NOT FOR PROFIT INDUSTRY

Many people choose to work for an NGO (Non – Governmental Organization) or the non-profit sector in order to uplift the society. But do you know what it is like to work for an NGO? Find out below.

What are the jobs really about?

Benefitting Society

Working for an NGO revolves around performing a set of activities on a daily basis that benefit society. Most Social Workers in NGOs work towards benefitting a particular section of society such as children, the elderly, women, youth etc., or for a cause such as poverty alleviation, education, women welfare, etc. While working for an NGO, you would be required to perform a variety of activities such as conducting research and preparing reports, filing applications to receive funding, meeting potential donors, planning the allocation of resources, doing fieldwork etc.

In larger NGOs which have a corporate structure, you would generally be responsible for contributing towards only one part of these activities, whereas in smaller NGOs, you might be asked to perform several activities as a part of your job.

Like any other organization, working for an NGO also includes jobs that are common to all industries such as PR Team, Marketing Team and Finance Team. However, the focus of this article will be on the activities that are related to the work of an NGO, as that is where the majority of jobs are.

Why do people work for an NGO?

Job Satisfaction

Most people who work for NGOs do so for the job satisfaction that working for an NGO provides. The feeling of working for the greater good of the society and transforming people’s lives for the better is a big reason behind people wanting to work for an NGO.

NGOs provide a platform for people to work for the betterment of the society and help in solving issues that they are sensitive towards. Solving issues that are close to your heart will provide you with a feeling of happiness and satisfaction which you will never get from working in any other organization.

Social Appreciation

People who work for NGOs are generally respected by the society and are widely appreciated by the people they work for. They are seen as selfless and courageous individuals who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the greater good of others. It is this appreciation and respect that comes along with the job that motivates people to work for an NGO.

Find out about the Top 7 Respected Careers.

Learning Experience

NGOs provide its employees with vital experience and skills that make them more employable in the competitive job market of today. Working for an NGO helps a person gain an understanding of the ground realities of the region and build important skills like coordination skills, organization skills, budgeting skills, communication skills etc. This is the reason why a lot of people choose to work for an NGO during the start of their career and then move on to other fields that are more aligned with their interests.

Low Entry Qualifications

As compared to most other industries, NGOs accept candidates with lower academic qualifications; a graduation in any field is sufficient, even though some even accept candidates who have only completed their schooling. The focus is not a person’s academic qualifications but rather on his/her desire to work for the benefit of the society. This allows people with low academic qualifications to get jobs easily without having to struggle like they would have to if they were looking for jobs in other industries.

Find out about the Top 7 Careers That Require Little Education.

What is it like to work for an NGO?

Multitasking

Working for an NGO would require you to perform a wide variety of duties in a single day. This primarily happens because NGOs cannot afford to hire staff for each separate job due to a lack of finances; hence one person is expected to perform several roles on a daily basis. For example, you might be responsible for creating reports and presentations to persuade donors, doing field work such as conducting classes or distributing clothes and devising marketing strategies for the NGO, all in a single day.

However, do keep in mind that the larger the NGO is, the more likely it is for you to be assigned a specific job role as compared to a smaller NGO, where you would be required to multitask on a regular basis.

Lack of Funds

NGOs survive on donations and grants by individuals and organizations. They are constantly facing a lack of adequate finances and this factor plays a huge role in limiting all the operations of an NGO. For example, you might not work in a fancy air conditioned office, it will be difficult to put your plans into action due to a lack of funds or your salary might be considerably low. Working for an NGO requires a person to learn to accept and deal with the lack of funding and find ways through which the operations can be carried out at the minimum possible costs.

Constantly Dealing with Obstacles

Working for an NGO not only requires a person to deal with the problem of a lack of funds, but also deal with a host of other problems including liaising with Government officials, communicating with the people you’re trying to help, coordinating the different departments of an NGO, meeting the demands of the donor and so on.

As an employee working for an NGO, you should be willing to deal with any problem as and when it arises and the passion to serve society should drive you to work harder and find ways round these obstacles so that the greater cause is fulfilled.

Demanding Job

As compared to other industries, working in the service sector, i.e. for an NGO is more demanding physically and mentally. You are required to work for very long hours at times and in conditions which are not always comfortable. For example, you might be required to distribute 1000 blankets in a slum area during the winters or might be required to teach women in a remote village.

Find out about the Top 7 Fixed Hours Jobs.

Additionally, the salaries you would be paid for such work will be generally lesser than what you would be paid in other organizations. Therefore, it becomes important that you have a genuine desire to help people and uplift society if you wish to work for an NGO, as this will help you overlook the negatives and concentrate on the main objectives of your work.

Find out about the Top 7 Money Making Careers.

 


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