Becoming an International Humanitarian Aid Worker

Chen Reis JD, MPH is a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Humanitarian Assistance Program at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, where she teaches courses related to humanitarian assistance and advises students seeking to enter humanitarian professions. She was previously a technical officer at the World Health Organization with appointments in the departments of Gender and Women’s Health and Health Action in Crises. Ms. Reis also served as a Senior Research Associate with Physicians for Human Rights (USA) where her work included studies on sexual violence, HIV & AIDS, conflict & health, women’s rights and children’s rights. Ms. Reis is an expert on sexual violence in humanitarian settings and on humanitarian policy. Tania Bernath has worked in the international humanitarian aid field for over twenty years and holds an MA and a certificate in the Advanced Study of Evaluation. She has worked with and for a wide array of organizations as both staff and a consultant, including UN agencies such as UNOCHA, UNICEF, UNDP; donors such as UKAID and USAID; consulting firms such as Overseas Strategic Consulting and Avenir Analytics; and international organizations including Doctors Without Borders, International Rescue Committee, Medica Mondiale, Lutheran World Service, Save the Children, and the Norwegian Refugee Council. She has worked in both the international humanitarian aid and human rights sector in post conflict and emergency settings. The range of countries she has worked in includes: Liberia, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Rwanda, Myanmar, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Burundi, Afghanistan, and more.

Part I: Background Information1. International Humanitarian Aid Today2. Humanitarian Organizations and Jobs3. The Reality of Working in Humanitarian Aid

Part II: Preparing to Work in Humanitarian Aid4. Core Competencies in Humanitarian Action: Soft Skills5. Core Competencies in Humanitarian Action: Hard Skills6. Experiences7. Networks

Part III: Searching for Jobs and What You Need to Know When You Have an Offer8. Job Search9. After the Job Offer