Description: Do you wonder what job opportunities you might have in conflict zones? Read the article below to find out about the career options in conflict zones and the skills that might be required.
Getting a job in a conflict zone is a brave decision. Despite the desire to help the world, the reasons for choosing this path might be questionable. It is not only an adventurous experience but a hard work that demands a lot of patience, determination, and awareness. A lot of different specialists needed in conflict zones, and if you are sure this is for you, there are a lot of jobs from distributing food to managing the computer networks. Check the list of possible career choices in conflict zones below to make sure you have necessary skills and attitude.
Health Care Professional
Health care worker is one of the most in-demand professions in such regions because of the armed conflicts. The refugees need the help of doctors, nurses, and hygiene specialists. Performing surgeries, carrying out vaccination campaigns, feeding malnourished children might become your responsibilities. Finding a job like this is possible through the organization Doctors Without Borders that has the recruitment offices in different countries. Previous professional experience is usually required. The knowledge of foreign languages, supervising skills, the experience of traveling and working abroad might give more chances to get hired.
War Correspondent
The profession of a journalist is quite interesting and important when you work locally but in a conflict zone, it becomes especially valuable. Reporting the news about the situation changes is often risky and demands specific skills. It is necessary to know local dialects, culture, the history, and the politics of the country. The candidate with knowledge of law, politics, languages, or theology might have better chances than those who studied only journalism. Adaptability, flexibility, and being in a good shape is also required. You should be ready that complete security of a correspondent cannot be guaranteed.
Technician
Technology is highly important to win the communication war. Technicians are usually well-paid and valued in conflict zones. The workers are usually in charge of providing desktop support, maintaining satellite and phone communication systems, and installing network cables. If a specialist works for a while, developing software and IT consultancy might also become his responsibilities. The diversity of skills and experience in solving different IT issues is the main requirement. It is not convenient to hire an expert for each kind of maintenance work. A degree in engineering is a must for a candidate. Do not forget to be ready for power cuts and bad Internet connection.
War Crime Investigator
Genocide, wrong incarceration, drone attacks, and other crimes against humanity cannot be fully solved by national governments. The organizations like the United Nations and Interpol try to help with this job for many years. War crime investigators deal with interviewing witnesses, researching the forensic evidence and crime scenes. To get a job it is necessary to have an experience in security forces in your own country. When you get into international investigation program, you have to train at least for six months mastering the local language and cultural peculiarities. The training also includes improving investigative and analysis skills, documenting scenes of war crimes, and other profession related exercises.
Humanitarian Aid Worker
Despite the common misconceptions, becoming a humanitarian aid worker is not easy. The non-governmental organizations are more eager to hire people from within than international workers. Local people often do a better job understanding the language, culture, and infrastructure. Nonetheless, a foreign candidate can find a job through volunteering. A few years of voluntary work, knowledge of the local dialects and mentality could help get employed. Humanitarian aid workers should be enthusiastic, have great communicational skills, and be ready to live in difficult conditions without electricity or water.