World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is here! Every year, on the 19th August, the world celebrates and educates, coming together to look at the incredible humanitarian services and what we can all do to help the world around us.
WHD is a day of recognition for the aid workers who risk their lives every day to make the world a better place, serving the needs of others around the globe.
So, if you’ve ever considered a job in the humanitarian services, there is no better time to start considering a career change. Whether you’re feeling inspired by the incredible stories of service, or shocked at the experiences of those in crisis, making a move into humanitarian work offers you the chance to make a real difference and see different cultures and new places while making the world better for those caught in a conflict zone.
What can you do to help?
The world of humanitarian work is limitless. There is so many ways in which you could make a change and put your skills to the best use. No matter what your current profession, there is a humanitarian counterpart that you could transfer to.
Humanitarian jobs in Engineering
Engineers are in high demand within the humanitarian sector. Whether you work in civil, electrical, mechanical or environmental engineering your skills are needed across the globe. The skills and knowledge you bring to the job have real and lasting impact: solving problems and speeding up development that saves lives.
Electrical engineers are on hand to bring energy to remote or disaster zones, enabling other services to help the people living there. And there is a real focus on renewable technologies to create sustainable and eco-friendly developments.
Problems like air or water pollution, clean water supply and waste disposal are jobs for electrical engineers – especially important after a crisis.
And mechanical and civil engineers are needed to restore homes, towns and cities during and after a disaster. You could be key to bringing back power to an area, building or restoring buildings and creating or fixing transport systems.
Humanitarian jobs in Healthcare
Key to rebuilding and helping those caught in a crisis are the incredible healthcare professionals. No matter what your current role, there is a job and a need for you amongst the incredible humanitarian organisations providing lifesaving and life-changing work around the globe.
Physicians, midwives and nurses are always in high demand. Providing front line care to victims of disasters, providing vaccinations and treatments, and helping women and children throughout childbirth and infancy are of the utmost importance. The work involves working in challenging circumstances and often remote places, delivering lifesaving work daily.
Epidemiologists are incredibly important in providing long term relief in disaster zones: helping to fight and eradicate malnutrition and disease. Equally needed are nutritionists, health promoters and clinical psychologists who work to improve the physical and mental health of those in war zones and areas of conflict or disaster.
Humanitarian jobs in Science and Technology
Scientific discoveries and advances are the backbone to much of the hard work of others working in humanitarian fields. If you have the skills and experience, your work could be put to use helping some of the most vulnerable children and adults in the world.
Disaster aid relief relies on the safe and effective storage of enormous amounts of data and information, so database developers are in high demand. The information and individuals are then connected through the work of network administrators, who are key to overseeing secure communications systems.
Clean water sources and systems, and effective farming are also key to the health, wealth and wellbeing of an area experiencing crisis. Hydrologists and Agronomists are needed in the humanitarian sector to help communities rebuild and thrive.
Humanitarian jobs in communications and marketing
From effective communication between agents working in the field, to reaching a worldwide audience to inform or fund raise, communications and marketing are key to the ongoing success of humanitarian aid.
Whether you are a communications officer or digital marketing professional, your skill-sets could be put to amazing use increasing the proliferation of your organisation’s key messages. The communications from humanitarian agencies often break international news through reports from crisis centres. Your work could be influential in forming new international policy, increase public support and speed up response times to a crisis.
If you work in radio, in any capacity, you could be maintaining or operating the radio systems and coverage at the forefront of humanitarian work. Radio specialists help to track humanitarian agents and vehicles, as well as pass on information about locations where help is most needed.
The reality is that these are just a few of the hundreds of varied and specialist roles that the humanitarian sector is constantly recruiting for.
If you are considering a move abroad to work in the humanitarian sector, our relocation experts are here to help. From local knowledge, help with your move, and cultural information and orientation, we are here to help make your move easy.
