International Development Work
If you’ve always wanted to travel the world making a difference, then a career in international development might be for you. This guide introduces international development work as a profession and offers tools and advice to get you started in the field. You’ll learn which graduate degrees lead to jobs in development, and read firsthand accounts of aid work experience in blogs. We’ll also explore the safety issues and hardships of international development work.
Expand All Guide SectionsWhat is International Development Work?
Before diving into a career in development work, learn what it’s all about. This section introduces you to the field through blogs written by aid workers, tips for how to get started and overviews of the challenges faced by those in international development.
Dulcinea's Insight
- International development workers typically focus on people and communities in developing/third world countries. Some development projects are long-term, such as improving agriculture or developing small businesses. Other projects are short-term, such as disaster relief in response to humanitarian or environmental crises.
- Be realistic in your expectations. To many, international aid work sounds romantic, but it’s usually anything but. Aid workers are sent wherever there is a need, often to areas ravaged by war, famine or extreme weather.
- If you’re interested in aid work but unsure whether you want to pursue it as a career, consider a volunteer vacation or a long-term travel arrangement that involves volunteering. For advice and resources online, read the findingDulcinea Long-Term Travel Abroad Web Guide to find a section on volunteering abroad, and the Alternative Spring Break Web Guide for tips on volunteering during spring break and volunteer tourism organizations.
Dulcinea's Picks
To learn what international aid work involves …
Youthink
is led by young people at the World Bank and provides information on various global issues. Get a broad overview of development work, learn what’s involved in the profession and find links (at the end of the article) to interviews with three development professionals.
On the Ground
is a New York Times blog written by journalist Nicholas D. Kristof with contributions from American aid worker Nicki Bennett. In this entry, Bennett details the work she’s done over a period of a few weeks as a policy advisor for the charity group Oxfam, doing post-hurricane reconstruction in Bangladesh. The combination of firsthand experience and photography helps to establish a concept of what this type of aid work is really like.
Experience Development
works with universities and nongovernmental organizations to achieve better communication and transparency in development work. Choose from the “Sectors” drop-down menu in the top toolbar to learn about different areas of development work.
For advice on getting started …
Transitions Abroad
has resources for living, working and studying abroad, including advice for pursuing development work. This article was written by an aid worker who offers insight into beginning a career in the industry. The site also lists dos and don’ts for breaking into international development, and provides realistic but encouraging advice from nonprofit professionals.
National Geographic Adventure
magazine published an essay called “How to Do Humanitarian Aid Work in Africa” that includes the firsthand advice and photos of aid worker Sarah Bailey in the Republic of Congo. Bailey’s personal interests and educational background are detailed, and she explains why she felt compelled to work in such a dangerous and war-torn country.
For aid worker blogs …
Nicki Bennett
is an aid worker who also blogs for The New York Times. On her personal blog she chronicles her experiences doing development work around the world, using many colorful photos and detailed accounts of the people she’s met.
Chris Blattman
teaches political science at Yale University and is an expert on the education required for international development work. Consult the “Advice” section on the left sidebar for recommendations on degrees (if any) you should get, including whether to pursue a doctorate or a master’s degree. Also scroll down to the “What My Blog Is About” section for various topics of interest for would-be development workers.
Aid Workers Network
is a site where aid workers can share tips, advice and stories from their travels. Browse the aid worker blogs by scrolling down the homepage, or select a blog from the list in the left sidebar.
For the challenges of being an aid worker …
The Christian Science Monitor
has a feature article on an American aid worker who was kidnapped in Kabul, Afghanistan, where she’d been working with Afghan women for three years. It was theorized that the kidnapping was spurred by U.S. political policies. The magazine also featured a piece on a difficult reality for aid workers in Ethiopia, who must keep quiet about government atrocities against civilians in order to continue doing their work.
The New York Times
confirmed in February that the aforementioned American aid worker was killed by her Afghan kidnappers.
Resources for Aid Workers
Whether you’ve recently decided to pursue international development work, or you’re an ... read more »
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