Like most businesses and organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have a variety of needs, and require employees with different skills. Most NGOs are non-profits or international aid organizations, and, as such, often struggle with funding. For that reason, one of the best ways to work with NGOs is to start as a volunteer and gain experience, which will then make it more likely to be hired for a paying position later on. Professionals with advanced skills are those who most often work with NGOs; for instance, people with accounting, management, or legal experience are almost always needed.
A very large number of people who know they eventually want to work with NGOs as part of their career will begin as volunteers. This is a great way to learn the different aspects of how certain NGOs work, and the needs they have. It is also a great way to get field experience; this is particularly true for people who want to work with international aid organizations, and will generally be expected to have had some experience actually working on the ground in developing countries. It may take a little while, but volunteers who have this variety of valuable experience will usually find it much easier to find paying positions down the road.
Other ways to work with NGOs generally begin with honing professional skills, and earning a bachelor's or master's degree. Degrees in business or nonprofit management are some of the best choices, often combined with other important skills based on NGOs' most important needs. For instance, a person with marketing, public relations or writing experience will likely be able to find a position doing PR; fundraising or grant writing for an NGO are equally important tasks for any nonprofit. People with advanced professional degrees will also usually be able to work with NGOs, as long as they do not expect a high income.
Lawyers, professional accountants, and management professionals are some of the most common people hired at NGOs. Depending on the nature of the organization, medical professionals such as doctors and nurses are also often needed, particularly with those organizations working in foreign countries. In general, however, there are a number of different ways to work with NGOs, even without a professional degree or a great deal of experience. It is necessary to have a willingness to work hard, learn a variety of different tasks, and really become devoted to the cause in order to be successful in this type of work.
