Finding a Job Overseas

By Michael Bear Kleinman

The rather brutal fact is that it isn't easy finding a job overseas. Especially if you haven't worked overseas before - it's a catch-22, that oftentimes agencies don't want to hire someone without prior experience, which can be quite infuriating if you're trying to find your first job. It took me almost a year – a year of unreturned emails and phone calls, and a rather ego-damaging number of rejections.

That said, it is possible - actually, rather self-selecting, in that those who do eventually find positions with NGOs (or the UN) tend to be those who most wanted the jobs in the first place. I wish there was some sort of shortcut, but what it seems to come down to again and again is simply perseverance and networking. It's always best to have a contact, even a friend of a friend of a friend, someone whose name you can drop to help separate you from the great unwashed. (I was always partial to subject lines that read "[Name of person] suggested I get in touch", but others might suggest a slightly more subtle approach).

For more information on this topic, and advice from others who've been through this process, read the article on the Change.org Humanitarian Relief section.

Michael is an aid worker, lawyer, and consultant with experience working in Afghanistan, across east and central Africa, and Iraq. He is also the Humanitarian Relief Editor for Change.org, found at http://humanitarianrelief.change.org