IOM seeks practical skills in volatile locations

By Andrew Wainer @AndrewWainer26 August 2009

Soil conservation programs supported by the International Organization for Migration in Haiti aim to prevent and mitigate environmental causes of migration. Photo by: IOM Haiti

With 127 member states and 440 field offices, the International Organization for Migration has a staff of about 6,700 and a constant need for international and - to a much greater extent - local office applicants.

Similar to other international organizations, job application at IOM is highly competitive: Submissions in response to a vacancy announcement may exceed a hundred. But those who are willing to hone their practical, technical skills in some of the world’s hot spots are best positioned to catch the eye of an IOM recruiter.

Engineering, medical, and business skills

IOM Staffing and Recruitment Officer Maya Umar said the current staffing demand is for engineers.

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About the author

Andrew Wainer@AndrewWainer

Andrew Wainer is director of policy research for Save the Children. He was formerly a senior immigration policy analyst at Bread for the World Institute, which provides policy analysis on hunger and strategies to end it. He has also worked as a journalist and social researcher in Latin America and the United States. Andrew’s research and journalism has appeared in the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal, among other publications. He holds a master’s degree in Latin American studies from UCLA and is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese.