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Analyst in an NGO

Kalach

Filthy Apes!
Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
4,310
MBTI Type
INTJ
This is what I'd like to be, an analyst in an NGO. My primary qualification is: I'm an INTJ.

It's a bit slim, I know. I also have a (very) modest academic background in Philosophy and eight years of living in China (all the while maintaining an embarrassing lack of Mandarin language skills). And I'm a few days away from starting a six month course of study to get myself a (very modest) business qualification.

I could do without working in a corporation. It rings up soulless on the give-a-damn o'meter.

Am I going to have to volunteer somewhere?

The last job I got genuinely serious about getting (to the point where it ultimately prompted my exit from China to seek better qualifications) was as an analyst in a European NGO that specialised in providing Human Rights solutions for companies setting out to do business in developing countries. That is, telling the companies how to manage themselves so they wouldn't set themselves up to violate human rights charters and conventions.

I'd volunteer for something like that.

Idealist.org and Devnetjobs have such nice looking jobs for such overwhelmingly qualified people, but I don't know where else to look yet.


What does one have to do, be born to hippies?
 

avolkiteshvara

New member
Joined
Apr 27, 2009
Messages
893
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YaYa
With no college nor direct experience, I suspect you'll probably have to hustle a little. Try contacting NGO or even Corps that reside in China, specifically the province you lived, and offer your expertise.

Unfortunately, Analyst type jobs are really competitive.

I gotta ask, if your only qualification is INTJ and you did nothing for 8 years, are you sure of your MBTI? INTJ get shit done.
 

Kalach

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Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
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INTJ
What I was getting done there was the molding of myself into the unlikely role of ESL instructor. Quite the against-type task. But I did it. And now I'm good and tired of it.

So now I'm going to be an analyst in an NGO. Watch out Koffi. Your job's next.


Hmmm, competitive, you say? Well, I do know there were more than 300 qualified applicants for that one analyst job I applied for last year. Ergo, gotta get moving. Qualifications will be one thing, but practice will be another, and I have the impression practice makes a difference in these kinds of jobs. So... where to start?

Can one start in the developing country itself? The people there have already been cleanly through whatever corrupt, soul-destroying process is required to be able to work with the local conditions. I haven't. I'm just a guy on the sidelines.

(I spoke to a Chinese ENTJ the other day about NGO work. "I bet someone's getting rich," is what she said about that.)

Gotta start... where? Europe? Thailand? New York?

I need practice being committed.
 

Qre:us

New member
Joined
Nov 21, 2008
Messages
4,890
Here's a few international organizations you may wanna look into, to at least get your foot in the direction you ultimately want to reach.

International Labour Organization (part of the UN, and I know people are sketchy about UN)

Then there's the International Labor Rights Forum
^ under their employment section, they have a few opportunities for unpaid internship, one is in China.
Employment & Internships | International Labor Rights Forum

Or contact other international labor rights organizations, and ask them about opportunities, volunteer even, just to get your experience up.

Another one is: Domestic Worker Rights
 

Kalach

Filthy Apes!
Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
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INTJ
^ Woo, good links, now we're talking. (*feels shame, 我普通话说的不够好,and I can read only, like, 10 characters*)

Still, :nice:. Thanks.

It's going to take me about six months to be somewhere I can get a job.
 

Qre:us

New member
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It's going to take me about six months to be somewhere I can get a job.

It may seem like you want the world as your oyster, but, it's good to get a target in place, and work towards that. So, pick a country, if you already have experience in China, that's already a step up. So, take the six months to volunteer with Labor Rights unions, locally. Take your course. Learn some basic level Chinese. Shape yourself to be qualified to sell yourself to a target focus. Otherwise, you'll be someone with interesting qualifications but nothing that makes you a cohesive package that's perfect for a specific location.

I need practice being committed.

Yes. This, imo, should be the philosophy for anyone who goes into such work. Commitment and dedication.

International Rights work usually takes a dedication to a cause, to get the ball rolling. So, find something that resonates with you (child labour? sweatshops? forced work? worker's safety? women workers?), and learn it, deeply, get involved in that aspect, so you can sell yourself as an 'expert' (with experience - even if volunteer).

Good luck! I, myself, understand your passion for such fields of work.

PS - it doesn't make you a hippy, it just makes you a person who wants to do work that impacts more than your own bubble of financial (in)security.
 

Kalach

Filthy Apes!
Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
4,310
MBTI Type
INTJ
It may seem like you want the world as your oyster, but, it's good to get a target in place, and work towards that. So, pick a country, if you already have experience in China, that's already a step up. So, take the six months to volunteer with Labor Rights unions, locally. Take your course. Learn some basic level Chinese. Shape yourself to be qualified to sell yourself to a target focus. Otherwise, you'll be someone with interesting qualifications but nothing that makes you a cohesive package that's perfect for a specific location.

Good plan.

Good luck! I, myself, understand your passion for such fields of work.

You do? I don't. Talking, say, on the topic of human rights, one--this one--sounds like a dork. It's a puzzle. I have exceptionally naive views. Untried and untested. (Well, that's not strictly true--the naive views govern how I interact with people, and how I set up, say, courses for students. having done that for years, I've been affecting in tiny ways what other people do... certainly what they do--or did--with a few hours of their week... literally thousands of persons have come into contact with me...

I shall be a benevolent leader, I feel. Analyzing from the shadows. Ten years from now a sidekick will have the trains run on time.
 

Gamine

in-game
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Messages
810
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ENTP
Enneagram
3w2
Good plan.

I shall be a benevolent leader, I feel. Analyzing from the shadows. Ten years from now a sidekick will have the trains run on time.

I'm curious, what analysis would you like to go into? Anything more specific? Your question has an Operations Management lean to it, ever thought about starting your own business? Maybe something with consulting?
 

Economica

Dhampyr
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
2,054
MBTI Type
INTJ
This is what I'd like to be, an analyst in an NGO. My primary qualification is: I'm an INTJ.

(...)

Am I going to have to volunteer somewhere?

I think volunteering would be a great way for an underqualified INTJ to leverage her chances for such a job. Get your foot in the door, use your INTJ-ness to make yourself first useful and then indispensable, and soon enough someone will find you deserving of a paid position. You just have to make sure you pick a fertile ground for your efforts so that an appropriate position will in fact eventually open up.

Good luck! :)
 

Kalach

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Joined
Dec 3, 2008
Messages
4,310
MBTI Type
INTJ
I'm curious, what analysis would you like to go into? Anything more specific? Your question has an Operations Management lean to it, ever thought about starting your own business? Maybe something with consulting?

:nice:

The last time I got hot for a job it needed someone who would operationalise Human Rights concerns. Specifically, create advice packages for companies moving into specific developing countries, where and how and what to do to NOT breach the various international conventions and covenants, and how to monitor their own compliance. Also the analyst would conduct research to make risk assessments and update the general tools for creating the advice packages.

It was a great idea at the time, applying for that job, but I think I may have to admit a big lack of background in this stuff. I really like the idea, but I'm also being fairly naive about it. So... not yet for the NGOs, I think. I don't yet have the stamina for the volunteering. One day, maybe.

I have actually thought recently about a business as a consultant. Lord preserve me, but an MBTI consultant. Maybe with something about cross cultural communication.
 
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