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Finding Your Next Job
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Humanitarian workers returning from an overseas assignment face a slew of challenges, from adjusting to life "at home" to dealing with the after-effects of chronic stress or exposure to trauma. And while each re-entry varies, many humanitarian workers returning from the field will also confront another challenge: finding a new job.
Given that humanitarian work often has no clearly defined career path, you'll need to be creative and open-minded as you search for a new job. Like many returning humanitarian workers, you may feel that your experience means you are best off looking for assignments similar to what you've done before, perhaps with the same organization. In many ways, finding another job in humanitarian work may be the best fit, provided you give yourself as much time as possible between assignments to rest, to cope with any stress you may be experiencing, and to prepare yourself adequately for your next deployment.
However, it's also worth noting that your field experience may have afforded you skills that can be parlayed into a new line of work either at home or abroad. Consider whether aspects of your field experience such as literacy training, healthcare promotion, or conflict resolution might have applications in the community where you are looking for work. You might even find that looking for a new job away from your narrowly defined area of expertise presents enjoyable and interesting opportunities. Likewise, your experience abroad may have opened you up to new interests, and you may feel driven to expand your knowledge or your professional skills by returning to academic life for a period. Whatever paths you choose to explore, be patient with yourself and stay in touch with your various support networks—family, friends, and colleagues may all be able to assist you in your hunt for a new job.
The resources below can also help you in your job search. Idealist lists thousands of jobs, volunteer opportunities, and internships with nonprofit organizations around the world. The other websites in this section also feature jobs in international aid and development.
Search Idealist.org
On Idealist, you can search through thousands of jobs, volunteer opportunities, and internships. To find positions that match your interest, try searching by country, city, area of focus, or language required. You can also sign up for My Idealist to receive free, personalized email updates with new jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities, and more.
Search Other Sites
Careers Without Borders
DEVJOBS
An international mailing list for announcing jobs related to microfinance, poverty alleviation, health, population, natural resource management, agriculture and economic development.
Experience Development
A central portal for international development professionals
Foreign Policy Association Job Board
Global Humanitarian Studies Index
The Global Humanitarian Studies Index, put together by Columbia University, links over a hundred institutions around the world which provide training and research on humanitarian topics from emergency relief management to medicine to de-mining. The Index works like a database with institution links categorized by location, network, degree, and also lists on-line self-training.
Human Rights Job Board
Humanitarian Vacancies Listings from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHER).
International Career Employment Weekly
Extensive practical information from health and insurance to pre-assignment checklists to advice on technical equipment and communication technology.
National Organizers Alliance Openings offered by the partners of the Oneworld.org site.
OneWorld.net
Oneworld-Jobs Similar name, different site. Hundreds of jobs and internships around the world, but note that this site is in German.
United Nations Office of Human Resources
Click for more information on how to get started in your search for humanitarian aid work.
All photos © Karl Grobl
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