Climb the career ladder by doing good

Shona Jennings meeting with Maasai women in Kenya.

Danielle Wright talks to two Kiwis who have carved successful career paths by working towards global social change.

The world is awash with lifestyle bloggers showing off their healthy breakfasts and YouTube sensations seeking the limelight, but, under the radar, New Zealanders are flying the flag in aid organisations, in the UN and taking up careers in the growing field of international development.

The growth in the field is likely fuelled by the availability of study options and Kiwi role models, such as Helen Clark in the UN, who continue to inspire further generations to do good for others as they create a career for themselves.

One expat, Deborah Leaver, recently returned to New Zealand for a visit from her post as country director for ChildFund Vietnam. In this role, she manages ChildFund's country-wide aid programme. She was the youngest person to hold such a position in the organisation when she was appointed in 2010, then in her early thirties. She now heads a staff of 100.

Originally from the Waikato, she spent much of her childhood on her aunt's farm on the outskirts of Hamilton, believing she would go into management consulting after university. Midway through her studies, though, she volunteered in Cambodia and was confronted by youth her own age who didn't have the opportunities she did.

"I wanted to be able to use my skills to make a positive change in people's lives and started applying for jobs in the development sector instead," explains Leaver.

"I ended up working in community development with vulnerable indigenous youth in Australia."

That was the beginning of a career that would see her working in a range of roles, including for a consulting company implementing international development and volunteer programmes, working in Aceh helping respond to the 2004 Tsunami, responding to disasters and in-conflict situations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, and eventually to her role at ChildFund in Vietnam, focusing on the rights of children. "Studying commerce, language, history and politics at an undergraduate level helped me understand how economies and politics were inter-related," explains Leaver. "Studying languages and history also helped me learn new languages more quickly and appreciate the differences in approaches to communication."

Deborah Leaver visiting schoolchildren in Vietnam.

She has now completed a Masters Degree in International Development, which she believes has helped her develop her technical skills, and she is midway through a Masters Degree in Human Rights. But no amount of study prepared her for the realities of the job.

"One day I might be in the countryside talking to children about short-filmmaking or talking to farmers about improving their crops. Another day I might be talking to government about reviewing child protection laws," says Leaver.

"No two days are the same."

Her advice for people wanting to follow in her footsteps is to volunteer or intern with an NGO.

She also recommends trying to balance practical experience with study. And while being away from family is hard, she says the best thing is: "You will go to amazing places and meet people who will astound, inspire and humble you.

"I have worked hard, but I have been lucky with the opportunities I have been offered," says Leaver. "My career has been a series of serendipitous events influenced by a number of brave and inspirational people, from colleagues I have worked with to so many of the strong and resilient members of communities with whom I have worked."

Colleague Shona Jennings is based in Auckland as ChildFund New Zealand's Programmes Director. With a background in marketing and journalism, she later retrained, gaining a post-graduate qualification and later a Masters in Development Studies, before working in the field. After graduating, she worked for Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) as the external relations manager.

Shona Jennings and Deborah Leaver.

"While at VSA, I was asked to interview a prospect for a two-year volunteer assignment in South Africa, working in advocacy," says Jennings. "I said, 'I want that job, so you'd better find someone who can interview us both!'"

She ended up landing the assignment and moved with her husband and daughter to the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The position morphed into a bigger job, working for an organisation assisting many different NGOs throughout the province, working on everything from disease prevention to agriculture.

"It was humbling, shocking, invigorating and inspiring," says Jennings. "But it's all worth it when you get those pinch-me moments. When I arrive at a ChildFund project site and, rounding a bend in the road, I am suddenly ambushed by hordes of smiling faces who have come out, singing and dancing, to say 'thank you'. When I see the joy with which they greet me, I always think, 'How lucky am I!' I wish our donors and supporters could experience it, too."

Many universities are now offering degrees or specialisation in development studies, some with flexible learning arrangements to cater to the mobile lifestyle of those already working in the field. While university study isn't a prerequisite to volunteer work, Jennings believes learning the theory is important if you want to find work with a credible organisation.

Jennings says there are many options available for work, such as programme management, policy advisers, statisticians and monitoring specialists, as well as advisers specialising in their field of expertise relevant to community development - engineers, nurses and health workers, environmental scientists, planners, forestry and agriculture.

"It's such a rewarding job in every way. But the most awesome feeling comes from the work we do with children; helping them to speak out about issues that affect them," says Jennings.

"It's also led to the most amazing experiences for us as a family. I have no idea where these experiences might take my daughter in life, but I hope it has made all of us more sensitive to the issues faced by three billion people living in poverty worldwide, and what we can do to make this world a fairer place."