Have you ever experienced that feeling that comes right after helping an elderly man cross the street or a lost child find his parents? Is it overwhelming? Self-gratifying? Awe-inspiring? Now, I want you to take that feeling, multiply it and imagine that it is part of your everyday life. This is exactly what working for an NGO feels like. In this blog post, we try to list all the great reasons why working for an NGO is truly rewarding:
Work satisfaction directly affects motivation, productivity and loyalty towards the company. And in a region where low job satisfaction is the primary reason for employee absenteeism, what could be more satisfying than being able to give meaning to your life by helping people in need? When you work for an NGO, you take part in providing homes for the homeless, education opportunities for the less fortunate, and basic life necessities for those who need them. By the end of the day, you will be able to go to sleep knowing that you’ve somehow helped make this world a better place.
Working for an NGO is the dream of many professionals in the Middle East. The 93% of polled professionals who said ‘yes’ to a career in non-profit organizations, according to a Bayt.com poll, know that NGOs provide the opportunity to work in a diverse workplace with people from all over the world who share one goal and passion: helping others. So if you’ve ever thought that non-profit work is unchallenging, uncompetitive or that NGOs are all the same, then think again. Non-profit organizations are as different from one another as for-profit companies are. Beyond the obvious differences of mission and focus, key differences to note in NGOs include their size and business model. From structure, to fundraising, to mission, etc., NGOs are actually very diverse!
The chance to develop your career while working for an NGO is huge. You’ll acquire a wide variety of skills that range from organizational skills to communication skills to problem solving to fundraising. Of course, the list is much more complex and much longer than that. In an environment where there are fewer employees and more tasks to do, your career will rapidly develop and improve. Not sure how to make a successful career shift to work with an NGO? Here’s how to make a career change work for you.
Regardless of how much you will actually make (here’s the easiest way to compare salaries in the NGO sector with other sectors), at the end of the day you would have made more than anyone else. Because for people who are in desperate need of help, you make a difference. In an interview with Bayt.com, Lubna Izziddin, who is the founder of a home hospice organization in Lebanon called ‘Sanad’, gives advice to professionals who want to work in the NGO sector. “You have to believe in it. You have to want to do it and do it right,” says Lubna, for she knows that there is no joy better than the joy of giving. Does your heart, too, ache for the ones in need and make you want to do your bit to help them have a better life? Do you think that you alone cannot wage a war against a cause you are so dearly concerned about? Then fret not. Making a difference can be your story and NGO jobs can be the door to all your aspirations. Start applying now!
