Volunteering with Charities, Environmental, Non-For Profits and NGOs {Resources}

Bernhard Budiono
Jul 4, 2017
3 min read

Are you looking to get your skills up so that you can go overseas and work with NGOs and volunteer organisations?

I spent most of my undergraduate University degree probably looking online for 'paid' work with NGOs and other organisations, instead of studying, getting the marks and the skills to actually work in those organisations. Many tertiary aged students feel the need to give back to the community in ways such as "voluntourism", where individuals pay to go on volunteer placements.

A lot of the time, these organisations don't necessarily provide the best experience. My advice to anyone looking to get into the humanitarian field is to get some of the more credible placements under your belt; then network with as many people as you can, whilst you develop key skills within the humanitarian sector so that instead of being a liability you become an asset. Some basic tips to help you get started:

Start small, start local/domestic and start at the bottom;
Don't apply for graduate professional roles if you haven't graduated;
Don't try and lie your way onto a placement. It won't help those that you're there to actually help; and rather than an asset, you become a burden and often a liability;
Continue your own personal development, through courses - not necessarily University Degrees, but courses run by the Red Cross or other organisations;
Don't lose sight of why you're doing this - It might look good on the CV; it might help you get to where you want to be... but at the end of the day if your heart isn't in the right spot, there will always be someone with more skills, who actually wants to be there. Someone who actually cares about the work they do.

In this article; we'll provide some links to resources about getting your foot in the door, to volunteer overseas as a professional or to simply get some experience under your belt, without having to pay a fortune (I will post another article about the ins and outs of actually undertaking these trips later!)