Aid Worker

You'll need:

• sensitivity and understanding
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
• the ability to understand people’s reactions
• excellent verbal communication skills
• excellent written communication skills
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• thinking and reasoning skills
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

In this role you may:

• provide emergency aid like food, shelter and medical supplies
• organise transport, sort and handle deliveries
• oversee the distribution of goods
• recruit, train and organise local people to work as staff and volunteers
• write reports, monitor budgets and do general administration
• network with other organisations and government officials in affected areas
• work with communities longer term, for example, to roll out healthcare or education programmes, or work on building or engineering projects

You could work be based overseas or in remote rural areas.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and you'll travel often.

To get a paid job as an aid worker you'll need experience, so most people start out as an unpaid volunteer.

You can begin by volunteering for a charity in the UK. You can also get involved with charities while at school, college and university, through student groups and societies. Most jobs involve office-based work at first but can lead to a wide range of opportunities.

You can find UK volunteering vacancies on Do-it, or by going directly to the websites of charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Some experience of living and working overseas may be helpful.

You can also apply for internships with charities and NGOs while you're at university. Entrance to these is very competitive.

Career tips

Follow aid organisations that interest you on social media to find out about opportunities. Think about small organisations, as well as the bigger, more well known ones.

You could also develop useful skills, like languages, first aid or driving. There is a move to recruit local people to do the frontline jobs during emergencies, so being able to offer specialist skills or knowledge will give you an advantage.

You’ll need to be willing to work long hours in challenging and often dangerous situations. You'll also need to show flexibility as well as being sensitive and culturally aware.

Professional and industry bodies

You may find it helpful to join an organisation like the International Association of Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection for training and development opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about working in international aid and the organisations involved from:

• United Nations careers
• Disasters Emergency Committee
• CharityJob

You'll need to:

• pass a medical check
• pass enhanced background checks