- Why do you want this job?
- What aspects of the job will give you pleasure and satisfaction?
- How do you know that this is the job for you?
- How do you handle conflict?
- Is it important that you are liked by people and colleagues?
- How do you handle stress?
- How do you balance work and family commitments?
- What kinds of things in the workplace could cause you sleepless nights?
- What would you hope to achieve within the first six months of getting this job?
- How would you measure your success?
Voluntary Service Overseas
VSO was established in 1958 to support human development through working to improve people's education, health, income and employment opportunities, and their ability to contribute to society. To date, they have sent volunteers to work in nearly 50 countries in Asia, Africa, the Pacific and the Caribbean.
VSO is seen as a two-way process. By sending volunteers to work in developing countries they hope to have a direct effect on the quality of life in the communities they serve but they also see the experience as a learning event for the volunteers. On their return it is hoped that they will be able to promote international understanding by being better informed about how people live overseas and the factors which shape their lives.
As a VSO volunteer you will need to be willing to share your skills, pass on what you have learned in your education and working life, and be happy to learn new methods from your colleagues. You will also need to have patience, tolerance and an open mind so that you can adapt to life in another society where many things will be different and unfamiliar.
VSO volunteers sign up for two years and most find their overseas experience deeply rewarding. Candidates require some kind of professional or craft qualification and, in most cases, over 18 months' experience in the fields of education, health, technical trades and engineering, social development, business and commercial development, and natural resources. Applications are welcome from all people irrespective of their sex, race or creed. VSO also welcomes applications from disabled people. You can apply to join VSO at any age from 20 to 70.
If your application is accepted, you will be eligible to receive grants towards essential clothing and travel but while you are on location you will be paid a local wage, roughly the same amount as someone who does the job in that country on a permanent basis.
A recent survey carried out on 1100 returning volunteers, shows that most who had hoped to return to their previous professions did so. Half the respondents who came home wanting to do something completely different managed to achieve this, as did the volunteers who had hoped to go on to further or higher education. The survey also showed that it took returning volunteers an average of just over two and a half months to find full-time employment back in the UK. Many who completed the questionnaire stated that VSO had helped them to find work on their return home. You won't get rich on VSO but the experience will be challenging, fulfilling and rewarding. You'll carry it with you for the rest of your life and you'll probably never be short of experiences to illustrate your strength of character in interview.
