NGOs offer exciting and diverse careers where you can make a tangible difference and feel valued. NGO employment opportunities allow you to dedicate your life’s work to something you are passionate about whilst developing a broad spectrum of skills and experiences.

Working in development sector is an attractive option for people around the world. The sector has grown significantly over the past two decades as organisations have become larger, more sophisticated and increasingly professionalized. Working for an NGO provides an opportunity to make a difference, support others in need and create positive change in communities the world over.

Securing a job in an NGO is competitive. It is your personal qualities, skills, knowledge, and experience that will determine whether you can get your foot on that first step of the ladder. Invest in yourself and develop skills that are valuable to the role you want to do and the organization you want to work for.

Be flexible
getting into the NGO field and working overseas may require you to expand your horizons based on region, locale, specialty, length of assignment

Network, network, network
Getting a job generally is highly dependent on how well you can network. Talk with your peers who already are working in an NGO so they gave you an insider tip to available openings either with their own NGO or somewhere else, whenever you can, create an entry point with someone with an NGO or someone on LinkedIn that may know someone that is working in an area or location of interest. Ask for five minutes of an individual’s time, offer to buy them coffee.

Join as a volunteer
Volunteering is a sure way to boost your CV and a great way to network. And if you don’t know, working as a volunteer with an NGO is perhaps one of the best ways to get a job working with an NGO.

Update your CV to showcase your skills
Working in an NGO requires a broad knowledge base. There are specialist roles for those with the RIGHT degree and professional CVs, such as surveyors and engineers. If your CV is not properly written or updated, you might not be considered for a job which you even qualify for. You deserve to have your academic and professional background noticed and considered. You can subscribe for professional CV writing services here.

Watch out for job openings
You can get loads of hints about available NGO jobs from the NGOs websites or on NgoEra. Many of them have websites that you can visit for information on the latest available job openings.