Working for an international organisation abroad: what is it, why would you do it and where should you go?

What is working in the non-profit sector or at an international organisation abroad?

• 'Working at an NGO' is in fact a collective term for the many functions that this type of organisation offers: from lawyer and accountant to social media campaign leader and from biological fieldworker to investigative journalist.
• Depending on your expertise, the sector in which you want to work for a non-profit organisation and the country you want to go to, your options will vary greatly.

Why would you work at an international organisation?

• To gain experience: by working abroad, your work experience increases within your own field of expertise but also outside of it in general. During your stay abroad, you experience much more when you go to work than if you were already travelling.
• To strengthen your empathy: by working in a different culture, you often strengthen your own ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes. The differences in culture, working methods and communication methods ensure that you accept or accept other things more quickly as they are. Your own perspective quickly becomes broader, more spacious, and especially more flexible.
• To increase your stress resistance: you regularly work under reasonable or great pressure; working in a different culture can be an attack on your stress resistance. Especially due to pressure that can arise because you have to communicate in a different language, have to perform new tasks or receive limited coaching. Yet for almost everyone, these experiences contribute to a significant increase in your stress resistance.
• To discover and accept your own qualities: further away from your familiar environment, you discover more quickly what you can actually do and what you actually want. It is precisely by going to work that you encounter yourself more often, you get to know yourself better and accept who you are and want to be.

What do you need if you want to work abroad for an NGO?

• Flexibility: you already need some form of flexibility, the rest you gain during your stay abroad. Communication skills: depending on the type of work, you will need to have a reasonable to good command of the local language.
• Independence and self-confidence: you already need a certain form of independence, and your self-confidence will grow as a result.
• Being aware of your surroundings: an important element for working for an international organisation abroad.
• Collaboration skills: networking, both inside and outside your organisation, is crucial for finding a (next) job at an international organisation.

Where is the best place to work for international organisations?

• Popular countries to work in, for an international organisation: Belgium, Curaçao, France, United States, Switzerland
• Many NGO projects send employees to: Bangladesh, Brazil, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Philippines, Ghana, Haiti, India, Madagascar, Nepal, Sint Maarten, Zimbabwe

What are the risks of working for international organisations abroad and are you insured?

• What are the risks of working for international organisations abroad?
  • It is common to work in countries with increased security risks: political unrest, violence or repression.
  • You may regularly face health risks: contracting diseases, limited medical facilities or high healthcare costs.
  • You may regularly travel to remote or high-risk areas: with a greater chance of accidents or evacuations.
  • Your income may be uncertain: illness or accidents can have immediate financial consequences.
• There may be several reasons why you need separate insurance when working abroad with an international organization.
• During work, an internship or volunteering abroad, your local health insurance most of the time lapses. You will then need special insurance to remain insured against illness and accidents.
• Local employers generally do not offer any, or limited, supplementary insurance.
• There is a chance of accidents because, for example, you are doing work with which you have little experience, or because of challenging local working conditions.
• A number of specialized insurances offer options for (temporary) paid work abroad.
• During work, internships, or volunteering abroad where you receive compensation or a salary, your own health insurance coverage in your home country may be cancelled.
• See the pages on: insuring international Insurances for working abroad, for internships abroad, for volunteering abroad, or for expats and emigrants.
• Read more: Betaald werken in het buitenland verzekeren (NL)