Your future work environment
Want to build a country program? Design and disseminate ultra low cost technologies that help people in developing communities improve their lives? Take a key role in a growing organization? Challenge yourself to work in a complex, unique and tremendously rewarding culture?
Practica is looking for a new Country Representative for Ethiopia. My job. It’s a cool job. A great job, actually. I can’t imagine a better place to have spent much of 2008-09 than in Ethiopia with Practica. Sometimes it’s been tough. Sometimes euphoric. But it’s never been boring, not for one second.
If I wasn’t heading back to school, I would be here far beyond September ‘09. It’s a great organization, with a proven track record, but also the flexibility to let you help shape the next few years. Ethiopia is a fascinating country, with tremendous potential. I’ll be sad to leave, but I’m very optimistic about Practica and our work in Ethiopia in the next few years.
Check out the job description here. Feel free to fire me any questions by email, or in the comments below. And please forward this on to anyone who might be interested.
Brendan
Country Director, Ethiopia
PRACTICA Foundation
www.practicafoundation.nl
A sample of PRACTICA work, people and technologies:
Practica's Vonjy trains IDE staff on manual drilling
Jan inspects a solar-steam pump prototype in the field
Kids with a Practica/EWV Rope Pump in Senegal
Training IDE Staff
Don and Teshome work on the wind pump in the Shop
Kids sample a new Rope Pump in Senegal
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Wish I had the qualifications, and gumption to drop everything I’ve got going here… I’ll miss living vicariously through your stories once you’re out of there… what a freakin’ great life experience you’ve had.
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Wish I was qualified. Sounds like a wonderful opportunity! Love that last picture of the kids! It’s priceless.
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hi there
we have a mutual friend, azadeh ardakani. she and i took a building a non-profit class a while back and have connected again with her beckoning for change event.
that’s how i found you.
i have a question for you, about how one gets in with an organization in the field. i am a trained actress without an undergraduate degree. i am getting a sustainable development certification thru IISD at colorado state, if that helps.
i am great at multi-tasking, seeing a bigger picture, working in/with groups yet able to function autonomously. i don’t think i can do war, but i can do crisis.
i am sort of at a loss on how to proceed. should i just head out somewhere and try to get on with an agency wherever i go (india is my first choice)? this suggestion has been floated out there by UN folk.
anyway. just thought you might have some ideas. i am a quick study, smart, dedicated and love a challenge. just don’t have the credentials.
many thanks.
lenny
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Brendan Reply:
August 6th, 2009 at 8:42 am
Hi Lenny,
Good and tough question. I’ll give a short answer now, and please follow up with more questions.
The first question is: what field? There is no ‘I want to do good’ field. The work is sophisticated, and often specialized. Doing it well requires the right outlook, expertise and experience. It’s like saying ‘I want to work in the money-making field’…. it doesn’t exist. So you’ll need to begin to break it down into sectors. Sustainability is a very very broad term, and can mean just about anything these days. So first should be a an ultra widespread internet search of NGOs and social enterprises, with the aim of trying to narrow it down to a field that really calls out to you. I can answer questions on this if you have them.
Then get there. Live there, wherever ‘there’ is. If you want to work in Africa, then you need to get experience working and living in Africa. As a manager, I would almost never hire somebody (for any role of significance) that hasn’t worked effectively in Sub-Saharan Africa already. You may have very valuable skills from your experience and study, but they’re only one part of the picture, and the cultural integration stuff is key. So get where you want to go, by any means possible. Volunteer is usually the first door. Do it. It seems like a sacrifice, especially for 1/2 to 1 year of your life. It’s not. You’ll gain so much more than you give from the experience. So get your foot in the door by any means, and understand that even as a volunteer, an organization is making a significant investment in you and your training. With fewer qualifications, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle, but putting yourself in a good situation in the field and doing a great job early in your career can give you a nice jump ahead.
I’m going to leave it at that, with two links to posts offering more detailed advice. First is from my friend Liz, who worked with us briefly in Ethiopia and is going through the same search: http://www.lyzadactyl.com/blog/?p=292. The second is by Alanna, a contact with great, no bullshit insight into development (with a focus on health): http://bloodandmilk.org/?p=1306
Good luck!
B
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great reply.
i do have to do my research and narrow in on a field/organization that resonates.
mostly, i wanted to know if it really was wise to basically take the risk in “showing up” somewhere and if there were legitimate ways to circumvent getting a degree–for now. i agree, the cultural integration is key. without it you are an outsider looking into a world you don’t understand & that’s no way to get things done.
thanks for your response. i appreciate the thoughts and the links.
be well.
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Brendan Reply:
August 7th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
No Problem. You’ve touched on ‘the jump’. I support jumping into something. I find comfort (or career comfort) relatively boring,a nd it really won’t help you get started in this.
Lack of a degree may be a hurdle, but is far from a deal-breaker. Just be strong in what you want, get very good at what you want to do, and you’ll do fine. It’s also a big network industry. Once you show people you’re good, it’ll help to find the next step.
Good luck,
B
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