Opportunities

Every placement is unique as it is developed by our partners to meet a specific need – just like a job would be.

We generally ask that you apply to volunteer in your area of expertise, rather than for a specific placement. Once you have completed the application process we will work with you to find a placement that appeals and matches your skills.

This means that we can get the most suitable volunteers into placements as efficiently as possible.

We also have a number of highly specialised roles that require specific skills and fall outside the placements we typically recruit for. These are listed on the Niche Roles page.

Most of our placements last between one and two years, though we do have occasional six-month roles.

The vast majority of placements fit into one of the sectors on this page. Click on the relevant sector to find out more. If you can’t see an area which matches your experience, have a look at our Niche Roles, where we also list a number of highly specialised roles.

You can find out which countries we work in here.

If you're 18 - 25 we have other opportunities, which you can find in the Youth section.

To volunteer with VSO, you'll need both professional experience and qualifications. As a general rule, the more experience you have the better.

Requirements vary depending on skill-set, so make sure to check the page for your sector, but at minimum you'll need:

Two years' experience for 12 - 24 month placements
Five years' experience for six months placements. These tend to be consultancy roles aimed at carrying out specific projects.
You’ll also need excellent soft skills.
If you’re 18-25, no specific experience or skills are required for our 12 week placement.