Careers in Non-Profit/Development field?

The_Brood

So, I graduated this year with an MA in International Relations in Dublin, and with a mission to work in the international development/humanitarian/non-profit field. Which I knew would be pretty hard to get into. Then as I searched it become looking extremely hard. Then impossibly hard. Now, I'm pretty much starting to give up and look for where I'm gonna sleep out the streets.

Unless I'm missing...but after so much searching, the field is so narrow and barren...would anyone have any ideas? All jobs are internships (which I apply to but don't get anyway), temporary work, or the few real full-time jobs have requirements that Kofi Annan would probably not meet. Anyone out there to offer any advice or hope?

Senna

What about relocation, I'm guessing Ireland is a very small jobs market. Have you been looking at Brussels /EU or New York?

Slydice

I think volunteering is the first step. Not 100% on that though.

Have you tried going into NGOs like GOAL and Amnesty International and the like?

Call up the Governments Irish Aid and ask if they still do volunteering abroad.

To get into the Government side for a career in it, then 3rd secretary competitions in the Department of Foreign Affairs would probably get you to Irish Aid work. I'd say some experience volunteering abroad with one of the NGOs would help push your case for that.

beauf

You probably have to look outside of Ireland.

It will probably take you a few years to get into it. Take a longer term view.

micosoft

What precisely do you want to do?

Ireland is a very small market.There are less then six Irish NGO's + IrishAid with posts abroad in Ireland and who do serious International Development work.

Even then the trend is that national staff replace expat staff.

TBH the only way unexperienced way to get in is through the internship programme if they run it. Even then only a small minority of the best will get roles. Have you tried those?

As an earlier poster indicated. You need to look at London, be willing to work for free and even then it will be really challenging.

The_Brood

I realize that there are a lot more opportunities in London, Brussels, and other places. And there are also smaller places than Ireland. For complicated family reasons, however, I am very much looking to stay in Ireland, which is why I am looking here. Which is also why unpaid work is a bit hard to do when there are bills to be paid that can't wait. But yes, I do also apply to promising internships, and would consider them depending on the situation. Often the question unfortunately is not "how far are you willing to go," but how far can you practically go considering other people depend on you.

Mrs OBumble

If you are tied to this country, how can you possibly be considering a career in international development? Don't jobs like that pretty much always come with a lot of travel attached?

Did you have any placements during your course? Did you build any relationships on them which you can use to job-hunt?

TBH, while both jobs and internships are openly advertised in this field, I would expect them to be filled based on who people know, not what their CV says.

The_Brood

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

If you are tied to this country, how can you possibly be considering a career in international development? Don't jobs like that pretty much always come with a lot of travel attached?

Did you have any placements during your course? Did you build any relationships on them which you can use to job-hunt?

TBH, while both jobs and internships are openly advertised in this field, I would expect them to be filled based on who people know, not what their CV says.

No, not always - in fact those are usually reserved for the most experienced professionals in the field (country directors) and such. There are many (well compared to overseas positions) roles that are advertised that deal with advocacy/administrative duties at the headquarters...but are very hard to get.

The course - no placements/opportunities whatsoever of any kind. All study and theory. Which was my biggest surprise and disappointment, but it is what it is.

And yeah. A lot of careers work that way. But no point complaining about it, all I can do is search for a solution...though am finding none at the moment.

rain hat

The_Brood wrote: »

So, I graduated this year with an MA in International Relations in Dublin, and with a mission to work in the international development/humanitarian/non-profit field. Which I knew would be pretty hard to get into. Then as I searched it become looking extremely hard. Then impossibly hard. Now, I'm pretty much starting to give up and look for where I'm gonna sleep out the streets.

Unless I'm missing...but after so much searching, the field is so narrow and barren...would anyone have any ideas? All jobs are internships (which I apply to but don't get anyway), temporary work, or the few real full-time jobs have requirements that Kofi Annan would probably not meet. Anyone out there to offer any advice or hope?

Development Perspectives. Have a look at the insight programme. It's overseas funded through fundraising...provide experience essential. You've an MA Great Well Done Ok Look Up Contact Development Perspectives. Good Luck ☺

Subcomandante Marcos

The_Brood wrote: »

So, I graduated this year with an MA in International Relations in Dublin, and with a mission to work in the international development/humanitarian/non-profit field. Which I knew would be pretty hard to get into.

You have a masters in relations but you're looking for work in development, and you can't understand why you're finding it hard to find work?

Have you had a chance to critically reflect upon your stated problem? I can see a few glaring issues...

The_Brood

Subcomandante Marcos wrote: »

You have a masters in relations but you're looking for work in development, and you can't understand why you're finding it hard to find work?

Have you had a chance to critically reflect upon your stated problem? I can see a few glaring issues...

I'm not "limiting" myself to specifically development, if that's what you're suggesting, I am open to absolutely anything along the lines - but yet still there is nothing.

Subcomandante Marcos

The_Brood wrote: »

I'm not "limiting" myself to specifically development, if that's what you're suggesting, I am open to absolutely anything along the lines - but yet still there is nothing.

It's not that I think you're limiting yourself at all, that's the opposite of the issues. I think your masters degree and your desired field of work just don't match.

If you want to work in international development then specialise in international development.

It's actually not that hard to find work in the field of development, but it would be if you haven't studied international development, community development or another related field of applied social science.

There are lots of really good masters in International Development in Ireland which would be worth looking into if you really wanted peruse a career in that area.

The MA in International Devemopment from Kimmage DSC/NUI Maynooth is very well respected, as would be the Masters in Environment, Society and Development or the Masters in Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security in NUI Galway as well as the Int Dev masters in UCD and a few other courses on the island (Queens have a good course).


If you have a masters in relations, then you're going to find it easier to find work in relations.