doing some relief and development work for a few years while I decide what degree to peruse.

I am not too concerned about money, though a small pay would be helpful for saving for school, etc. Do you have any advice where I should start? Hi there Kate — as a matter of fact, I do! Hi there — did you read the two pages on this in the site? If so could you try rephrasing the question? Should the time come that I decide to change my major, what kind of direction and classes should I take?

I was told to study some language classes as well as some humanitarian type classes and work my way into volunteering for organizations like the Peace Corps just to build my background before turning it into a career. Hi Nick I have a degree in civil engineering but have a heart and compassion to serve people and help people, I have excellent interpersonal skills and have done mission work for many many years. How do I get a job in humanitarian aid, please advice.

Hi I am trying to figure out about opportunities in relief and development. I am 33 years old and I am single and with no kids. I am always looking into helping others and I want to devoted my life into assisting others around the world.

So I need some assistance in how I can do this and accomplish my goal. Anyone that might know how I can turn my dream into reality please contact me at MIa yahoo. Had read how much you helped so many people on here through the blog etc and would like to ask if you would mind me picking your brains?. I am looking to move into humanitarian work within the medical sector but also for paid work, as it still have a mortgage and bills to pay.

My experience is within anaesthetics, in a surgical environment, and although not a Dr I work very closely alongside them, working with children and adults requiring all kinds of surgical intervention. I have also 8. I would look initially at MSF, Medical Teams International, MERLIN Save the Children , IMC and other agencies that are engaged in primary medical work.

I am heading back to school this fall for an International Development degree and am weighing the organizations in where I want to complete my internship. I am still on the fence about pursuing a strictly aid-related career, but working in the UN or USAID are appealing to me as well. Thanks for any advice. Hi there — thanks for the question!

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In terms of salary and other factors I really like http: Awesome, thanks so much Nick. Really great blog BTW, I think this will be my bible for the next 2 years. Glad you like it! Please consider rating and reviewing my ebook on Amazon!

I always wanted to be an environmentalist or social worker. I want to work at UN org. You should bear in mind however, that the UN is highly competitive and appointments are often political.

I live in Canada and am searching high and low for international aid relief work within my country. It is a task that I thought would be somewhat easy, the search that is.

HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOUTUBERS MAKE

Can you recommend some Canadian organizations who hire international aid workers to work at home but also called to perform duties abroad? This is my goal and I am confident I will find what I want, I need direction. A quick internet search should pull up the largest. I would check out humanitariancoalition. I suspect that your question is about getting a job that is based in Canada and has stints abroad? After working with pharmaceutical company for five years while working with New Product Developments and undertaking microbial, sterilization validation, and biocompatibility testing of new products as required.

I asked my self. The small town Beled Hawa I visited does not have access to basic human necessities, clean water, medicine, and e. I am willing to work for free to help those people. Should I look for Humanitarian work? Hi Jamal, Thanks for your comment.

Since you were recently there I would be fascinated to hear your impressions. That said, I agree that it is a country that seems beset with development issues. As to what you should do, I would start by trying to really understand what is at the heart of the issues you care most about, and then work backward from there. Are you trying to address the situation country-wide, or is your focus on this particular town? Are you concerned simply about availability of basic amenities, or do you have broader interests?

Defining your personal goals should help you clarify exactly what it is that you can contribute that will be of most value. I am close to being done my undergraduate degree in geography with an environmental speciality. I am very much interested in development and just recently went to Uganda on an exchange and completed two classes at the University there and an unpaid internship with a library NGO promoting literacy and working closely with the education system there.

I am considering doing a minor in international studies but do not know how useful this would be. I really want to gain more hands on experience and pursue my dream job. If anyone has any tips or advice please share them: Thank you so much for your time!

Hi Alison — did you get a chance to read the page on this? I have been participating in many charity and social work. My question is besides doctor or being in a medicine field is there any possible careers that can be useful for humanitarian aid?

Second is being born in Malaysia, I only know a handful of language which are English, Malaysian Language which is very similar to Indonesian language , Tamil and Chinese.

Are these helpful and what other languages is more benefiting for humanitarian aid? Third is does a major in sociology and psychology helpful in humanitarian aid? Fourth is that I would really love to help put the Middle East with the current crisis happening there however I also have interest in helping out in Africa East Africa to be specific so my question is whether should I get involved in both and be fully committed to one?

Hi there Aishnawy — did you get a chance to read over the site? And yes thank you. Thanks for the push-back — I get a lot of very similar questions and do appreciate the clarification. There are certainly medical staff in mainly medical organizations, but there are also IT professionals, HR staff, recruiters, administrators, logisticians, and, perhaps most prevalent, managers.

Hope that helps somewhat — and thanks for writing back! What you doing is such a big favor.. Please, Nick I need some clarifications if possible!! I started working at an International NGO [War Child Holland] as an administrative assistant for the educational part in Lebanon.. I have a BS in auditing and accounting which is totally different than what am working in..

Hi Salim — did you read this page? I started studying psychology to more so understand how and why people in general and people from different cultures, genders, etc behave and what motivates their actions. I was originally in school for Pre- Veterinary. I was interested in wildlife rehabilitation, mainly in South Africa and other areas on the continent of Africa. I found out that this dream career of mine was simply a dream career and nearly impossible to make a reality.

I would love a career in 3rd World countries and in areas of poverty where I could help perhaps teach children, help feed and care for individuals. I would honestly love any career that involved me interacting with people from different countries and cultures and just being able to radiate positivity into the world.

I would like to incorporate the field of Psychology into humanitarian work but I am unsure if this is even a possibility. Therefore, I am confused on what type of education I would need to make this type of career a reality. I understand I will need to continue to volunteer and visit said countries and build up contacts and so on. Hope you can help guide me in the right direction! Hi Court — thanks for your question.

Broadening your horizons will help you decide where to focus your interests. Good luck, and do let us know how you do! Hi, I have a BA in Business Administration, and have been working in corporate companies for 3. Do you think this degree will ease my access into the field? Please do let us know what you come up with! Hi there — Thanks for the post — I get the same question every week, and give the same answer — please do read the blog — there is a page that specifically address this!

Your article does provides much information but still wanted to have your opinion on this. The work primarily deals with Analysis support. As i have just started my job-carrier 3 years back , I am really confused a bit which sector I should really go for — Corporate or Development. Or is it feasible to switch again after working for say years. Hi Rahul — perhaps you can help me understand your question a little better — you have a job with CARE right now? I think you should take the opportunity to talk to people in that organization, let them know what you are interested in, and build connections to help you make the moves you want, Good luck, Nick.

My number one occupation is to be a humanitarian. I see myself doing this in my dreams! The only thing is id specifically like to work with the children. What should I major and minor in. I just need an idea! A in Nursing and International Studies, and I would like to minor in Arabic studies. Do you have any advice of how to get my foot in the door? Or what the next step would be after I get my degree? Hi Jenna — thanks for the question — as a matter of fact I do have some advice — to avoid having to answer the same question a lot of times I put it all on this site!

I have a Bachelor of arts with education and i majored in geography and minored in history at th University of Zambia. Am currently teaching at Rusangu secondary school in Monze district of Zambia. I have been teaching since I would love to work in research involving environments.

Your postive response or advice will be highly appreciated. Thanking you in advance. My name is Tyler Townsend. I want to serve in third world countries building shelters, houses, schools, and hospitals. I am 20 years old and have 2 years construction experience. As for right now i would like a decent job building overseas, enough to support a family. Where do i start?! Hi there Tyler — thanks for the question — I would take a look at the ebook or chapters on this site, and then look for jobs in project management of programs with significant construction elements.

Hello, I have lived abroad for two years and am soon to be heading back to the Uk. Ive previously completed a degree in english and creative writing and have been working as a journalist in cambodia and australia. I have looked into working with the red cross and other similar organisations and would like to try. Or do you think I could combine english teaching and humanitarian work?

I also have teaching experience with Make A Difference, an organisation in India that teaches English to kids in street shelters. However I understand that none of the org. I am 16 and would like to pursue a career in humanitarian aid work. I was wondering if specific degree paths, such as medicine, are necessary or required to work with a humanitarian agency.

I plan on majoring in International Relations or Global Studies, are those, in your opinion, sufficient degrees for humanitarian work in a non-profit? Hi Angie — thanks for the question — have you read my post on what to study in university? I hope you find my message you are in good health and wealth, i have done MS in Medical Entomology and Disease vector control and more then four years working in this field in Pakistan now i want to work in Africa or any other country.

Gday mate, how are you? Im a carpenter and would love to help people get on there feet with shelters and rebuilds and what not, can you point me in the direction of a group that could take me on.

I am 18 years old and currently preparing for my A level exams next May. I am studying economics, geography, English language mathematics. I speak a little French and hope to study more of it in college. I have a relative that works with UNICEF and his advice paired with your amazing blog, now certainly makes me thrilled about the idea of working with a humanitarian agency.

I know this might be a difficult question to answer.. My second question is what kind of job exactly could a person with an economics degree or strong economics background get in the humanitarian field? Hi Meenah — Did you read the page on this? I work as an IT consultant, and have a first class maths degree. I live an hour from London, and have two very young children, so my ability to travel is very limited. Or am I best waiting until my children are older? Have you looked into the big organizations in the UK that you might be interested in?

Hi Nick, My name is Hannah, I am 17 years old and I am wonder what type of career would be best if I were to peruse a humanitarian career?

I do have prior experience in Bolivia with humanitarian work. Hi Hannah — thanks for the question. I currently work with a local district assembly as a national service personnel but my greatest goal is to work with the UNDP. People like always inspire me. Thank you for your encouragements.

I am 26 and I do not have a degree as I dropped out of uni years ago. Since then I have travelled to quite a few places including South America, South East Asia and volunteering in South Africa. I will be starting University next year to study Health Studies. Will this degree aid me in my future endeavors to get a job in the field? Hi Jes — did you read the page on college degrees? Let me know if you have any other questions! My name is biantey Nartey Dzidzor kwame and am interested in working on the field as a humanitarian how can u get involve since am having a certificate in humanitarian Relief management.

Hi there Nick, not sure if you remember me but I contacted you a couple of years ago. Am doing a humanitarian leadership initiative certification with Harvard Humanitarian Academy over the summer break and have Red Cross training units planned for next year too.

However I just wanted to thank you for that first bit of inspiration that made me feel that I could really do this. Now it feels like the sky is the limit, and that very soon I will be able to truly make a difference in this world. Hi Kelly — of course I remember you! Hello, I am a now college seeking a levels graduate from Nepal, and I have seen firsthand some of the hardships people face in a developing country. I am lucky to have come for a relatively well off family, all due to the hard work of my father, but everyone was not like my father and many of his school friends do not have a relatively better life.

I hope to help my country and its citizens, so could you recommend some undergraduate subjects to pursue. Would be happy if you could respond. Thank you so much for this very informative article.

The truth why I stumbled here on your page was, I am qualified for a position in an NGO here in the Philippines. Now I have this confusion over my current job as an Operations Head in a company in Cebu. Whether to leave or not? But I know in my heart that extending my help to the weaker section of the society is thing I want to do long time ago.

What advice could you give to someone like me who comes from a corporate world. Thank you so much Nick! I really beleive a humanitarian job could be my passion.

I wanted to know your thoughts on what I should major in if I want to be an imternational aid worker. I was thinking I want to work with children perhaps but adults are fine as well and I have a history of Japanese language skills and recently Spanish. We lived in Osaka and Okinawa and my sister and I went to local schools. Sometimes we would make sandwiches for this old man who lived outside our building and I enjoyed helping him and wished I could do more. I think this was one of the first times I realized how much I loved helping others.

I told myself when we left that I would find a way to return and help them. I just want to make others lives better. Can you give me some pointers please?

I have out lasted a lot of other staff. I am very resilient and patient and manage stress quite well and quick thinking in times of crisis. However DSQ deemed this person unsafe for females to work with so working else where. Hi, nick, i am eman from Egypt, 30 years old.

I worked in the project for providing medical assistance for Syrian refugees of concern to the UN Refugees Agency. And this year we will make establishing and enacting a standardized 2ry, 3ry and emergency referral care services including for emergency obstetric and neonatal care for Syrian Refugee also.

My aim is to work in African developing countries at a non-governmental organization, national or international working in health systems development projects. As I believe in the right for every person in good health. Also I have a passion to work with marginalized groups including women and children. Do you think that i may have a chance to work at international organization in other African countries rather than Egypt? As a i am not a Doctor, i have difficulties in entering these carrier in Egypt.

Nick PS — one thing that works in your favor is that some of the medical organizations are much better at integrating medical staff with no field experience into their programs than non-medical ones! Hi i just want to say great work. Just a piece of advice for those who wants to pursue a career in humanitarian aid that its all about passion. Most of the educational backgrounds in this sector which i have come across are usually a masters degree in social sciences famous ones are development studies, international development, international relations, public policy, governance, gender studies, economics.

But let me tell you experience hold more weight then your educational background that is my experience so far so try as much as you can to do internship or serve as a volunteer during your studies. This will pave the way for you career in the development sector. Besides that try to be good at learning at least one more language other then your mother tongue e.

The fact that you work with people in developing countries and do the work that you do has re-sparked my interest to work with people abroad, however I was wondering on what you would advice me to take part in to lead up to this. Things like volunteer work, courses to take etc etc. Also, have you personally been in dangerous situations working as a International Aid Development worker and does it give you a chance to travel the world in all means?

Hi Nick am a student of history from Cameroon. IT was a great experience. Development work is my passion, and I lived in Guatemala two summers ago doing consulting for small, rural coffee farmers and helping women to grow and sell their crops. I went back to Guatemala last summer on an internship with Social Entrepreneur Corps training local entrepreneurs to administer eye exams and sell eye glasses, solar lamps, water filters, and more.

I so desire to work in development, and have the above experience in economic development through business, but have no idea what the next step should be and how I can make money in the future while gaining this experience. Any and all advice would be appreciated. Hi Joybelle, Congratulations on graduating! My advice on this sort of stuff is at my blog, humanitarianjobs.

My name is Chris. I am 28 and an established Carpenter of 12 years experience in the building and construction industry in QLD Australia.

I am looking for a way to put my skills to better use. The industry in my area is very crowded and finding and securing work is becoming more and more difficult. I want to combine my love of travel, my desire to help or at least be involved and the skills I possess to help in areas such as; developing and third world countries remote and disaster areas.

Would appreciate your feedback. Or at least I thought as much.

Why you might want to work in relief and development (and why you might not) | Getting Your First Job in Relief and Development

Should I stop waisting money on tuition and drop out entirely and jump into the aid industry? Hi there Mikhail, Thanks for the question. Your site was very helpful! As of right now, it might as well be my dream job. I need to make a decision fast about what I want to persue for the rest of my years at high school, but how do I know that humanitarian work is for me if I have no experience in the field whatsoever, as I am only fifteen?

Although I am attending a Me to We Youth Volunteer Trip to Ecuador this summer. I realize that the conditions will be quite luxurious compared to the conditions of an aid worker, and the stuff I will be doing building a school, learning a language, volunteering with community members is a lot different than the work of an aid worker, but is it a good start? Would you please be able to offer any advice as to where to start?

I know I have to medical related things, but what others minors would I need? Are there any that will take me around the world? There are a wide range of different organizations, and which one is a good fit for you is going to be a personal choice.

Good luck, and let me know if you have a more specific question, Thanks, Nick. I very much appreciate your insights, they resonate with much of what I have been thinking about recently in terms of my future and passion.

I am 20 years old with one year left of university, planning to graduate with a double major in International Studies and Social Work. However, I hope to go on an internship this summer and am still figuring out the details. Is there any way you could direct me in what specific work might be useful in getting a feel for what international development work would be like in the long-term?

I am very interested in each of these areas: Hi, I am 28 years old guy from india. I am currently work in Multinational company in Human resource department.

I would like to Volunteer myself for any humanitarian work out of india. I can work for 1 month each year. Need assistances to know if any NGO is ready to take me.

Hi Sameer — good to hear from you. There are many international NGOs that hire people from all parts of the world. I would take a look at the jobs pages of any agency you are interested in — they all need HR people from time to time!

I would do some research into the local job market there — it would be great to hear about what you find, Thanks, Nick. I am 16 and looking into career choices. I have always been interested in Humanitarian Aid Worker, however, I am having troubles finding a Field that does not particularly require biology to get into. I am struggling with bio and am worried that I will not have a good enough mark coming out of bio 30 to get into any sort of program i am interested in.

Do you know of any fields I could look into? I started off studying architecture as I wanted to make a difference; to help people build roofs over their heads and all. Hi there Idayu — Good to hear from you, and thanks for the kind words. The construction that goes on tends to be relatively small, and relatively simple, and not re-designed that often.

That said, there is a high demand for construction project managers, which is something I believe architects end up doing a lot of! Aloha… any insights on Nepal, and a good place to look for relief work? Thank you for any insights…. You saw my post yesterday on Nepal? Take a look at my post on this and let me know if you have a more specific question, Good luck, Nick. I have a quick few questions for you.

Also is it necessary to stick with one specific job within the realm of relief work? I did order your book on Amazon and I look forward to reading it! There are so many well qualified people wanting to work overseas in this kind of job that internships can pay nothing and still attract good candidates. Good luck, and do let us know how it goes, Nick. I entered college as an Econ major, and I hated it. I know that once you get into the workforce your undergrad course of study is less relevant, but I want to do something where even if I could not get a masters, I would be okay.

Thank you for taking the time to respond to the above comments. I have spent a great deal of time reading them and have learned much.

Like the others who have posted, I am looking to get involved in humanitarian work. I have been attending a university with an interest in Public Health, however, I too have had problems with the educational system. I do not know that this will ever change and am aware of the importance of obtaining a degree but would like to take a break from it.

My question is finally - Should my priority be to get experience or to receive a degree first? I understand both are equally important. It seems I am lacking something tangible to keep myself motivated to finish school. Possibly a time spent better understanding what I am choosing to get involved with might make me more eager to complete my degree? It will be hard to get a job without completing your degree. Hi Nick, Only now I have come across your article.

It really touched me, I guess because I am on the edge of entering the humanitarian world. My first real job begins in August in one of the worst refugee crisis these days. I am leaving behind family, friends and a stable relationship. Not for good, but for quite some time.

Of course time is not ripe to take a decision now, but eventually the two forces — notion of home, love, security, having children vs. Hi Sina, Thanks for your kind comment, it sounds like you have a lot going on in your life right now. Good luck, and best wishes. Do let me know how you do, Regards, Nick. I would like to know what education or work experience I will need to be prepared for this field of work. I am 60 years old and while I do have to pay the bills, I long to be of service; to make a bit of a difference in this world.

Is it too late to get into service work? I have worked overseas. I went on a short term mission trip to Guatemala and it was really interesting to see the way that helping people in developing countries is really complicated. How would that do to set me up in the field? Ive always wanted to help people in foreign countries and recently thought perhaps becoming a social worker would provide more stability.

Theres a course that includes travelling overseas to places like cambodia and the phillipines. Is there a demand for social workers in the non for profit? Do you know any company I could apply with? That said, it depends where you live. I would check out RedR, the Red Cross, and MSF as a starting point for your research.

I am currently living abroad working as a Stewerdess but I am very interested in finding out how I could make a difference by getting involved with relief work. I finished matric in South Africa but have no university degree. Hi Paige — my general advice is pretty much on this blog — is there something more specific you want to ask? Hi Nick, Thanks so much for the insight on Relief and Development work. I find them very useful. I admire you and know you are really a Pro in this field.

I find your last advice on marriage and relationships while working in this field particularly useful. I am a 40 year old worker in software development working in the financial industry in the UK. I volunteer as a Scout Leader on a weekly basis and the satisfaction that something you have organised has made a difference to peoples lives. I want to move into this role as a career. My question would be would my age be a barrier to moving into a career of this sort?

My ideal role would be to work out in the field as this sort of work is more suited to me. My son has a degree in anthropology and is fluent in Arabic and French. He has studied abroad in Morocco and Syria. He has pretty much given up.

I am 15 years old and would love to be an aid worker. I want to get degrees in Social work and engineering, and also learn Spanish. But, I wonder what a normal day would actually be like as an aid worker in another country. Does the organization provide food? How often do you take showers and where? Do you get to explore the country in your free time? Do you get free time, if so, how much?

I know a lot about what you do on the job but, not a lot about how you live in these countries. Do you think that working overseas as an ESL teacher has any potential as a gateway to humanitarian work? I know that many people take assignments in populous cities and well-developed countries due to more attractive pay, but I am interested in less populous destinations that are faced with greater challenges.

However, do you think it possible that my knowledge could have applications in the humanitarian world outside of primary care provision? I would like to make it clear that I am not specifically interested in starting a career in relief and development, which appears to be your area of expertise, so I apologize if my question falls outside the scope of your experience. I think that a non-profit or NGO organization with any humanitarian agenda would be a satisfactory starting point for me, and I am especially concerned about social and economic justice and challenges facing women and children.

Do you think any of the above could be useful toward this end? Hi Arjun, I regret that you are probably better connected than I am with regard to NGOs in India — good luck with your search, Nick. I am a Grade 11 High School student in Canada. I have wanted to travel for as long as I can remember and am fascinated with the diverse cultures of the world and also want very much to achieve a sense of purpose in life by helping the impoverished, and needy. I have a question regarding career path for this particular field.

I understand that much of the prerequisite is volunteer and travel experience based, but where do I start? Hi Craig — Thanks for your question. Perhaps there is some more specific question you have though? Your best bet is to get a job with a US based organization working in India and working on getting an internal transfer where they will sponsor your visa. Do you know any relief organisation in kenya i can join? I have completed Masters in Accounting.

Can you help me, how I get opportunity in International organization in where in world? I am looking forward and passionate in working in the humanitarian and relief sector. My years of studies and work experience have confirmed working in the humanitarian and development sector as the career choice for me.

I am now looking forward to a career focused on my passion through pragmatic and sustainable programs and that presents opportunities to work with similar minded people. She does speak some English, but more fluent in Portuguese. Could you direct us to specific agencies in south America. I just read your article, full of useful information I will be graduating next year from university of Hertfordshire and have just realized that I want to work in non profit sector, I am planning to do my postgraduate in development studies currently I am studying towards a business degree, but not really interested in working for a financial institute or profit making business.

That said, what do I need to do or do you have any advice for me, so that I become successful in my Humantarian aid and Development career. How can an adult with no degree or career begin his or her work in humanitarian aid jobs? I came with bad luck into this stinking world of capitalism and favoritism. How can I join a team of humanitarians and disappear for long missions? Terrance — thanks for your question.

First off I would point you to my post on motivations, and then suggest that you think about what skills you might bring to the humanitarian endeavor.

I would encourage you not to think of it as a less demanding profession than the for-profit world. Hello there Nick, Thanks for the article. It is especially useful indeed since I am doing my master degree, and planning to make research on what really motivates humanitarian workers: My name is geraldo 24 I am from South Africa I just completed my BA degree in Psychology, Linguistics and Ethics.

I have a passion for helping people in need whether it be psychological or social it is my calling I would really like to work in relief and development. Is there any possibility of me being able to start that career path? Hi there — have you read my post on degree topics? Hi, If I would, someday, like to dedicate myself to humanitarian work, would a bachelor-degree in nursing help me on the way? I really enjoyed this post!

I am currently volunteering in a local NGO which deals with violence to women. My first term of voluntary work just ended 10 days ago, and I signed up for another term. One thing that bothers me though: So yeah, I just want to say thank you for sharing this post. Hi my name is Hugo and I am very intetested in the kinds of work that you offer. This was really helpful to me and you will surely be my go to guy and guide when I have confirmed my decision. Hi I really want to go into this field and work for the a NGO international and was wondering what type of degree I should be looking into that would maximize my ability to find work in this field?

I am looking at colleges currently and am having a hard time figuring out what type of degree would go along with a job in this field. Thank you very much! Hi im Elizabeth and I would really like to be an international aid worker, its been my dream to help people. Im a freshmen in highschool and they offer internships in nursing at my school but my question is would an Emt be better than a nurse or would the nurse been prefered when going into this profession?

The short answer is that there are no jobs for EMTs in international aid, while nursing is a job that is in demand. That said, I would encourage you to pick a route that interests you at this stage. I would suggest you train in a profession that you are interested in and look for internships, Peace Corps, or other opportunities to live and work in the developing world to get a better idea of whether this is the right career for you, Good luck!

I am very interested in obtaining a job in in humanitarian work. I have been LPN for 23 years and would love to help people in other countries. How do I get started. I will take any advice. I have wanted to do something like this for a long time and now is finally the time. I would start here: Hey Nick,I am a 20 year old from southeast asia and going to further my studies in Ireland pursuing medicine actually. Just a quick question,is it possible to become a doctor and to do humanitarian work as well?

Skye — quick answer — absolutely. Check out the ICRC and Doctors Without Borders as a starting point, both employ doctors in a humanitarian capacity.

Hello, I am currently entering my first year of college. I have a large interest in traveling, learning about different cultures, and meeting new people. My recent trip was to Accra, Ghana where I helped coach unprivileged youth basketball.

I made some great friends and I am planning to return. I am eagerly searching for a career path that I could work in the US but occasionally travel and help with issues in a particular country social, development, peacekeeping etc.

I looked at the peace corps ,UN careers, and working in the department of state or Civil Services. Can you suggest a few agencies to look into for paid international social work jobs? I would look at DevJobs, or on LinkedIn — ReliefWeb is also a good place to start, Nick. Thank you for the information you shared in this article. Are you aware of any organzizations that might be available to work With for myself; I have a masters degree in architecture and am interested in construction.

I was researching architecture for humanity waiting for the time when my children went off to college, but unfortunately that organizations is no more. Where do I start if I want to try do this?? Yes I will need to be paid to survive myself … …. A there anything I can do to help to make a difference?? Perhaps you should focus on getting a degree first, and learning a little more about the field at the same time? I just want to help people, not hurt them.

I am getting my degree in Geography with a History minor, so where would I fit in? What could I do? First off I just want to thank you for the article! And your dedication in replying to questions is inspiring!

I will be buying your ebook and leaving a review! What is your opinion on this sort of postgrad study? Will it give me an advantage? Are there any particular NGOs that you would recommend for this? Have you read my post of graduate degrees? I would advise you to go to grad school once you have a couple of years of work experience under your belt.

I am a 48 year old female wanting to get into a humanitarian career. Now that my children are grown I would like to pursue this. Do you have any information that might help me get going? I also speak Spanish. If you have a more specific question please let me know, Nick. I have been hoping to do mission or relief work for sometime. Hi Nick, I live in Kenya and would really love to be a humanitarian particularly for my own country.

I am 21 years old and am in my final year at the University taking Gender and Development studies. In relation to this, i wanted to ask 1. What would be the best course to back up my humanitarian career other than the one i am currently studying?

Are there a few pointers you can give for entry level applicants who would want to work to develop others as well as themselves? Lastly i would like to say thank you for your blog. Am still reading through it and would love to know more about this world. It has been my passion to help others but i do not get the opportunity but i am positive i can grow my country and the African community with the guidance of people with respect and passion for the same like you.

With regard to the university question, there is a post on this site that addresses that question — hope it helps! Hello Nick, I found your blog while doing some extensive research on career options as an international development aid worker or anything of the sort.

Its helping me narrow down my options and I would like to thank you. My tour ends in about 9 months and I need some advice on how to obtain a job working in the humanitarian field; I have a ton of interests ranging from Foreign Service to non — profit work to the United Nations, however, I am certain that I would like my concentration to be focused on Africa. Do you have any ideas on how I can go about looking for grad schools domestic and international and careers paths I could look into to get my dream job?

I also like to blog about my time in Namibia thus far and I would be extremely grateful if you checked it out! I might be late at commenting under this blog but I feel passionate for the job that I would be soon working in and I was hoping if you could give me advice in which direction you think I should go towards.

I have other experience which involves working with a disability organization which works with children, youth and adults in outdoor activities but majority of gaining all my experiences is working as a student paramedic on the ambulance. Hello Nick I m Rebecca b. I m recently highschool graduted. Hi, what career options are available for social workers in the humanitarian sector? I have 4 years experience in humanitarian sector locally and less than a year experience in mental health.

Hi first of all I like to thankyou for sharing your related experience as a worker aid abroad. I would love to do this has been my ideal goal for most of my life. I have completed a Diploma in Community services and case Management. I have worked with children and young adults with trauma and challenging behaviours. I am Australian citizen and permanent resident. Throughout my career I have over 12 years experience as a nurse assistant in age care, mental health and dissabilities. I was abroad in South America for 6 months learning the culture and people ways of life in 5 different countries.

I venture into the Amazon for a month and assisted the indeginous people. I am fluent in spanish, as I was born there and raised in Australia. I can also speak portuguese and italian. I would love to go back and work there as an aid worker. Could you provide me with the lead of company names please I could approach for work. I am currently studying Bachelor of social science in welfare due for completion mid year In the meantime I continue my work as a youth worker and would like to gain experience in domestic violence services sector.

Your information would be much appreciated. If you could also suggest which countries of South America would be most suitable with my skills. But, my question is, are there any specific qualifications that i need to have before I can go and help? Hi Justin — I would suggest you take a quick read of the book section of the bog — it gets into these kinds of questions!

Many thanks for a good overview of what it takes to work in the humanitarian and development field. I am a Russian national with a relevant Masters from one of the leading US universities and about three years of field experience with national NGOs in Southeast Asia.

My skills are mostly in research and analysis, and capacity building on topics relevant to human rights. I have experience designing research studies and conducting fieldwork in conflict-affected areas. This could be a useful skill for a consultant, but I would really love to work in a team and possibly on projects rather than research. I understand that most INGO positions for my level of experience tend to be filled by nationals. I realize that working in headquarters would be one of the options to gain that experience, but without a work permit anywhere but Russia, from where almost all INGOs have been recently kicked out, I find myself stuck.

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