Whenever I told people that I was working in Fiji, most people assumed I was living the dream- living in a beach hut on paradise-white sands, swanning around in 30 degree heat. Yes, I did have the time of my life there- and yes, the beaches certainly helped- but that wasn't the main reason. Our nearest beach was actually around 45 minutes away- and, although it was gorgeous, was not the 'perfect beach' that everybody imagines when they think of Fiji. Suva had enough to do, with good Indian and Chinese restaurants and a (bloody freezing) cinema, but it was not a place that most people would choose for their holiday.
Now, why am I telling you all this, while also putting together a 'How-To' guide to getting a job in a country like Fiji? All I'm saying is, working in a developing country isn't easy- and you should not go there just because of the picture-perfect postcards you've seen. You should go there to throw yourself completely out of your depth, and into a fascinating new culture. You should go there to try new foods, new ideas, new ways of living. You should go there because you want to shake up your life, not put it on hold by taking one elongated vacation.
Does all that sound like something you want? Then read on, my friend. This guide is for those who
want to work abroad, but feel that they do not have the right qualifications. There's a song from the musical Avenue Q called
What Do You Do With A BA In English that struck home a little too much for me. Don't get me wrong, I loved my degree- but it didn't really give me a work direction, or any unique work skills that would make me stand out from every other traveller. I never thought in a million
years that I'd be able to land a paid teaching job, with
no qualifications and
no experience. Honestly, I'd never even had a week's work experience in a school.
 |
| Princeton asks his audience in Avenue Q: 'What Do You Do With A BA In English?' |
So, are you in the same boat? Do you want to work in a developing country, but fear your qualifications will not set you apart from the rest? Here are a few tips on how you can make it happen...
1.
Book your flight out there: I know this may sound silly- it's pretty difficult to get a job in a developing country if you can't actually get there- but believe me, booking that flight will be the scariest part of the whole process. Once you've made up your mind, decided there are far more pros than cons (there almost always are), then just DO IT. Don't keep umming and ahhing- look around for cheap flights on Skyscanner (http://www.skyscanner.net) and just book it!
2.
Seek out the nearest volunteering centres near you: Now, I was quite lucky, as opposite Patrick's work building in Suva there was a huge red sign that screamed 'FCOSS NATIONAL VOLUNTEER CENTRE'. That made the whole process a little easier for me- but I was always passing new volunteer places in Suva that I'm sure would love somebody to walk in and say 'Hey, can I be a volunteer?'. I think those were my exact words at the Fiji Council of Social Services actually. Anyway, volunteering is fantastic for two main reasons: your CV, and opportunities. Having a volunteering position on your CV shows that a) you would rather work for free than be a layabout, and b) that money is not a concern to you. Opportunities wise, you never know what you will do, or who you will meet...it sounds obvious, but talking to people is the best way of finding out about opportunities you may otherwise have missed, or even dismissed.
3. Be a hands-on volunteer: Don't be afraid to try things that you've never tried before. I was initially terrified when asked to give two workshops on creative writing: one on 'Effective Report Writing' (never written a report in my life) and one on 'Life Writing' (am nowhere near writing my autobiography). But, I embraced the challenge, and threw myself into it with gusto. There was a lingering fear that everybody would see me as the fraud that I was- after all, I just had an English degree, I wasn't a lecturer or anything. But that never happened. About 10-15 people signed up for each workshop, and gave good feedback at the end of it. One lady at the end of the 'Life Writing' course even e-mailed me with one of her chapters! From that moment on, I learned to never say 'I can't do that'...and I think it was that attitude that led to the success at the next step..
4. Apply for work experience at your chosen workplace: On a weekend break, I met an American lady called Miki- and, because I was a little worried about it, we got chatting about jobs.
'Why don't you apply at the International School Suva?' Miki said.
I quickly replied, 'But I'm not qualified!'\
'I don't think that matters,' she said. 'I think they really need people.'
A few weeks passed, and I didn't apply. How was I going to sell myself when I had never taught before?But Miki's words stuck with me...and I decided that I should just apply for work experience. That would give me an insight into teaching, look good on my CV, and- on a shallow note- curb my boredom. Before I knew it, the headmistress had emailed me back for an interview, and had told me in said interview that there 'might be a position at the end of it'! Not what I was expecting at all...nor was I expecting to be teaching one kid 2 hours a day right from the word 'go'! No teacher should have favourites, but this particular child did sneak his way into my heart...
5. Apply for other jobs in your field, as backup: So, although things were going well at my work experience at the International School (ISS), I was still unsure whether they were going to find a better, more qualified teacher to give the position to instead of me. So, with my new teaching work experience on my CV, I started applying for other teaching jobs- and got a response from the Fiji National University in Nadi, the airport town 4 hours way. Not ideal, but I thought it would be better to be 4 hours away by car from my boyfriend than 24 hours by plane. It turns out they also really needed people, and I got offered the job on the spot. Now, a word of warning: make sure you have a working visa sorted before you start work in a developing country. At FNU, they wanted me to start the next week, and sort the visa out later. The visa may take a while, but you want to make sure everything is completely kosher with your contract before you start. Don't let this put you off- most good companies, if they want to keep you on, will happily help you to sort out a working visa, and will understand that you cannot start until this has gone through. At ISS, they were used to getting working visas for ex-pats, so the whole process was relatively quick (as quick as Fiji time can be!), free (for me!) and painless.
6. Have the time of your life: Once you're at your job, continue with the attitude you had with volunteering: throw yourself into it, have a laugh with your new work colleagues, focus on the positives, learn from the negatives, and I'm sure you'll have nothing but a fantastic time.
I'm sure there are many other avenues then the one I took- but even if this inspires just one person to take that chance and book that flight, then I will be happy. You DO have unique qualities to offer an employer; you've just got to make the most of them.
Good luck!
