If you’re eager to land an international assignment providing emergency response, take a moment and pause before tailoring your cover letter and resume. Consider whether you don’t just hold the appropriate academic and professional credentials, but are truly emotionally and mentally equipped to tackle the challenging lifestyle of a humanitarian relief worker.
Emergency response work isn’t for everyone, industry veterans agree. It can be immensely rewarding, if one’s intention is to help and support communities in crisis. But the burnout rate is high for a reason.
“When the pressure is on, does your heart rate go up or does it slow down?” asks Michael O’Neil, the Washington, D.C.-based director of safety and security at Save the Children. “If it slows down, you might have a future in emergency response. Emergency response is not for the faint of heart.”