Careers Helping African People

by Douglas Short

The desire to help those in other countries is a noble undertaking. Many individuals commit anywhere from a couple of summer months to many years helping the people in foreign countries, especially less affluent countries like those found in Africa. The AIDS epidemic, tyrannical dictators and revolutions, economic poverty, and the inability to grow food are just some of the problems the people of Africa face.  You can make a difference by devoting time to work, intern, or volunteer with any one of hundreds of organizations committed to helping Africa become a self-sustaining, economically viable nation.

HOW CAN I HELP?

As with any job search undertaking, you must progress through a series of stages, constantly evaluating all of the information you obtain.

I.  Identify Motivated Skills and Abilities

            What skills do you like to use on a day-in, day-out basis?  What abilities are your strongest?  Before deciding on a course of action, you must identify these.  It is not worthwhile to travel over the Atlantic Ocean to work in Africa if you end up doing work you do not like. Take the time to find out what skills and abilities really motivate you.

            The Cooperative Education and Career Development Center on campus can help you decide what skills you prefer to use.

II. Specify a Job Objective

            Once you have figured out what you like to do, where can you do it?  Who needs someone with your skills and abilities?  If you are a nursing student, who could you assist while in Africa?  The obvious places are the hospitals and clinics, but what about working at one of the big corporations, at a school, for the government providing informational lectures, or being a floater, going where you are needed?

            Now that you have the type of organizations identified, you need to locate the specific organizations.

III. Research, Research, Research

A.  What fields need my help?

It might help you to know which fields are in need of workers and volunteers. Through researching various web sites, you will find that the following fields are in the most need to obtain qualified workers:

·         Accountancy and Office Management

·         Agriculture

·         Business Development

·         Human Resources

·         Information Technology

·         Logistics

·         Nursing

·         Nutrition and Food Security

·         Project Management and Program Coordination

·         Public Health Assessment and Promotion

·         Teaching

·         Water and Sanitation

B.  How can I help?

You can try one of these ways to help the people of Africa.  For these types of positions, you most likely will have to pay for your own transportation to Africa and may have to pay for housing and obtain necessary work permits.

·         Volunteer

o        The least competitive opportunity to help people in Africa, volunteering is when you are giving of yourself freely. You do not receive a paycheck or stipend.

·         Intern

o        An internship allows you to work and gain wonderful experience, however, you generally work for no pay or a small stipend.

o        Now-a-days, you may only be able to intern if you are doing so for college credit.

o        Many internships are competitive and fall to graduate students or junior and senior students in college.

·         Summer jobs

o        The federal government employs many students through summer programs.

o        Large corporations and banks with international interests may offer summer employment.

o        Very competitive.

·         Full-time employment

C.  Who do I contact?

The benefits of wanting to start or continue your career in Africa is that many organizations and agencies exist that need qualified workers.  Your opportunities exist in those organizations that operate solely in Africa, U.S. and other countries’ corporations with ties to Africa, and international agencies trying to promote the development of the continent.  Some areas within which you can find employment are:

·         Governmental Agencies

o       e.g., the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Peace Corps

·         International Organizations

o       e.g., African Union, the United Nations

·         Non-Governmental Organizations

o       e.g., Amnesty International, Oxfam International, CARE, World Vision

·         The Media

o       e.g., New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, Business Day South Africa

·         Trade Organizations

o       e.g., U.S. Department of Commerce, World Trade Organization

·         Banks and Investment Corporations

o       e.g., Citibank, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

·         Health Organizations

o       e.g., Doctors without Borders, U.N. AIDS Program, The World Food Program

·         Environmental Agencies

o       e.g., World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace

·         Development Groups

o       e.g., African Development Bank, Center for Global Development, U.N. Development Program

An Internet site that contains links to all of these areas above is:

http://www.globalization101.org/useful/

D.  Where do I find positions within these organizations?

Below you will find general Internet sites that provide links to employment, internship and volunteer opportunities.

·         http://www.isp.msu.edu/ncsa/volteer.htm

·         http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Travel/Volunteer_Work_9979.html

·         http://career.berkeley.edu/Infolab/JobSitesIntnl.stm

·         http://www.cie.uci.edu/iop/voluntee.html

·         http://www.aaionline.org/about_aai/whoFAQs.asp

·         http://regional.searchbeat.com/africajobs.htm

The following links will take you job, internship, and volunteer posting sites.

·         http://www.idealist.org

·         http://www.findajobinafrica.com

·         http://careernation.com/site/index.asp

·         http://careerclassifieds.co.za

·         http://www.volunteer.org.nz

IV.  Prepare and Apply

A.  Develop Strong Resumes and Cover Letters

B.  Develop a Portfolio

C.  Practice Interviewing