I Want to Work in … a Developing Country

 

 

A number of students every year express an interest in "development" work or working in a developing country. Here is some information and a few useful suggestions. Treat it very much as the starting point of your research. You should also consult the CAS Information File 077 "Working Overseas: Development Work" which can be found in the information room of the CAS Building (next to Keynes College).

Take the opportunity to talk to others, staff as well as students, who may have travelled to the country you are interested in. First hand information is often the most reliable source when you travel to countries off the beaten tourist track.

Why work in a Developing Country?

There are many reasons why Final Year students or postgraduates wish to spend time in a developing country. It may be for humanitarian, social, conscience or religious reasons. Each of these feature highly in discussions with students from a wide range of degree disciplines. There could be very specific career reasons to spend time abroad, such as an Anthropology student who hopes to be considered for the Department for International Development's (DFID) junior professionals scheme planned for 2005 and therefore needs experience in a developing country. It could be that you hope to work in some capacity for a Relief or Development Agency in the future, and therefore need to acquire both the experience and skills relevant to that ambition.

Whatever the reason you will need to fully research the opportunities open to you and in particular those that appeal most. Make sure you plan well in time. The worst thing you can do is leave some of the most important preparations to the last minute. And finally, consider the career implications of time spent abroad. Does it help or hinder your long-term plans?

Some important considerations

"In the West people have everything, but think they have nothing and in a way it's true: spiritually they are empty.

In the East many people have nothing but they are sometimes much happier."

Ensure that you consider each of these in its widest context. For example, you may intend to be abroad for only six months and yet for reasons beyond your control find yourself stranded for an additional few weeks. Be prepared for the worst eventuality. In other words over-prepare and anticipate the worst.

What are the options?

Fundamentally the options are to go abroad as one of three things:

The last of these is probably most students' ideal option. It is the least realistic, however, unless you already have a measure of relevant skills or experience together with a valid visa.

PROFILE: International Aid Worker

provides aid to people in developing countries. Manages volunteers, paid workers & projects. Evaluates needs & writes reports. Bids for funding. Plans for development & distaster management.
EMPLOYERS: mainly charities & non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
SATISFACTIONS: helping people in great need.
NEGATIVES: Lots of competition for paid work. Often working in unstable or dangerous locations.
SKILLS: ability to cope under pressure, commitment, dedication, resilience, sense of humour, patience & tolerance.
TIPS: Usual route in is via volunatary work. You may have to fund much of your time spent abroad, but it will provide you with a good start to a career working within the Aid Agency sector. Alternative to volunteering is to gain a professional skill after graduation: Trained teachers, nurses, doctors, technicians, engineers, speech therapists etc. are in demand.

 

Which skills are most commonly required?

The following list is by no means comprehensive, but does present a reasonable range of the main skill areas which could be of use to a developing country.

Unless you have one of these skills already it is likely you will need to acquire them. Or, consider volunteering for a manual activity. Remember that even volunteers often have to demonstrate that they have obtained one of the above skills before they can be considered for many of the development work opportunities overseas.

 Some facts & figures

The following figures are taken from the V.S.O. publication "Investing in people - the strategic plan for the 1990's" published in January 1993. They are rather out of date, but serve as good examples of the regions, work and ages significant to international volunteers.

Does your home have something other than a dirt floor?

Does your home have a roof, a door, windows and more than one room?

Do you have a refrigerator of any kind?

Do you have a car, a microwave, a T.V., a computer and a video or DVD?

If you answered yes to the first you are in the top 50% of the world's wealthy.

If yes to the second, you are in the top 20%.

Yes to the third, you are in the top 5% and yes to the fourth, then you are in the top 1%.

caux round table
Distribution of Volunteers Overseas by Region Distribution of Volunteers Overseas by Sector of Work (approx.) Distribution of Volunteers Overseas by Age

WORKING FOR NGOs & AID AGENCIES

Below are some regional examples of employment opportunities. They have been taken from jobs advertised in national newspapers. They are all very specific and demonstrate the necessity of gaining experience, either of a particular job or a particular region, before you have much of a chance of working in development. Of course you can volunteer. Some agencies recruit volunteers for many parts of the world. As a volunteer, however, you will have little responsibility and may have to fund much of your time spent abroad. It will, nevertheless, provide you with a foot in the door and is often a good start to a career working within the Aid Agency sector. The alternative to volunteering is to gain a professional skill after graduation. Trained teachers, nurses, doctors, technicians, engineers, radio producers, speech therapists etc, stand an exceptional chance of getting work in development.

CARIBBEAN & PACIFIC
  • Marine Biologists - Philippines
  • Music Teacher - Belize
  • Speech Therapists - Dominica, Fiji
  • Science Teacher - Guyana
  • Seaweed Development Advisers - Kiribati, Pacific
  • Carpenter - Papua New Guinea
  • Rural Tourism Development Worker - Dominica
AFRICA
  • Computer Lecturer - South Africa
  • Doctors - Kenya, Namibia, South Africa
  • Midwives - Ghana, Uganda
  • Carpenters - Kenya, Zimbabwe
  • Mechanics - Eritrea, Malawi
  • Nurse Tutors - Malawi, Uganda
  • Occupational Therapists - Malawi, Zimbabwe
  • Forestry Lecturers - Malawi, Namibia
  • TEFL Teachers - Eritrea, Zambia
  • Primary Teacher - Namibia, Tanzania
  • Radio Producer - Namibia
  • Business Adviser/Trainer - Zimbabwe
  • Systems Analyst - Zambia
  • Environmentalist - Nigeria
ASIA
  • TEFL Teachers - China, Vietnam
  • Primary Teachers - Pakistan, Maldives
  • Women's Health Worker - Indonesia
  • Structural Engineers - Bhutan, Cambodia
  • Special Education Teachers - Thailand
  • English Teachers - Vietnam, Laos, Maldives
  • Community Development Worker - Indonesia
  • Lecturer in Financial Management - Bhutan
  • Tourism Management Training Advisor - Nepal

ARE YOU THE "RIGHT" KIND OF PERSON?

Together with being suitably qualified and experienced in order to work for an Aid Agency you must also have the right personal qualities. These include:

If you have dependants, either young or old, this may cause you problems with many of the agencies' recruiting policies. A recent survey carried out by People in Aid and the International Health Exchange shows that aid agencies receive 3,000 enquiries a week from budding volunteers alone.

Experience in health and management, of great and particular value in developing countries, is in very short supply. The survey showed that in 1995 of 112 relief and development agencies surveyed 8,915 expatriates were employed abroad. Most of these were highly skilled technical staff, such as nurses, doctors, logisticians, environmentalists and managers.

Many health and management posts remained unfilled due to a shortfall in suitably qualified applicants. For every ex-pat employee approximately three local nationals are employed by agencies. This reflects increasing moves by agencies to create sustainable jobs in the countries where they work. In the UK somewhere in the region of 18,000 staff support the work of those abroad. Their work includes administrative support, recruitment, fund-raising and public relations.

Save the Children Fund provides a good example of aid agency work. It operates in both long-term development and emergency relief. Of the 500 unsolicited applications it receives every month only as few as 10-20 are remotely suitable. Many applicants observe a particular emergency on television or in the press and then respond by offering their services. It would be unfair to send them abroad, the agency believes, unless they had some relevant experience. It would be unfair on them and on the people they would be working with and trying to help. The type of experience required is often at least two years spent working in emergency zones. Most professional aid workers break into the market through voluntary work. VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) is the largest European voluntary overseas agency. For the 1,000 people a year it posts overseas it receives 40,000 enquiries. With the exception of their graduate teaching scheme they will only place people who already have experience.

Which organisations offer work abroad?

You will need to research these. Consult the publications listed below. Use the files on Voluntary work at the CAS. Many of the organisations documented in these files are themselves NGOs. Finally check out some of the links below. The Web is ideal for searching out NGO information.

 Useful sources of further reference:

*Published by Vacation Work, 9 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HJ.

**Published by The Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges,Seymour Mews House, Seymour Mews, London W1H 9PE.

NGO & related LINKS

Here are just a few links to organisations involved in the business of development and aid to other countries.

See our very comprehensive List of International Development Organisations

Last fully updated 2011