Odds of Hanging On
Congratulations! You've been hired to work as a peon for a small aid organization in Uganda. Now what do you do?
Once you're actually involved in international aid work, you should be able to continue getting gigs in the field. Why? Well, first off, because you'll be making connections with people in the business who know people in the business who know people in the business. The network of friends and colleagues you build will help provide you with information about new aid organizations and job opportunities.
Second, remember how field experience is key to working in international aid? Once you've landed your first job, you'll have bona fide work experience in this career. As long as you keep building on that, you'll be able to work your way up the ladder over time.
Also, as an international aid worker, you're going to develop a gift for identifying the next humanitarian hotspot. Yes, it's totally morbid that you'll start to be able to figure out where hordes of people are going to get killed, injured, or kicked out of their homes next…but, if you work at this talent, you'll be able to get yourself to the scene and busy on the ground before any other aid worker.
If you can familiarize yourself with the situation, the language, and the culture before your pals/competitors do, you can leverage yourself into better, more exciting, and more stressful employment.
Granted, if you do this too much, then chances are good that you'll burn out. International aid work will have lost its charm for you. Or perhaps you'll just want the opportunity to settle down somewhere, get married, and have a family. In either case, make sure you have a plan for how to transition from international aid work into whatever new career it is you want to pursue, be it government work, teaching, or employment in the private sector.