What to expect from Charities and NGOs Themed Week 2020

Written by Sally Brown, Careers Consultant, UCL Careers

Want an impactful career that will benefit many lives?

Getting into Charities and NGOs can be competitive, but you can find success by learning from leading organisations and professionals. Their experiences will show you what this sector is really like and how to find a route into a fulfilling career.

What does it mean to be a charity or an NGO?

Generally speaking, a charity is an organisation has to be recognised by the Charity Commission as having a purpose that is for the ‘public benefit’. This includes activities such as the prevention or relief of poverty, the advancement of things like education and the relief of those in need. An NGO or a ‘non-governmental organisation’, is a not-for-profit company that has been created to serve the community and its citizens in some way – for example, this could be in raising concerns with governments by being an advocate for a group of specific people.

What roles can I do in the sector after I graduate?

Like any sector, there are many different roles. Our first panel event ‘Behind the Scenes’ will take a look at roles that focus on making organisations run smoothly and effectively; such as communications, research and campaigns.

Interested in working directly with the people an organisation supports? Then come to our second event ‘On the Front Line’ – where you will hear from professionals about the work that they do, as well as some great tips for getting into this sector.

What about volunteering whilst I am a student?

This a great way of helping out causes that matter to you, building up skills for your CV and a fantastic chance to network with relevant professionals in the field. Why not come along to our interactive workshop Creating Social Purpose: Volunteering to find out about sourcing opportunities, the benefits for your future career and even how to create your own volunteering opportunity!

What is it like working in the sector?

So, you’ve done your research about the Charities and NGOs sector, you have identified some organisations and/or roles that sound interesting on paper – but what is it really like working in this sector on a day to day basis? Our fourth and final event ‘Meet the Alumni’, will give you a chance to meet 18 different professionals in a structured networking session.

Where can I find opportunities?

We will be posting relevant jobs from MyUCLCareers, throughout the week on our social media pages. But you can also find out more from visiting organisation websites, the relevant section on Prospects, or on sector-specific jobs boards such as Charity Jobs. For volunteering role, use the filters on our MyUCLCareers vacancies tab or see what the Volunteering Services Unit (VSU) at UCL have to offer.

I’m a bit nervous about networking/talking with the guest speakers.

Not to worry, many people find this daunting, so why not attend the upcoming Careers Essentials workshop on Career Essentials: Making the most of Panels and Alumni events.

To find out more and to book, please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/about/events/themed-weeks/charities