5 questions aspiring humanitarian workers should ask themselves

If you’re interested in working abroad in the humanitarian or aid space, unfortunately, your desire to help is not enough, according to Thomas Hill, the country director at the Norwegian Refugee Council, told Devex. It requires a solid job-search strategy, building the right skills, investing in long-term professional networking relationships — and a bit of luck. These were some of the takeaways from our most recent Devex Career event on “getting your first international job in humanitarian aid” with Hill and international coach and development careers expert Caroline Korda Poole. But even then, it’s not necessarily straightforward or it might not be as glamorous as you think. With that in mind, here are five things to ask yourself if you are seriously considering pursuing an international career. 1. How far are you prepared to go? There is one very important question to ask yourself before looking at an international job: How much risk and challenge are you willing to take on? Hill advised job seekers to consider more challenging or high-risk locations to increase their chances of landing a role, especially for entry-level or midmanagement positions. But that, of course, comes with sacrifices of its own. “The easiest way to get these jobs is to look in places where there’s a lot of conflict and it’s very hard to hire people,” Hill explains. “If you’re looking to go to Rome, it might take a long time,” But if you’re open to places like Sudan, there’s a lot of need and more opportunities,” he said. Likewise, geographic and visa considerations are major considerations. Look at places where you can go easily, noting that, for example, someone from West Africa might find it simpler to work within the Economic Community of West African States region due to fewer visa restrictions, Hill said. "Each nationality has a geography that’s easier for them to be hosted in,” making hiring smoother for both the employee and employer. 2. Are you willing to take a step back on the career ladder? If you’re looking for an international role — whether you’re coming from the corporate world, or from a senior position within the humanitarian field — “expect to take a hit,” Hill said. Transitioning into the aid sector from other fields is possible, but often requires adjusting expectations about roles and starting “a couple of notches down.” For example, if you're in a corporate CEO position, you probably won’t transition directly into the equivalent level, there will most likely be some back and forth, Hill explained. “If you're a country director at Google in Ukraine, it's unlikely you are going to be country director at Mercy Corps in Ukraine.” Having said that, there are certainly ways to make the transition. For instance, if you’re the head of a law firm, you could come in as a global legal specialist, Hill said. Similarly, those in academia, such as someone working at a university, may find opportunities through donor-funded programs run by universities, he said. And if you’re in a senior role — even if you’re already working in a development setting — it’s important to ask yourself whether you are truly willing to leave the comforts and rewards of a high-level corporate position — whether that’s money, career or prestige, Hill said. Likewise, many people enter aid work with aspirations to make a positive impact, but the day-to-day reality can be much more administrative and managerial, Hill said, whether that’s dealing with people problems, email, or meetings. “The basic thing to note on any transition is you’re going to lose some of the steps that you have climbed,” Hill said. For those comfortable with this trade-off, he said, the move can still be fulfilling. 3. Are you still operating based on a linear concept of networking? Networking isn’t about a straight line to a job. While it’s tempting to focus solely on the "big players" for connections, impactful networking often comes from unexpected places, Hill and Poole explained. Rather than reaching out solely to senior leaders, Hill suggested focusing on people actively doing the roles you’re aiming for. Connecting with senior leaders is not necessarily a golden ticket to a job. “People think, ‘Oh, you know how to get me a job,’ but the honest answer is, I don’t do entry-level hiring anymore,” Hill said. Instead, focusing on building genuine connections is more likely to help open doors later. In that same way, he pointed out that job referrals usually don’t come from your strongest connections. “Your friends rarely help you get a job. It’s almost always a weak connection — someone who sees an opportunity and connects you with a manager who needs talent.” Oftentimes, Poole said, the most unexpected connections have often been the most helpful, while “the people I really thought were going to go to bat for me, maybe they were too busy, or they didn't for whatever reason. And so it's never a one-to-one relationship,” she said. Her advice? “Meet all the people and be kind to all of them. The world is full of surprises.” 4. Are you thinking of yourself as an asset or a burden? “Especially for recruiters, but really for everybody, you are an asset, you're not a burden,” Poole emphasized. Recruiters thrive on building connections. “Their bread and butter is knowing people, knowing who the talent is and where the talent is, especially if you've got really specialized skills that they're seeking for different bids, or for their organization in general,” Poole said. Likewise, when reaching out, try to let go of the self-doubt about their interest and commitment, Poole said. “Don’t apologize for your interest or your dedication to the work,” she said, noting that there are many mutual benefits of networking with people within an organization. “If people can advance you and help their organization, that makes them look good too.” In some cases, recruiters even receive bonuses for bringing on talented candidates who perform well and stay with the organization, Poole added. 5. Is there domestic work you can do instead that would be valuable? Ultimately, Hill said, there are “always opportunities to do good locally,” and this may even be the right way in. Entry-level positions for international staff are almost nonexistent, Hill told Devex. If you’re fresh out of school, a role in a domestic nonprofit or an international nongovernmental organization with a local office is usually the best way to go, he said, noting that many professionals working internationally began as national staff in their home countries. In this context, it can be beneficial to gain experience through well-established volunteer programs such as the Peace Corps, which, he estimates, provides international experience to half the American staffers he meets overseas. Hill also encourages looking for roles with organizations that focus on international work domestically, such as the Red Cross or Red Crescent. Domestic disaster response agencies are also good entry points, Poole pointed out. These roles often open unexpectedly and require quick hiring to get “boots on the ground.” For those looking to gain experience, organizations such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the United States offer opportunities to work in challenging, resource-scarce environments, with pretty well-pay, she notes, “and you’re deployed very quickly to places of tremendous need.” “I live in North Carolina, and after Hurricane Helene hit, World Central Kitchen was on the ground the next day, providing food where there was no food or water for a very long time,” she said, adding that “FEMA was there shortly thereafter and is deployed in many different disasters across the United States.” If the answer is still ‘Yes, I’m interested’ If after answering these questions you still want to pursue this work, there are some great sources to use in addition to the Devex Job board, including reliefweb.int, as recommended by Hill, and impactsource.ai, as recommended by Poole.