# data[].attributes.headline
How can I contact SOAS Development Studies alumni?

# data[].attributes.subject
How can I contact SOAS Development Studies alumni?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
To increase your chances of securing a job in the third sector find out more about the qualifications and skills you'll need and what internships and graduate schemes are on offer to help you kick start your charity career

Do I need a degree?

For some charity jobs, such as charity fundraiser, volunteer coordinator and charity officer, there are no specific degree requirements. The subject you studied isn't as important as practical skills and enthusiasm for the charity's cause. However, that said around half of the voluntary sector workforce is educated to degree level or higher.

To improve your chances of securing a charity job you could study:

business studies

community development/studies

social policy and administration

sociology

voluntary sector management

youth work.

For specific roles in accounting and finance, HR, IT and marketing, advertising and PR, charity employers may ask for undergraduate qualifications in subjects such as accountancy, business, consulting and management, human resource management, IT, marketing and social work.

Careers in international development are a popular choice and a Bachelors in international development is typically required. For more information, see international development courses. A postgraduate degree in the subject may increase your chances of entry in this competitive field.

What skills do charity employers want?

You will need to show:

Adaptability and flexibility - working for a charity, you'll need to be able to perform in multiple functions and work with a variety of people. You'll also need to adapt to fluctuating funding and resources and be flexible enough to work on temporary contracts when needed.

Commercial awareness - you'll need a solid understanding of the charity sector and any issues that might affect an organisations ability to operate successfully. You'll also need to be knowledgeable about what other similar charities are doing and how they operate.

Commitment and motivation - being passionate about the cause that you're championing is arguably the most important factor of all. This is at your job's core, and it's important that you can work with similarly minded colleagues to achieve a common goal.

Communication skills - being able to effectively communicate with a range of people including colleagues, service users, the public, and the media is essential when it comes to charity jobs.

Creativity and innovation - whichever charitable organisation you work for, creativity and innovation will be central to your role. You need to be able to offer new perspectives and come up with new ideas and ways of doing things, such as fundraising.

Negotiation and persuasion - these skills are vital, especially for charity fundraisers and directors. You need to be able to drum up support, bid for funding and raise money and awareness for your cause.

Organisational skills - as previously mentioned you'd need to juggle a lot of balls as a charity employee. Particularly in smaller charities it's likely that you'll fulfil a variety of roles so organisational skills are a must.

Language skills - while not essential, you may find speaking a second language useful, especially if working for an international charity.

Discover the soft skills employers are looking for.

Which organisations run charity internships?

Work experience is highly sought after by graduate employers, and many employees volunteer before gaining paid contracts.

Paid internships in the third sector are hard to find and rarely advertised. Wellcome run a Summer Internship Programme offering participants the chance to work alongside experienced staff in an area of their choice. Over eight weeks interns earn the London Living Wage, which is currently £11.05 an hour.

Cancer Research UK offers a paid 12-week internship across departments such as fundraising, communications, technology, policy and business strategy.

However, the majority of charity internships are voluntary (unpaid) and operate on a part-time, flexible basis (usually a couple of days a week), meaning that volunteers can work alongside their placement. Voluntary, third sector internships are mainly offered by large charities such as:

Barnardo's

British Red Cross

Child Bereavement UK

CLIC Sargent

Macmillan Cancer Support

Marie Curie

Oxfam

The Children's Trust.

Schemes can last from one month to a year; although on average take 12 weeks to complete. Participants gain experience in a number of fields such as marketing and events, fundraising, project management, accounting, HR, IT, volunteer recruitment and digital media.

The charity sector has a long-established tradition of offering relevant work experience through volunteering, so smaller organisations will also have opportunities that can provide valuable experience. You can search on websites such as Do-it. Also, learn more about volunteering with animals and discover 10 opportunities to volunteer with children.

There are numerous organisations that can help you find volunteering projects abroad, but you must be aware of the high costs that may be involved and of any restrictions put in place due to coronavirus.

You can also develop useful skills while at university by, for example, setting up a student society or organising fundraising activities for events such as Children in Need or Comic Relief.

To find placements and internships, search for work experience in the charity and voluntary work sector.

Sign up to get personalised job alerts and shortlist your favourites

What charity graduate schemes are on offer?

Like paid internships, charity graduate schemes are rare. However, opportunities can be uncovered with tenacity and research.

Large organisations are more likely to offer formal graduate opportunities. For example, Cancer Research UK offers a number of programmes in areas such as fundraising and marketing, finance, policy, information and communications, scientific strategy and funding, technology and HR. Schemes last between two and three years.

The Charityworks Graduate Trainee Scheme is a 12-month programme, which sees graduates working a full-time job in a partner charity (such as Age UK or the NSPCC) or a housing association. You'll also take part in a leadership programme. The salary for the 2022/23 programme is yet to be confirmed but to give you an idea, last year's intake earned £18,800 (UK-wide) or £21,600 (in London).

IntoUniversity is a charity that helps young people with gaining a place at university. Each year the organisation accepts 50 graduates onto its two-year graduate scheme where you'll deliver education programmes to young people in some of the UK's most disadvantaged areas and help them achieve a university place.

Charity graduate schemes are extremely competitive, made even more so by their scarcity. You'll typically need a 2:1 undergraduate degree and a specific number of UCAS points to be eligible.

Where do I look for vacancies?

General employment opportunities, especially those at large, national or international organisations are usually advertised online. However, bear in mind that the majority of the sector is made up of smaller organisations that operate on small budgets and therefore don't always have the money to spend on widespread recruitment campaigns. Consider signing up to sector-specific charity recruitment agencies such as Charity People, TPP Recruitment, Charisma and Eden Brown. Smaller organisations may also advertise on their own websites or in local newspapers.

If you've already completed a period of work experience or volunteering with a charity you'd like to work for you could utilise your contacts and make a speculative application. Tailor your applications to each charity and explain how you'd be an asset to the organisation. If you take the trouble to find a named contact, you're more likely to receive a reply.

Social media is also a useful tool. The majority of charities, even the small ones, have a social media presence. Follow and keep an eye on the accounts of organisations of interest. Through a charity's social media activity you can find out about campaigns and events, build contacts and uncover vacancies.

Specialist websites advertising charity and voluntary jobs include:

Another option is to set up your own charity but this requires a lot of hard work and big decision-making. The NCVO site contains information on how to start your own charity but advises that you first think if your cause and aims are covered by an existing organisation.

Learn more about available charity sector jobs.

Why should I consider working for a local charity?

Small and local charities dominate the charity and voluntary work sector and one advantage of working for a local charity is the broader level of involvement that employees enjoy. While getting stuck into diverse areas of work can greatly boost your CV and broaden your career horizons, there are other advantages as well. When you work for a local charity it's easier to see the impact that you as an individual have on service users and this can bring a huge sense of satisfaction.

The opportunities on offer depend on where you live. A quick online search should give you a general idea of the charities local to your area; here are some that rely on the help of employees and volunteers:

Break (Norfolk)

Carefree Cornwall

Fresh Start (Edinburgh)

Jessie May (Bristol)

Mustard Tree (Manchester)

The Renewal Trust (Nottingham)

Sheffield Young Carers

SHP (London)

Smile for life (Newcastle)

The Old Enfield Charitable Trust (London)

42nd Street (Manchester).

One of the best ways to stand out to charity employers is to do some voluntary work. Not only does it boost your skills, increase your contacts and look great on your CV, it also demonstrates a real enthusiasm for the third sector.

Find out more

Written by Jemma Smith, Editor

Prospects · December 2021

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
To increase your chances of securing a job in the third sector find out more about the qualifications and skills you'll need and what internships and graduate schemes are on offer to help you kick start your charity career For some charity jobs, such as charity fundraiser, volunteer coordinator and charity officer, there are no specific degree requirements.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
International aid/development worker job profile | Prospects.ac.uk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover what it takes to be a International aid/development worker. Find out expected salary, working hours, qualifications and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The full-time Master in Supply Chain Management is unique in Europe. It combines a thorough education in relevant theories and state-of-the-art methods and techniques with a transdisciplinary and integrated view to gain a deeper understanding of supply chain related decision problems from a performance perspective.

The degree program has reached an outstanding 3rd place in the QS World University Rankings for Masters in Supply Chain Management 2021.

Course detail

Supply chain networks are the skeletons that underpin the business world. These networks are increasingly global in nature, with products consisting of parts manufactured in different regions of the world, assembled in other locations, and then shipped across continents to retailers and consumers. Such complex networks consist of

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Master of Science in Supply Chain Management at WU - Vienna University of Economics and Business on FindAMasters.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The full-time Master in Supply Chain Management is unique in Europe. It combines a thorough education in relevant theories and state-of-the-art methods and techniques with a transdisciplinary and integrated view to gain a deeper understanding of supply chain related decision problems from a performance perspective.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As a Charityworks Trainee you will spend one year on the Charityworks Programme. During that year you will undertake a full time placement in one of the Charityworks partner organisations. Your role within the host charity or housing association will vary depending on the nature of placement you will be undertaking. You will be supported through the programme and placement by your peers, a mentor, and the Charityworks Programme Team.

Job Details

Job Title: Charityworks Trainee

Salary: The salary for the 2023/24 programme will meet the Living Wage (as set by the Living Wage Foundation). For reference, the salary last year was £21,255 (UK-wide) and £23,302.50 for London-based placements.

Employer: One of our Charityworks partner organisations.

Location: Placements will take place in organisations across a number of locations across the UK.

Hours: Usually 9am - 5pm with some flexibility according to the requirements of the placement and your host organisation.

Contract: Fixed term, 12 months commencing from Autumn 2023.

Job Overview

Charityworks placements vary so much that it is hard to provide a universal job description, but many of the circumstances, opportunities and challenges you will encounter over the course of the year will be common across your class.

As with any new job the more you put in the more you will get out. You will be expected to join a new organisation and hit the ground running, to build trust and relationships quickly and to start contributing to the organisation immediately. If you are willing to use your initiative, think creatively about your work, and communicate effectively, you will put yourself in a strong position to take on interesting projects and more responsibility as you progress through the year.

Regardless of where you are placed or what your role involves during your time on the programme, you will face similar challenges as you go through the year. As with all jobs, there will be a balance between work you find fascinating and work you find less interesting, and we expect you to adjust to that balance. We don't expect all placements to be perfect from the beginning, but we do expect you to be resilient and to communicate well with the Charityworks team, your placement supervisor, and your mentor to make the placement work for you and to maximise your effectiveness for the charity and its beneficiaries.

The Charityworks programme requires you to balance a demanding full-time job with additional learning commitments across the rest of the programme (such as monthly peer cohort days, conferences, personal development planning, impact research assignments and mentoring sessions). The people who get the most out of Charityworks are always those that make the most of the opportunities the programme makes available. We are looking for people who want to take responsibility for their own learning and development, who want to work hard to make the most out of the opportunity.

Duties & Responsibilities

Deliver a specified role within one of our partner organisations. Carry out your responsibilities as outlined in your job description and work plan to the best of your abilities, and in agreement with your Placement Supervisor.

Engage positively with all aspects of the Charityworks leadership development programme - attend and engage in all cohort sessions and conferences, proactively engage with your mentor and deliver impact research assignments to a high standard.

Respond to all communications from Charityworks in a timely and professional manner, meeting deadlines and responding to all feedback and evaluation requests.

Take responsibility for keeping Charityworks informed regarding your placement, and your own professional development.

Learn about your placement organisation by connecting with colleagues, teams and familiarising yourself with your organisation's mission, cause and strategy.

Provide support and challenge to your graduate trainee peers on the Charityworks programme and commit to developing a positive peer group.

Build relationships within and beyond your placement organisation and expand your professional horizons.

Be an ambassador for Charityworks by being a positive role model to other graduate trainees and future applicants and demonstrating our values, culture and standards when working on placement at our partner organisations.

This list of responsibilities is not necessarily an exhaustive list of duties and will be supplemented by a role description relevant to your individual placement.

Wh o will I be working for?

Charityworks operates through a collaborative network of non-profit organisations and as such our placements exist within charities and housing associations across the UK. All of our partner organisations share a common desire to attract more talent and generate more social impact. To see a list of the types of organisations you might be placed with through Charityworks please visit the Network page of our website for a list of current and past partners. Click here.

What type of roles are there?

Charityworks places Trainees into existing jobs across a range of organisations, and as such, the roles are highly diverse. However, some examples of some of the common roles are as follows:
Business development and fundraising

Supporting existing streams of income that support your organisation

Developing new business opportunities that can help to maximise the organisation's income or profile

Organising, delivering and evaluating fundraising events

Researching, securing and maximizing income from trusts, lottery and statutory sources

Writing funding bids

Database management

Communication and campaigns

Developing and delivering campaigns to members of the public, opinion formers, politicians and the media.

Raising the charity's profile by planning and delivering external communications to key audiences

Managing communication products - such as members' newsletters, annual report, Facebook, Twitter

Helping to promote and raise awareness of your charity cause through press and PR, media coverage newsletters, magazines, case studies, promotional materials and other communications

Human Resources and Internal Communications

Assisting in developing, implementing and maintaining HR policies and procedures to ensure the consistent management of staff throughout the organisation

Responding to enquiries from internal and external customers

Delivering and evaluating internal communications strategies to ensure employee engagement

Developing, managing and attending training courses.

Research and Policy

Conducting original and desk-based research and summarizing it in research reports

Conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis on the available data

Preparing briefing documents and public positioning statements on key policy issues

Preparing responses to government consultations.

Analysing information confidently and effectively.

Frontline and customer facing

Supporting teams delivering frontline services

Managing sessional workers or volunteers

Identifying unmet needs within existing service provision

Working directly with service users

Reporting to commissioners

Technology and finance*

Managing systems in IT and technology

Coding and application design & management

Finance management and accountancy

Investment analysis, portfolio management

*If you have a degree in IT or Finance, and are looking to take up a role in one of these areas on the programme, you'll qualify for an accelerated application. To find out more click here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Charityworks Programme - Charityworks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Job Title: Charityworks Trainee Salary: The salary for the 2023/24 programme will meet the Living Wage (as set by the Living Wage Foundation). For reference, the salary last year was £21,255 (UK-wide) and £23,302.50 for London-based placements. Employer: One of our Charityworks partner organisations.

# data[].attributes.headline
often times in career advice, the filters don't seem to have development specific filters. What are some filters that might be useful for job alerts and finding development specific opportunities?

# data[].attributes.subject
often times in career advice, the filters don't seem to have development specific filters. What are some filters that might be useful for job alerts and finding development specific opportunities?

# data[].attributes.headline
Sometimes engaging in career opportunities (even volunteering) requires a robust background of experience. What advice can be given to someone who has little to no experience in the development field and is looking to begin engaging within it?

# data[].attributes.subject
Sometimes engaging in career opportunities (even volunteering) requires a robust background of experience. What advice can be given to someone who has little to no experience in the development field and is looking to begin engaging within it?

# data[].attributes.body
As someone that has worked in development based in Japan, I wonder what is the best step to get in to development work with organizations based in the UK/EU/US. Is an internship necessary as a step toward full time employment?

# data[].attributes.headline
Would you recommend any job/internship sites for humanitarianism/conflict etc sector?

# data[].attributes.subject
Would you recommend any job/internship sites for humanitarianism/conflict etc sector?