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How to apply

Register online to volunteer

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The first step is completing the online registration form. It takes around 20 mins to complete and gives you the opportunity to tell us more about yourself, including relevant skills, experience and qualifications. It’s worth filling out even if you're not ready to go yet, to see if your skills may be needed and get the ball rolling.

When we receive your registration form we’ll make an initial assessment based on:

  • whether your skills and experience are needed at this time

  • whether you meet the minimum requirements for the available roles

  • your readiness to go to live and work in a developing country, which includes being able to depart within 18 months.

You will receive a response from us within five days.

Register now

Complete a full application form

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If your online registration is successful, we’ll invite you to complete a full application. We’ll send you a link to a page with your personal account, which will already contain the information from your online registration.

We will assess your application form and will make one of the following decisions:

  •    There are suitable placements for you in the next 18 months. If there are, and we have no concerns around your personal circumstances or availability, we will email you an invitation to attend a VSO assessment day.
  •     We are impressed with your application but do not have any available placements. In this case we will put your application on hold. As soon as something suitable comes up, we will let you know and at that point we will progress your application.
  •     You are not suitable for a VSO placement. In this case we will send you an email advising you of this, and will be unable to take your application any further.

We will contact you with an outcome of your application within three weeks of receiving it.

Attend a VSO assessment day

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If there are suitable placements for you, you will be asked to complete the VSO assessment. The first part of this is a short phone interview for us to learn a bit more about why you want to want to volunteer with us, what your understanding of volunteering with VSO will involve and what your personal circumstances are. If you are successful in the phone interview, you will be invited to a VSO Assessment Day which includes a variety of group activities and an individual interview. The day enables us to look for the qualities you'll need to meet the challenge of living and working overseas.

We will email you with the results from the assessment day within 10 working days.

If you’re successful, we’ll send you log-in details for our volunteer intranet where you’ll find all the information you’ll need to guide you through the rest of your journey and access online courses.

It is very important that you do everything that you can at this stage to ensure that you are medically and security cleared – you will find full details to guide you through these processes online.

At this stage we will also ask for your references.

VSO finds and offers you a suitable role

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If you haven’t applied for a specific, current role, you’ll be placed into a pool where VSO attempts to match your skills with an appropriate placement. We’ll try to accommodate any personal preferences you may have. A successful match often depends on flexibility from all sides. You'll also be placed in the pool if you've applied for a current role and it has been filled already.

The number of placements for which you might be considered will depend on:

  •  your qualifications and experience
  • the number of requests for your skills that VSO receives
  • the number of volunteers with skills similar to yours.

We won’t expect you to accept a placement unless you’re happy with it.

Once you’ve accepted, we’ll send your details to our overseas partner organisation (who you will eventually be working with) to make sure your skills and experience are suitable you for the placement. When this has happened, your placement is confirmed and preparations will be made for you to go overseas.

Training and logistics

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You’ll receive pre-departure training to help you develop personally and professionally, enabling you to live and work effectively overseas.

The training will involve both online and face-to-face activities. In order to make the best use of your time, you can start your training while a suitable placement is being found for you. You'll have the opportunity to work towards accredited qualifications in International Development both pre-departure and in placement.

While you’re waiting to find a placement and being trained, VSO’s Volunteer Support team will guide you through the administrative steps you need to take before going overseas.

We provide advice on vaccinations and any medical requirements as well as organising flights, entry visas and work permits on your behalf.

Our staff will be on hand to guide you through your pre-departure journey and to help prepare you for a successful placement.

Starting your overseas placement

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Once you arrive in the country of your placement, you will be taken care of by our local office and the partner organisation you will be working with.

Once you’re in country, you’ll receive language and cultural awareness training. This can last between two weeks and three months, depending on the country.

As well as helping you understand the culture and history of the country you’re now calling home, the training also allows you to bond with the other volunteers.

Resettlement

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Once your placement has ended and you have returned home, the Volunteer Support team will help you with your resettlement.

The following support will be available to you:

  • careers advice
  • returned volunteers training event
  • settlement of any outstanding financial payments
  • counselling
  • debriefing