The main barrier to developing a humanitarian career is at the beginning, because there is no easy (safe and efficient) way for future professionals to get the experience required for this type of work. However, once this barrier is overcome and an initial professional experience of one or two years in the field is gained, getting new jobs will be relatively easy.
However, developing your career as an aid worker will not be without its challenges. It can be hard to stay motivated in complex humanitarian contexts and in a sector full of contradictions. Nor will it be easy to reconcile your personal and professional life, or to face the challenge of a possible future change of career path and return to the country of origin.
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Take care of your professional network (networking)
Every professional in this sector has a certain mobility inside and outside your initial organization, moving up to positions of more responsibility, changing country, or even changing type of position. This mobility will be largely determined by your initial satisfaction with this type of employment, your motivation, your skills in selection processes (it should be easier and easier) and -very important- your network of contacts. Take care of it.
As you are deployed to different countries you will meet people and make friendships in the industry that will (perhaps) last for years to come. Some of these people will be instrumental in suggesting new jobs or even recommending you to their superiors for the jobs you seek. Indeed, in this sector it is common for industry professionals and their contacts to communicate informally in order to attract talent and fill vacancies with people who demonstrate ability and willingness to take on new challenges.
Linkedin can be of great help. It is a professional social network that virtually everyone working in international cooperation and humanitarian action uses. Having a complete profile and an updated network of contacts on LinkedIn allows you to track your friends and contacts in the sector and allow organizations and colleagues looking for talent to find you, know more about you than you can indicate in a two-page resume or a brief cover letter and even find common acquaintances that will often serve as a reference for a new job, either formally or informally.
Difficult times will come
As you advance in your professional career, it is easy to face difficult situations or witness inconsistencies that cause your motivation to waver continuously. Being an aid worker has good and bad things.
If you get burned, rest and take care of yourself
Over time, it is possible that the fatigue resulting from a heavy workload, the distance from family and some friends, or repeated contact with injustices and inconsistencies (some justified and others not) can sap motivation. It is not easy to assume that in the same place some people go hungry and suffer calamities, while others work from air-conditioned offices, dine in restaurants out of reach of the majority, discuss frivolous topics or have at all times a passport that will help them escape from problems, if they emerge.
Demotivation, like motivation, can also be contagious. Sometimes a person who is already burned out, if they don't give themselves a break, ends up spreading negativity and cynicism to the people around them. Add to that the (possibly correct) perception that even the best humanitarian action is often nothing more than a band-aid on a massive hemorrhage (complex crises have political causes and political solutions), and it is easy to understand that it is often necessary to stop, rest and take care of yourself mentally and physically. Pauses are necessary to clear your eyes and emotions, to rethink your vocations and personal needs, and even to talk to people who see and can help you understand things differently.
Adapt, readapt and grow
People's life momentum also evolves and changes. It may be that at the beginning of your career you are happy to go to work in a rural area in Mozambique and delighted to meet other expatriates like you. It may also be that years later you have an allergy to groups of foreign people like you with whom you will not coincide for more than a few months. Likewise, there may come a time when you feel like being less mobile, which is sometimes necessary to grow a relationship or have a family.
Return to the country of origin can be complicated
There are people retiring in international cooperation, global health and humanitarian action who continue to travel from one destination to another until that time comes. However, many professionals wish, at some point in their career, to return to their country of origin. In some cases it is to continue working in the sector from a headquarters or with fewer (and shorter) trips, but others seek to change their career path altogether and dedicate themselves to something else or set up a business.
Draw up a return plan
The moment of return to the country of origin is sometimes greatly facilitated by having accumulated savings over the years as an expatriate. Even the lowest-paid international development workers manage to save most of their salary, as they have covered important housing and living expenses. However, it can still be tough.
The headquarters of humanitarian and cooperation organizations do not have the capacity to absorb as structural personnel all their international staff who wish to work from there. Nor can everyone go into consulting. In addition, it is a huge challenge to start a new career in a different sector. In addition, not all companies or sectors know how to value or recognize professional experience as a development worker, as there are very different values and principles between these and the third sector. Finally, the cultural shock should not be underestimated when someone has spent many years abroad.
Facing the return after expatriation is an unfamiliar challenge for many people, which it may be advisable to anticipate and plan well. Remember that you can let the organization you work with know in case they can offer you some coaching and assistance. In some cases there may also be opportunities that are a good fit for both parties. Your network will also be valuable at this time. You may know people who have been through a similar experience and can give you advice based on their experience, or help you open up a new career path.
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