Currently, professionals value having a career that serves a bigger purpose. Non- governmental organizations (NGO) serve this purpose well by giving you a chance to work on things that you value while building a career. This guide will help you get on track to working in the NGO world.
Why Working in an NGO is Different
NGOs are not run by a government body. They promote one or more activity for charity, social welfare, or support advocacy. Compared to corporates, employees in NGOs enjoy other benefits such as:
- Benefit to specific communities and causes.
- Value-based work culture.
- Multicultural work projects.
- Development of multi-dimensional skills.
- Travel to various countries for field work.
On the other side, working in an NGO has its own challenges, such as too little resources, slow funds, and in some cases tough conditions at the work location.
Skills Most Required by NGO Workers
There are skills and traits that have higher value in the NGO world:
Relevant Skills
- Management of a specific project/program.
- Writing proposals and fundraising.
- Evaluation and Assessment.
- Primary and Secondary research.
- Community Based programming.
- Social media and blogging.
Personal Attributes
- Flexibility and toughness.
- Intercultural communication.
- Emotional Intelligence.
- Problem Solving within limited resources.
- Collaboration across a wide array of stakeholders
- Any foreign languages, especially UN languages like French, Spanish, or Arabic.
Many small NGOs tend to specialize, but also look for candidates who are flexible and can take on multiple roles. ____ ___ ——————————————————-
The NGO sector is probably the only one where you can chase after a diversity of careers: __ __________________________________________Program/Project Management: Responsible for all steps of a project: design, planning, implementation, and evaluation. ________________________________________ Fundraising and Development: Getting grant money, donations, and establishing new partnerships. ___ _________________________________________ Advocacy and Policy: Working with power holders to affect change and set new directional policies. .ili ‘` ‘ ~~’~ ~ll }” _____________________________________________________________ Communications and Marketing: Also known as Storytelling, through branding which helps to create and promote an image. ______________________________________ Research and Technical Specialists: Expert in other fields such as Public Health, Education, Climate Science, etc. _______________________________________ Field operations: Direct touch with the community geared towards program delivery emanating from organizations. Implementer works in the Host Country. _____________________________________________ Administration and Finance: Overseeing the organization’s operations and execution of budgets, and regulations. _________________________________________ ___ __________________________________________________
How to break into the NGO sector __ _____________________________________________
Education and Training _____________________
There are great NGOs and staff, as this one, where people come from: __________________________________________________ _ ____ ___ International development. _______________________________________________ ___ _ _ Public health. ______
_________________ __ ___ A few multi disciplines, allied sciences. ________________________________________ _ Social work. __________________________________________________ _ Human rights. ___________________________________________________ Presenting Public __ policy ___ _______________________________________________________ Hospitals and physicians’ training can greatly facilitate achieving the purpose, however, is not critical In case your practical experience meets the needs.
Building Experience ___________________________ ~ ~ ___ _ _____ ~ _ ~ _______________________________________ For local Organizations _______________________________________ Internships with NGOs
- Become a member of appropriate professional groups.
- Take part in service-learning activities.
- Explore the Peace Corps, UN Volunteers or equivalent programs.
- Acquire transferable skills through corporate social responsibility practices.
Finding Opportunities
Where to Look:
- Devex, ReliefWeb, Idealist, and other specialized job boards.
- UN and other international organization’s career websites.
- Consortium site of NGOs.
- LinkedIn and social networking.
- International focus university career services.
Application Tips:
- Tailor the resume to include relevant experience and transferable skills.
- Show cultural sensitivity and understanding.
- Express the passion for the cause without being idealistic.
- Show examples of working under restricted resource availability.
- Understand the organization’s approach and values.
The Reality of NGO Work
Compensation and Benefits
Salaries in NGOs tend to be less than that in corporates, however, a number of organisations provide:
- Good benefits packages.
- Employee friendly policies.
- Annual professional training.
- Housing assistance or grants for overseas positions.
- Travel facilities.
Typically larger international NGOs pay better than smaller local organisations.
Career Growth
Promotions in NGOs can happen in different ways:
- From national to international NGOs.
- Field offices to Head offices.
- Becoming a technical specialist.
- Senior administration.
- Post consultant work after pursuing mastery
Balance Between Work And Life
Work under NGOs tend to be rigorous, particularly in direct humanitarian response or fieldwork. Think about:
- Possibility of working around the clock when there are emergencies
- Dealing with the emotionally draining task of working with vulnerable people
- Remote assignments leading to family estrangement
- Risk factors for violence in some contexts
Organizations are now paying more attention to employees’ welfare within the framework of mental health support.
Changes In The NGO Environment
The Environment is changing because of:
Localization: Power and resources are increasingly going to local actors and organizations.
Digital Transformation: Use of new information technology to achieve more and do better.
Sustainable Funding Models: Innovation in social entrepreneurship and impact investing.
Increased Accountability: Focus on accountability has deepened around results, impact, and contribution.
Remote Work: More flexible work arrangements for people who have previously been restricted to fieldwork.
Final remarks
Joining an NGO allows one to actively participate in an area of interest, personally benefitting from it professionally and otherwise. This path, like any other, comes with several trade-offs and multifaceted hurdles, but many remain in this space due to the community and sense of direction.
These are matters you need to think about as you decide this path: goals, competencies, and your chosen field of interest.
There is a dire need for deeply devoted sociologists or professionals who care as much about the field of NGO work as they do about their work. At the moment whether it is fresh graduates or new to middle career professionals, almost everyone has something valuable to offer to the NGO sector. The trick is to start gaining the appropriate experience, networking, and acquiring knowledge in the field, then pursue relevant opportunities that match your interests.