2. UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND PRESENTS,
A Graduate School / World of Work Initiative:
The Postgraduate’s Job Search Guide
A One-Day Workshop
Masters and PhD Students at Wits
Boitumelo Nteka Helena MOATSHE
What skills an NGO or regional organization is looking
for
How to package your skills when looking for a position in
these organizations
Unsolicited engagement, and getting a foot in the door

3. Non Government Organisation
The term non-governmental
organization (NGO) is used in a variety
of ways all over the world and, depending
on the context in which it is used, can
refer to many different types of
organizations. In its broadest sense, a
non-governmental organization is one
which is not directly part of the structure
of government.

4. Non Government Organisation
Not all people working for non-governmental
organizations are volunteers. Paid staff members
typically receive lower pay than in the
commercial private sector[citation needed].
Employees are highly committed to the aims and
principles of the organization. The reasons
people volunteer are not necessarily purely
altruistic, and can provide immediate benefits for
themselves as well as those they serve,
including skills, experience, and contacts

5. NGO’s answer to unemployment
The NGO sector is an important employer
in terms of numbers. For example, by the
end of 1995, CONCERN worldwide, an
international Northern NGO working
against poverty, employed 174 expatriates
and just over 5,000 national staff working
in ten developing countries in Africa and
Asia, and in Haiti.

6. Challenges faced by NGOs
Governance, people sitting in the boards does not know the role
of being NGO board member as they don’t receive sufficient
training on their role.
There are no fundraisers, organisations no longer fundraise until
their funds dry up
Financial management , organisations are not able to account for
the funds according to funders and loose those funds
Organisation have a problem of managing volunteers , they forget
that they are in transit and therefore those with capacity they
want to keep should be absorbed into organisation
Organisations does not keep to their core business, they have so
many programmes that they want to specialise in, sometimes due
to funding that is tailor-made for specific programmes

7. MAKING THE KITE
STRINGS
PLASTIC
STRAWS
SCISSORS
RULER
MARKER
TAPE

8. FLYING A KITE
LONGER STRING
WIND
STRATEGY TO TAKE OFF
TECHNIQUE TO SUSPECT THE KITE
SUITABLE ENVIRONMENT
ONLOOKERS

9. COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
Group dynamics
Community integration
Problem identification
Community investigation
Facilitation
Mobilization
Communication
Role playing
Objectivity, monitoring and evaluation

10. DOCUMENTATION, DISSEMINATION
OF INFORMATION
Small group formation
Clarification of values and vision
Group dynamics
Different kinds of media production
Communication skills and visual aids
Conscientization/senticizing skills (??)
Advocacy
Networking and linkages

11. TRAINING TECHNIQUES
Use of cultural forms
Use of media
On-the-job training - participant observation
Workshop organization
Group dynamics
Practice-Theory/Action-reflection
Exposure programme
Group discussion and synthesis, brain-storming
Self-learning kits and modules

12. PARTICIPATORY ACTION
RESEARCH
Identification of research problem
Identification of different research tools
Data gathering
Analysis of data
Consultation with the community and
validation of data
Drawing of conclusions
Making of recommendations

13. BUSINESS SKILLS
Planning
Participatory (circular) management
Accounting and bookkeeping
Marketing and purchasing
Negotiation
Monitoring and record keeping
Technical skill in micro-computers
Organizing cooperatives/credit unions
Handling labour problems
Understanding legal aspects.

14. EXPERIENCE SEEKING
SET PERSONAL VISION
MISSION AND OWN OBJECTIVES
SWOT YOURSELF
PLAN HOW TO
CHOOSE YOUR STRATEGY
VOLUNTEERING
NGO ROUTE
LEARNERSHIP PROGRAMMES
CHOOSE TOPIC OF INTEREST – RESEARCH
ATTEND WORKSHOPS
REGISTER WITH PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS – volunteer
WRITE PAPERS AND PRESENT
WRITE ARTICLES TO NEWSPAPERS

15. APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGIES
RELEVENCE TO THE SECTOR OF
INTEREST
HOBBY YOUR SKILLS
SWEET SPOT

16. WHY ALL THESE SKILLS
TO MAKE A KITe
TO ENSURE THAT YOUR KITE IS NOT
TANGLED
TO KEEP THE ONLOOKERS AMUZED AND
ENTERTAINED
TO STAY FOCUSED – ENVIRONMENT
TO FIND A SWEET SPOT

17. THE ELEPHANT STORY
As I was passing the elephants, I suddenly
stopped, confused by the fact that these
huge creatures were being held by only a
small rope tied to their front leg. No
chins, no cage. It was obvious that the
elephants could, at anytime, break away
from the ropes they were tied to but for
some reason, they did not

18. We are like elephants
I saw the trainer near by and asked why these
beautiful, maginificent animals just stood there
and made no attempt to get away.
“Well”, he said, when they are very young and
much smaller we use the same size rope to tie
them and, at that age, it’s enough tohold them.
As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe
they cannot break away. They believe the rope
can still hold them, so they never try to break
free.”

19. Conclusion
I was amazed. These animals could at
any time break free from their bonds but
because they believed they could not,
they were stuck right where they were.
Like the elephants, how many of us go
through life hanging onto belief that we
cannot do something, simply because we
failed at it once before?