Entry Level Jobs Archives | Human Rights Careers https://www.humanrightscareers.com/tag/entry-level-jobs/ Opportunities, Courses, Jobs, Internships Sat, 04 Dec 2021 12:49:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.humanrightscareers.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/cropped-stencil.twitter-profile-picture-modified-32x32.jpg Entry Level Jobs Archives | Human Rights Careers https://www.humanrightscareers.com/tag/entry-level-jobs/ 32 32 Conversations with Young Human Rights Professionals https://www.humanrightscareers.com/magazine/conversations-with-young-human-rights-professionals/ Tue, 21 Nov 2017 21:24:41 +0000 https://www.humanrightscareers.com/?p=6240 The post Conversations with Young Human Rights Professionals appeared first on Human Rights Careers.

Starting a career in human rights takes a lot of courage. The work itself requires a genuine belief in humanity and is often emotionally difficult to cope with. At the same time, the international human rights job market is rather competitive, with an increasing number of extraordinary talented and qualified people becoming interested in humanitarian […]

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The post Conversations with Young Human Rights Professionals appeared first on Human Rights Careers.

Starting a career in human rights takes a lot of courage. The work itself requires a genuine belief in humanity and is often emotionally difficult to cope with. At the same time, the international human rights job market is rather competitive, with an increasing number of extraordinary talented and qualified people becoming interested in humanitarian affairs and human rights. The job search might begin with enrolling at an university, but it certainly does not end with a diploma, at least not for most people. In order to decrease the feelings of despair among many current human rights students and recent graduates, we conducted several interviews with successful young professionals who work in a variety of sectors: international organizations, non-governmental organizations and academia. What binds all of them is the fact that they are all under 30, from non-EU countries and they are all women.

Here is what Thaís Penalber, a Reporting Associate (consultant) at the UNHCR in Geneva, Dora Bojanovska-Popovska, a PhD candidate at Central European University in Budapest working on freedom of religion, and Njomza Haxhibeqiri, a project coordinator at the Humanitarian Law Center in Kosovo have to say about education, challenges and motivation.

Choosing the right degree

Very few people study human rights at the Bachelor’s level and not many of those who currently work in the human rights field in different capacities are more narrowly educated in human rights. How decisive is the degree when it comes to carving one’s career path in the direction of human rights?

Thaís, who is the only one of the three who has a Master’s-level LLM degree specifically in Humanitarian Law and Human Rights from the Geneva Academy of Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, says that writing her Bachelor’s thesis on Refugee Law under the general Bachelor of Laws (LLB) program “has prepared” her “for the current job”.

Dora, who has consistently pursued degrees in Constitutional Law, says that her studies at home and abroad prepared her immensely for the PhD program. “However, I do believe that a more diverse educational background can also be more of an asset than a disadvantage”, she adds.

Njomza, who holds a degree in Law, disagrees. She believes that public education in Kosovo remains rather weak, and that she had to build her skills in a non-formal way. In fact, she is now coordinating a project on non-formal education on dealing with the past, and works with students of different ages to fill in the gaps that exist in formal education.

While Thaís followed her interest in refugee law in all aspects of her professional life, Dora believes that her diverse work experience of being a legal advisor for the Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Skopje, as well as in a financial consulting company in fact all equipped her with skills that she can now comfortably use in her PhD studies. “Every work experience has something to bring to the table in terms of professional growth”.

Challenges and obstacles

We wanted to know what these amazing young women think were the biggest challenges they faced as young professionals. While Dora applied for PhD positions two years in a row before being accepted, Thaís sent more than 70 applications during the four months before she became a consultant at the UNHCR, receiving only about four interview invitations. “Entry level positions usually require years of experience”, Thaís reminds us. Years of unpaid work as an intern and volunteer might not suffice for certain international organizations. To this, Dora adds, that “every interim position does not pay at all, or it pays poorly”. Besides the financial aspect, Njomza raises an important concern about not having one’s voice heard as a young professional. “One of the challenges is that sometimes you are not taken seriously even when you have a valid argument”, she adds.

What further complicates things is the fact that these young professionals are non-EU citizens. “As a non-European living in Switzerland, I felt that my chances of getting a job here were close to zero”, Thaís says, explaining how the Swiss law requires organizations to first consider Swiss applications, then EU applications, and only then non-EU applications as the last resort. While she admits that female young professionals “must fight twice as hard to prove they deserve to sit at the table”, Dora also agrees that being a non-EU citizen represents a bigger challenge. “At the end of the day, I think quality, excellence and competence should be the only bases of how we are valued, and if they are not, we should fight fiercely to stand up to that”, she suggests. Njomza, who works at the local level, says the biggest obstacles arise when young professionals from NGOs have to deal with public institutions. “They do not trust young people and young women in particular, especially when it comes to advocacy”. She explains public officials will often only accept invitations or requests from people whose names sound “famous”, which further complicates the work of young professionals who are just beginning to work in the non-governmental sector.

Decisive traits

What made Dora, Thaís and Njomza different from other candidates? Thaís says, for a consultancy in the United Nations, “personal connections” are crucial. This, however, does not mean that knowing the right people will suffice, but that academic and work experience will “nonetheless be assessed”. For academia, educational background and work experiences are key factors, yet “originality, quality and sustainability of the research idea” will also be decisive, Dora claims. On a similar note, Njomza believes that the fact that she had great interest in the very specific topics her NGO deals with and extensive “knowledge about dealing with the past process in the Balkans” got her the job and the opportunity to coordinate an entire project at such young age.

The work itself

Chatting with these three young professionals was also a great opportunity to find out what working at these positions actually feels like. Before becoming a consultant, Thaís worked as an intern for the UNHCR in the USA in 2015, where she was responsible for assessing asylum requests for the Central American region, and had to deal with some urgent cases of people facing deportation. “I was surprised with the impact that my work could have in the lives of so many people and for me that was very rewarding”, she says. Her current position in the Headquarters is more administrative and offers “a great opportunity to learn about the organization as a whole”, but also offers a myriad of networking opportunities. “I do miss working with real cases of refugee status determination”, Thaís concludes. Being involved in a PhD program is “a rather lonely journey”, Dora explains, that is why daily interactions with other PhD students are above valuable. Having volunteered prior to becoming a project coordinator, Njomza says there were no surprises regarding her responsibilities and duties at work. Yet, after two years of such work, she is in fact surprised by the amount of work NGOs do vis-à-vis public institutions. “If public institutions worked just a half of what NGOs do, Kosovo would be a better place”, Njomza concludes.

Motivation

To end on a positive note, we asked our three participants to elaborate on what motivates them to do what they do and what advice they might have for any young human rights professional who aspires to hold similar positions.

“Never think you know everything”, Njomza says in a very straightforward manner. It is important to keep in mind that there is always something new to learn so that “you can be more efficient at what you do”. For Thaís, passion in your specific field is the key, buttressed by concrete relevant experiences in your CV, including your thesis and research papers. “I am passionate about refugee law so my previous academic writings were always about that field, and I have also always pursued professional experiences that could give me practical knowledge in the area, even if it was volunteering”, she explains. For a PhD program, finding a proper mentor who is an expert in your field of interest is a priority. The easiest way to do that is by looking at their previous publications and their CVs. “The decision to focus on human rights in a PhD dissertation is extremely welcome in these uncertain times”, she concludes.

What has kept them engaged despite the above-mentioned obstacles? Thaís says, it is all about setting some higher goals. “Working at the UNHCR is a great way to learn the skills that I would need to pursue a career as a refugee rights advocate”, including having the opportunity to work with some world’s most experienced professionals in the area. The overarching motivation to protect refugees is the resilience they develop “in overcoming so many predicaments and leaving everything behind to rebuild their lives”. For Dora, it is the values she holds dear that she wishes to augment through academia. “Those are the ones that prompted an open, liberal society based on constitutionalism and human rights” that motivate her to continue her work.

If you are looking for motivation to push through your studies and/or job search, or courage to firmly decide that human rights will be your career path, Dora, Thaís and Njomza’s stories show that there is always a way forward, despite any challenge you might face. Hopefully their insights might prepare you a bit better for what is about to come and help you chose in what capacity you would like to contribute to the ever-growing and most effective network of young human rights professionals.

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How to get an entry level job in human rights https://www.humanrightscareers.com/magazine/how-to-get-an-entry-level-job-in-human-rights/ Tue, 25 Oct 2016 23:01:37 +0000 http://www.humanrightscareers.com/?p=3129 The post How to get an entry level job in human rights appeared first on Human Rights Careers.

One of the biggest challenges for students and recent graduates looking to get into the human rights field is getting the experience to be able to get that first entry-level job. Employers want to see that you have skills and experience that will be worth their time and efforts, to invest in you and make […]

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The post How to get an entry level job in human rights appeared first on Human Rights Careers.

One of the biggest challenges for students and recent graduates looking to get into the human rights field is getting the experience to be able to get that first entry-level job. Employers want to see that you have skills and experience that will be worth their time and efforts, to invest in you and make you a part of their team. Career counselors and professors will encourage you to apply for jobs, even if you don’t have the full amount of experience; and it’s true that employers are often willing to look past that 2 or 3 years’ experience qualification if you have substantial skills and credentials on your resume. There are several ways you can get this experience and gain skills while you’re in college and graduate school and during the transitional job search period.

Get into campus leadership positions
Using the time you have in college and grad school is critical to boosting your resume and getting qualifying, useful experience that can help you land an entry-level job in human rights. One option is to get a job during your time in school. Try applying for student positions that go beyond working in food or retail— e.g. the campus leadership positions. Jobs that work to engage with students, staff, and faculty give you transferable skills that are useful in jobs dealing with human rights, and you can often find a position that directly connects to issues you are passionate about. Any on-campus job that builds skills in communications, social media, event planning and programming, and fundraising will be immediately relevant to work that NGOs and international organizations do. Remember, the job you start in, doesn’t have to be a permanent position, so gaining skills that are often needed in entry-level jobs at non-profits can help with breaking into the field and getting a job that can lead to the position you want.

Get hands on experience with research
Use extra-curricular activities and clubs in college and grad school as opportunities to engage with other students interested in similar issues, get involved with human rights on campus, and get involved with human rights in the community. Most colleges have some sort of club for a human rights organization or clubs that focus on specific issues like human trafficking, AIDS, poverty, the right to water, etc. These clubs typically raise money for organizations that deal with the issues and can sometimes offer opportunities for students to travel and meet with representatives from the organization or bring them to the college. Joining these groups can help you network with other students and with professionals in the field, and they establish you as being passionate, interested, and knowledgeable about that particular topic. In grad schools, especially, research groups are often offered to students who are interested in particular topics. Students in these groups sometimes have the chance to develop their own project, and the staff and faculty involved usually try to connect the group to a real organization or to an issue that directly affects the community so that students get a chance to have real, hands-on experience with research and writing in human rights. Opportunities like these connect you to students, staff, professors, and professionals who are interested and working with specific human rights issues and will help you network in your field.

Pick a regional focus and learn the language
If you’re interested in working with human rights internationally, use your time in school to learn a language and take classes on specific regions. Having a regional focus can really help with marketing yourself and your skills to specific NGOs and international organizations. By showing that you’ve taken the time to learn about human rights issues in the context of a specific region, you show employers in that region that you’re passionate and invested, and employers in other regions will see that you are interested in learning about topics in the context of the countries they work in to find solutions that will fit the culture and people the best.

Don’t make coffee – Get real work experience
Finally, plan your internships carefully. Pick organizations that will give you actual work experience and will lead down the path towards the types of jobs you want. Interning for the US Department of State or the United Nations is great—as long as you can get meaningful skills while you’re there, connect with professionals in your field, and gain experience that employers will actually want to hear about. Working with a big-name organization is only helpful if you’re doing more than getting coffee and clicking around on your computer all day. Use your time at internships to network, hold informational interviews, and ask questions about the organization you’re working with and others connected to it. Additionally, one of the best ways you can leverage your internship is by setting it up for your final semester of school. This won’t guarantee that you’ll get hired, but you will know where to get started after your graduation. Use your time after graduation and while you’re searching for a job wisely; don’t stop getting experience, even when it’s unpaid or underpaid. It can be discouraging to have a continuing job search for a prolonged period of time after graduation. Many will choose to get retail jobs or simple administrative jobs to make money in the meantime, but that doesn’t mean you should stop getting experience in the human rights field.

Maintain and expand your network
Use connections you already have from college, grad school, or past jobs to network with other professionals in your field. Ask them what degree did they get? What experience did they have? What do they recommend for someone in your position? Let them know that you’re looking for a job because they may have suggestions! But also let them know that your main purpose for meeting with them is to gain insight from their experience that can help you know how to move forward in your job search. In the human rights field, working professionals are typically happy to help recent graduates connect to organizations and individuals who can help them get started in their career. They may know of job openings or be able to give advice for steps to take to get the experience you need to get that first entry-level job. And most of them are more than willing to exchange contact information and keep in touch as you continue to search for jobs and begin your career.

Volunteer in a field you love
Lastly, volunteering can give you an opportunity to use your skills, gain experience, and network with professionals in your field while you continue to apply for job. Volunteering takes a lot of time, but it can be extremely rewarding, especially if you can find an organization that deals with the issue you’re passionate about and has a place for you to use the skills you’ve gained. Many organizations need everything from volunteer grant writers to social media experts to safe house overnighters. Smaller organizations, in particular, rely heavily on volunteers to make their organizations run and the more actual training you have in human rights topics, the more useful you can be for their work. Giving your time and skills to these organizations can sometimes lead to a job, but it can also lead to networking with other organizations that may have job openings and can see the work you’re doing. Volunteering requires commitment, which is valuable to employers who are looking to hire. It will also give you a chance to do meaningful work that you’re passionate about while you’re waiting for your career to start, which can help encourage you in your job search.

Get that entry level job
Searching and applying for entry-level jobs can be difficult, but with the right preparation and planning, you can make it go a little easier and keep from discouragement. Use your time in college to get involved and engaged in the issues you’re passionate about, to learn skills (including languages) that you can easily plug into an entry-level job, and leverage an internship for meaningful experience. Take time after graduation, during your job search, to network and get insight from other professionals, take opportunities to continue to build and grow your skills and experience (like the Peace Corps), and volunteer with organizations that can add to your experience by allowing you to use your skills to help them with their work. Taking these steps can help in the process and will show employers that you are engaged in human rights and willing to put in the effort they are looking for.

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