Want to work on migration issues? Here's how

The global refugee crisis has thrust global migration issues to the forefront of the international development community, and those interested in working in this area can do so in a variety of ways, either through lifesaving, immediate humanitarian aid or long-term development assistance. Aside from attempting to address the root issues that drive displacement, professionals and practitioners are also working around the clock to mobilize resources and funding to support refugees, protect them throughout their journeys toward asylum, and assist in their settlement and integration into their host communities. “It is very rewarding work,” Sarah Vania, regional human resources director for U.S. programs at the International Rescue Committee, told Devex. “Refugee resettlement offers a strong, warm and deeply committed community of professionals.” Interested in breaking into this area of international development? Devex spoke with a few experts and recruiters for tips on how to do it. Roles Global migration and refugee work usually cuts across multiple borders and comprises several dimensions, including emergency humanitarian response and long-term interventions that seek to solve more systemic problems. As a result, the sector employs a wide range of professionals and practitioners who perform a diverse set of functions and roles. Here are some of the most common types of positions you will encounter in the area of global migration. 1. Technical experts. Technical experts working on global migration issues should typically have a high level of technical expertise, as well as many years of experience, in one or more specific sectors — particularly education, protection, health, food security, camp management, or water, sanitation and hygiene. Technical experts usually head the humanitarian and development efforts in project countries, so they should be prepared for both long-term and short-term field assignments in many refugee source countries, which are often in the midst of, or recovering from, war, conflict, protracted crisis or political upheaval. Sometimes, however, they may also take positions at an organization’s headquarters or in refugee host countries. 2. Project managers. Project managers are responsible for coordinating and overseeing the design, evaluation, monitoring and implementation of development projects and programs. They often work in the field or at the headquarters of international organizations, NGOs and consultancy firms working on global migration issues. Project managers usually perform administrative functions, which include taking care of a variety of paperwork, liaising with technical experts, coordinating with donor agencies and local government, and preparing project reports. These types of positions can eventually lead to careers as technical experts. 3. Support staff. Members of support staff are in charge of supporting the administrative functions of an organization’s headquarters or field or local country office, particularly around human resources, finance, and supply chain or logistics. Support staff keep operations running smoothly, and help aid and development workers so they can help others more efficiently. 4. Advocacy and communications staff. Advocacy and communications professionals working on global migration issues can usually be found in the communications departments of NGOs, consultancy firms, and donor agencies working on protecting and resettling internally displaced persons and refugees. Their responsibilities include developing and implementing advocacy and communication strategies, preparing press releases and position and research papers, maintaining databases of media contacts, liaising with journalists, and sometimes, developing and managing advocacy events. 5. Funding officers. Many NGOs and firms working with refugees and related issues receive funding from multilateral banks such as the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank, or bilateral donors such as the U.S. Agency for International Development or the U.K. Department for International Development. The responsibilities of funding officers, which include maintaining close relationships with these funding agencies and coming up with winning grant proposals, are therefore mission critical to a development organization’s operations. 6. Legal experts. Obtaining refugee status can be a very technical process, mired in red tape and legal obstacles. Lawyers and legal experts are needed to liaise with governments, oversee all the necessary paperwork, and provide legal aid and assistance to refugees. Professionals with an expertise in international migration law and the asylum laws of specific host countries, such as Belgium or Germany, are usually the preferred candidates for legal positions in the area of global migration. 7. Social workers and caseworkers. A central component of global migration work is the settlement and integration of refugees in host countries. In cases where refugees are unable to settle permanently in a host country, they may resettle in a third country, like the United States. Social workers and caseworkers play an important role in ensuring that refugees — who often have nothing and know no one when they first arrive — are able to rebuild their lives in their host countries. With the help of these professionals, refugees are better able to integrate into their new communities — finding work, attending university, raising children, and even contributing to society. Prerequisites Those interested in building a career around global migration issues will typically need both an undergraduate and graduate degree — especially if they’re eyeing international posts. Common degree programs required for this field include international relations, political science, sociology, social sciences, development studies, demography, regional and language studies, law, urban planning, and social work. There are even programs geared specifically for refugee studies opening up at various universities. “In addition, applicants need relevant education and/or training for the specific job they’re applying for and a strong interest and understanding of issues related to poverty, civil society, and humanitarian and emergency affairs,” Salwa Haddad, World Vision’s human resources director for the Syria response, told Devex. Work experience, particularly in the field, is usually also required of candidates. “Nonprofit work experience is valued, as is Peace Corps or other volunteer or internship experiences with humanitarian agencies,” said IRC’s Vania. “We hire many people from our large pool of volunteers and interns.” Knowledge of international humanitarian law and other disaster management tools and standards, such as Do No Harm, the Sphere Project, and the United Nations cluster system, are also mandatory for working in this area. What it takes to succeed Anyone interested in pursuing a career in global migration should be culturally sensitive, and able to thrive in diverse, multicultural environments. The work also necessitates a thorough understanding of local contexts, cultures and political situations. “If you’re interested in this line of work, you should be prepared for cultural shocks no matter where you work,” Haddad said. U.N. Volunteers always provides briefings on different country situations, cultural awareness, and security issues before volunteers arrive in the field. When it comes to soft skills, recruiters typically look for candidates with strong communication skills — both written and verbal. In fact, UNV is currently recruiting volunteers to support the humanitarian response to the refugee crisis through interpretation. Candidates should also have high emotional intelligence, as well as the self-confidence, self-awareness, and independence to withstand difficult situations and challenging environments. Because of the tough contexts where they work, professionals in this field must be extremely resilient, or have the capacity to work well under pressure and stress. “The pace of work in a relief context is very fast, and there might be a need to work long hours,” Haddad said. “Security could be an issue in high-risk areas. If you’re working on the front lines of a response, you might be faced with heartbreaking stories from survivors. To face all of these things, you need to have an extremely high level of resilience.” To cope with difficult environments, development workers must also develop a balanced approach to work. This includes getting adequate sleep and proper nutrition, and maintaining a healthy social circle. The future of migration careers Where do recruiters see the widest gap in the field of global migration? According to Haddad, there is an unfulfilled need for technical advisers that can also engage with high-level donors, the U.N., or government officials to implement multipartner projects. “We have excellent community-level technical advisers because many of them have worked for years in our area development programs, but it’s much more difficult to find professionals with a high degree of experience and understanding to work with high-level donors, the U.N. and national governments,” she said. For Vania, on the other hand, the future will rely heavily on outcomes and evidence-based programming, which means that candidates need to become proficient in program design, data collection, and analysis. Looking for a job that works on migration issues? Check out all of the opportunities posted to the Devex job board right now. Across Borders is a monthlong online conversation hosted by Devex and partners — World Vision, the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department, the U.S. nonprofit partner of the International Organization for Migration and United Nations Volunteers — to analyze and amplify the discussion on global migration and current refugee crises through the lens of global security, development cooperation and humanitarian aid work, and more. Visit the campaign site and join the conversation on social media tagging @devex and #AcrossBorders.