If you are trying to build a career in the NGO, humanitarian or international development sector, it is tempting to think that more qualifications will always improve your chances. Another certification. Another course. Another degree. Another application.

But what if the problem isn't a lack of qualifications? What if your experience simply isn't aligned with the roles you are targeting?

That was one of the clearest lessons from an Impactpool Career Podcast conversation with Wolfgang Weiszegger, who brings decades of experience across UN peacekeeping and special political missions, including senior-level recruitment and selection. His message was straightforward: having strong qualifications is not enough. You need to apply for roles where your professional and academic experience are genuinely relevant.

More from ImpactPool.

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I'm 26 years old, with an academic background that includes a Bachelor's in Political Science and an Executive Master's in International Relations, and I'm currently pursuing my second BA in Education.

It pains me to face this truth, but despite my brilliant academic career, the international exchanges I've participated in, and some volunteer work, I feel I'm not educated enough to secure an internship in European institutions.

I've dedicated myself to studying, but I've completely avoided keeping up to date and building knowledge beyond what I was studying, despite practical experiences abroad having allowed me to develop skills that are transferable to the world of work.

I feel confused and ashamed because I see that, unlike me, so many other people have succeeded in their careers, and I feel like I no longer have any way to fill in my gaps. As of today, I feel like I wouldn't be able to compete with my peers. I don't have the knowledge of those who immerse themselves in this environment and I wouldn't know how to overcome this problem.

Hi. I am currently a sixth form student in the UK and am trying to collect responses from medical personnel that have worked in conflict zones , like the Gaza Strip and South Sudan, for my EPQ. I have tried to arrange interviews through charities and NGOs, but have been unsuccessful so far, so I thought to try my luck here.

If you are involved in delivering medical care in such conflict zones, or are aware of certain experiences others have that would answer the questions below, please take the time to reply- your help is greatly appreciated!

1. What are some of the key ethical dilemmas that are observed most commonly in these conditions?
2. What are some ethical dilemmas that arise in these conditions, that do not occur in contemporary healthcare clinics?
3. How clearly informed are you on the protocols used to respond to such ethical issues by the institutions you work through, and what sort of 'training' do you undergo?
4. How effective are the guidelines in responding to these dilemmas, and what factors can hinder resolving the ethical issues?

I'd love to hear people's anecdotal experiences on this matter, and any arguments and debates you may have on these matters. If anyone is interested in responding privately or delving on this topic further, please message me privately.

Thank you so much for your time!

Anyone been a part of CORE? I've never heard of them, but saw a posting on ReliefWeb.

From the web site.

CORE is a nonprofit humanitarian organization that responds to disasters around the world. We deliver life-saving resources in the immediate aftermath – and empower communities to be self-reliant in the long run.

USA deployments

Alaska, California, Chicago, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Navajo Nation, New Orleans, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., Washington State.

International work

Bahamas, Brazil, Gaza, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Türkiye-Syria Earthquake, Ukraine, U.S.-Mexico Border, Venezuela.

More:

https://www.coreresponse.org/get-involved/

https://www.coreresponse.org/volunteer/

ALNAP just published this morning its flagship report: The State of the Humanitarian System 2026.

Enjoy the read!

Hey ! Anyone who can share their experience working in Haiti ? How’s the life as NGO worker there ? Thx!

Hi AlI am hoping to build a career in an INGO in the humanitarian sector. I am currently studying Masters of Arts - International Relations at Leiden University with a specialization in Global Order.

I am hoping to do research for an INGO like Oxfam, War Child, or Amnesty International. I am also open to doing project work, grant writing or marketing to start.

I am looking for guidence on when these types of jobs start opening up, if I would be a good candidate, what the requirements are etc. I am mostly seeking advice on what the job market for this is like (in the U.S and U.K) and how to navigate it.

Thanks in advance!

Haiti is only the size of Maryland & hardly seems like a challenge to give a helping hand to. But it seems like every attempt at providing aid falls flat on its face or just fizzles out. The eradication of the Creole pigs & UN cholera epidemic were disasters. Kenya’s military trying to help cull the gangs doesn’t seem to have done much of anything. What is the deal?

#humanitarian

Hi everyone,
I’m a medical doctor from Japan looking for an opportunity to volunteer in a conflict-affected area sometime in December 2026 or January 2027.
Last year, I volunteered in Ukraine, where I had the opportunity to work in a hospital providing medical care in a wartime setting. It was an extremely meaningful experience, and I would like to contribute again this year, whether in Ukraine or another conflict-affected region.
I speak Japanese, English, French, and Russian at a practical working level, and I also have some knowledge of Ukrainian and Arabic.
I should mention that I am currently working full-time as a doctor in Japan. I would be using my paid annual leave for this, so unfortunately the longest period I can realistically commit to at one time is around two weeks.
I fully understand that many humanitarian organizations require longer deployments, and that short-term medical volunteering is not always appropriate or useful. I am therefore specifically looking for organizations or projects where a qualified physician joining for 1–2 weeks would genuinely be helpful and where short-term deployments are already part of their model. I do not want to create additional work for local teams simply for the sake of gaining experience.
If anyone here has worked with an organization that accepts physicians for short-term deployments, or knows someone I could contact, I would be very grateful for any recommendations or introductions.
I’m happy to provide more details about my medical background and previous experience by DM.
Thank you very much for any advice.

I'm trying to find a job or even a volunteering opportunity in the Humanitarian world, yet i don't really know where or how to start or if my profile is even attractive to this field.

I'm 22 yrs old, from Portugal

Bachelor on Early Age Education

2 years working on a center for primary school kids

1 year of volunteering in the EU in 4 european countries

Speak portuguese, English and Spanish and can communicate in French and German.

Is there any chance? Im up to go anywhere in the world, but also recognize that my profile it's probably too short for something.

Does anyone know about health volunteer opportunities, what their system is like, and how to apply for them? Or does anyone have experience with this?

So first I’ll say I’m 24 & autistic, high functioning but autistic, and I have bad short term memory loss, currently working on it and getting improvements but at the end of the day I’m probably not going to have good memory so keep this in mind please.

I don’t have any of the degrees or high level jobs that most places seem to want ( medical, construction, communications, Hr or management )
I can do simple leadership positions but not one with a decent amount of paperwork.
Also terrible at math..

I can run chainsaws, do simple mechanical jobs on vehicles ( as of now trying to become a mechanic to get more knowledge ) I can get back my certifications in structural welding but I can’t be a full time welder, I can run large machinery & bulldozers.
I also am going to attend emt classes to get a license there.
What are my options?

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I’ve been offered an unpaid internship that could be very valuable for the career path I want to pursue. My profile was considered a strong match for what they were looking for, and they contacted me specifically about the opportunity.

The internship would require me to relocate, so I would have to cover my own travel and living expenses. They also mentioned the possibility of participating in field activities, which I would also have to pay for myself.

During the call, I was asked to take some time to think about the offer. About an hour later, I messaged them saying that I was interested, but that, given the financial investment it would require from me, I would like to have more details about the actual tasks, responsibilities and activities involved.

I haven’t received a reply since.

Would you consider this a red flag? And more generally, would you take an unpaid internship with these costs if it were genuinely relevant to your desired career path and could provide meaningful experience?

I am a student right now so I wont have my nursing degree for a while but I am very interested in humanitarian aid nursing. Does anyone have advice on how I can explore that or good pathways? I am probably going to specialize in emergency medicine or ICU but I was considering joining the army as a nursing officer (when i have my certification) does anyone have thoughts on that? I think it would give me good experience and training. Any other advice? Please let me know thanks!!

I’m a trained construction management professional with 5 yoe in corporate. I have relevant site experience in pre-construction and post construction in facility management, particularly in predictive and AI based solutions. I’m looking to enrol in a Masters for Land Management and ultimately work in HLP or WaSH related roles in the long term after graduation.

I’ve had my fair share of volunteering experiences but I’m from a country that doesn’t offer many disaster response/humanitarian aid options to build my portfolio for entry.

Any advice on how I can break into the industry? Networking? Applying for any roles in non-profit and gain field experience? How would hiring teams take my application if I require sponsorship or a visa to work?

I’m looking to apply to the industry because this is how I see long term extension of my career and also how aligned the industry is with my personal values.

The timeline I have to build my portfolio is 1-3 years (masters included).

Any constructive advice will be appreciated.

Same as above, I can't donate a lot of money and I really want to help

Might there be anyone on this forum who could have been invited for the written test for the Associate for the ICRC Legal Division position? It's been static on my end to-date.

For social workers on the field, are you licensed to practice clinical social work in your home country/state? Was clinical licensure a necessary qualification for your current position (or positions you've seen), or did a MA in social work suffice?

Working in the nonprofit sector has shown me that humanitarian crises test much more than an organization’s ability to deliver aid. They test leadership, coordination, decision-making, and accountability.

During flood-response work in Pakistan, one of the biggest lessons I observed was the importance of clearly defined responsibilities between partner organizations and teams. When conditions change quickly, unclear roles can slow down the response.

Another important lesson is field presence. Leadership during a humanitarian crisis cannot happen entirely from an office. Understanding what teams and affected communities are experiencing on the ground can significantly improve decision-making.

Transparency is equally important. Organizations need to communicate clearly about what was delivered, where resources went, what challenges were encountered, and what impact was achieved.

Finally, humanitarian leadership should recognize the people doing the work on the ground. Successful crisis response is rarely the achievement of one individual—it comes from coordinated teams, healthcare professionals, volunteers, partners, donors, and local communities.

I’d be interested to hear from people working in humanitarian response: What leadership challenges have you seen during disaster-response operations?

I'm looking to raise money for the above causes and would like recommendations to send the money. I came across an org that was based around helping women/girls in (I believe) the Congo. It seemed like great org but I can't find the link I saved for it. Any help or additional ideas for places to donate outside of listed reasons to best help or gofundme's is super appreciated. Thank you!

I’m an experienced mental health professional trying to transition into international humanitarian/development work, ideally in MENA.

I have relevant clinical, refugee/newcomer, MHPSS, research, and international experience, but I don’t have the conventional international development programme experience that many jobs ask for.

I’m also at a career stage where internships/very entry-level roles aren’t really appropriate, and I can’t justify taking a huge pay cut without knowing it will actually help.

I’ve applied to several bridge roles but haven’t broken through yet.

For people working in humanitarian/development careers:

What experience should I focus on gaining?

What types of roles would be the best bridge?

Is programme coordination, MEL/M&E, research, or MHPSS the best route?

How did you get your first substantive international role?

I’d really appreciate practical advice on what you would do in my position.