Job Profile

What does your job involve and what might a typical day involve?

I manage development/conservation projects overseas, with the help of up to 16 volunteers, generally from the UK. I work on contracts and as such I work on different projects throughout Africa depending on the time of year.

There is no such thing as a typical day! It really depends on where in the world you are and what the project you are working on is. My last project, working in Kenya with the local communities on small scale self-help projects, involved getting up and helping to prepare breakfast for 18 at sunrise. I would then drive our group to the work site and work out how to split everyone up to work most productively. I might help co-ordinate the days work on site, although a good group of volunteers will organise that themselves with the help of the local community. Then we would have a morning of physical work, possibly helping mix cement for a water tank or weave thatching for the roof of a classroom. Then I might have to go to the local village for supplies or take one of my volunteers to the local doctor if they are unwell. Often in an afternoon I would go with the volunteer group to the local school to teach some lessons, before heading back for dinner and a meeting with my group and maybe our local partners before some evening entertainments (e.g. musical chairs) and then an early, much needed, bed!

What qualifications and experience did you have before starting the job?

I graduated with a degree in Zoology having gained scientific A-levels. Having worked in the outdoors industry I had my first-aid qualifications and what is called a Mountain Leader Qualification (not essential for working on a project). Three years after university I had quite a wide based experience, including working with children and some project management and volunteer co-ordination experience. I also had overseas experience (some just from travelling) in the areas where Quest Overseas operates, which was essential.

What are the best and worst bits of your job?

The best parts involve working on worthwhile development and conservation projects, where you can see the difference your effort and the hard earned money raised in the UK really makes! The last day of a project when you have spent 3 weeks building an environmental education centre for disadvantaged kids is hard to top. Having the opportunity to see the positive side of volunteering is great.

Spending just one day working with some of the local communities can be amazing. One minute you will be mixing cement with a grandfather, the next dancing with his daughter as you pass rocks along a line and then next you’ll be singing with his grandson and two hundred of his schoolmates when they turn up to help the community build a water tank. And that is just an afternoon’s work! Running a tight, well-managed project that involves the local community at every level can provide you with a unique reward.

I have never had a job that is more all-consuming and exhausting in my life, and keeping going at times is a challenge in itself. Due to managing a team of volunteers you are on call 24 hours a day for several weeks and you have a lot of responsibility if anything goes wrong. Working in Africa is a challenge in itself at times as things are very different to the UK, especially in terms of efficiency and time keeping. The nature of working in different places means that there is a lot of travel and the novelty of flying on planes can soon wear off!

What satisfaction do you get from your work and how does it make a difference?

As I mentioned before, my work gives me the unique opportunity to help contribute towards something that makes a positive difference (I know it does because we work with charities that have been achieving results for years) and this provides satisfaction in itself. As with other project based work, it can be hard along the way but finishing a project, especially one with a clear goal (e.g. building a classroom) is a great feeling and is always testament to what a small group of motivated people can do when they work together.

What is key to the job is also ensuring that when the team leaves that there are resources left, such as money for teachers or maintenance to support the project. When that is ensured, you can leave happy in the knowledge that the work will continue. It is then always great to get updates from the friends that you have made at the project site.

Do you have any tips for someone looking for a career in this area?

Working in this area is great fun and amazingly rewarding but anyone thinking about it must carefully consider what it is like to spend long periods overseas away from family and friends. The job can be both physically and mentally demanding and you often have to get used to just a few hours sleep a night. You also need to be endlessly patient and enthusiastic as I firmly believe that leading groups must be done by leading by example.

To do this sort of job, any experience of working with and leading/managing groups is a key skill which goes a long way in this industry. Experience overseas is essential as it shows the ability to be flexible and adaptable to foreign situations. As with any overseas work, any languages skills that you can bring to a job are incredibly useful and open up a number of different options.

I would suggest individuals look around and speak to those in this kind of work. If you are considering this type of work it is important that you speak to someone who has done it before as it is not your average 9-5! Any work that you can do managing people/groups (maybe through university societies or local youth groups) will help to prepare you. Also travelling in the areas that Quest Overseas works in, put me in a strong position for my job. Finally, have a look at our website as we are always looking for new leaders, from all kinds of backgrounds.

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