Working Overseas as a Volunteer

Working Overseas as a Volunteer

For many people today, the decision to engage in travel abroad volunteer work means that they will have to adjust to a number of changes in their lifestyle from what they are familiar and comfortable with in their current home environment. It probably also means quitting or taking a leave of absence from a job, being away from family and friends, and also being courageous enough to embark upon a path that is much less traveled.

Even with all of these major considerations and changes, venturing out on a volunteer work project abroad will more than likely turn out to be the experience of a lifetime for those who put their heart into their charity volunteer work overseas. Charity work abroad gives people unique opportunities to live and work in another land and experience the people and the culture, not as a tourist but on the same level that the local citizens live their daily lives. This in and of itself provides those who undertake overseas volunteer work with a unique perspective on the world and other countries that will be with them throughout their lives.

Those who take advantage of the opportunities to engage in travel abroad volunteer work programs will not only be able to long enjoy the experiences they had and the point of views they gained, they will also find their lives enhanced through the relationships they developed with those they served and with the other volunteers, learning a new language in many cases, and also gaining the feeling that they have a second country which feels like home to them. With these things being considered, it is understandable why international volunteer work is something that more and more people are interested in getting involved in, if they are able.

Choosing to participate in a volunteer work program abroad is a wonderful idea for a number of very positive reasons. On a more self-centered note, anyone who gives up their time and energy to offer their services and expertise to a voluntary charity organization will have a wonderful entry to include in their resume. At the same time, most administrators of charity work overseas programs are more than happy to write you a glowing letter of recommendation as a token of thanks for the services you rendered.

For those who are planning to go on to graduate school of some type after their overseas volunteer work, it can be noted that volunteer work is something that is well respected in school admissions offices. This one factor alone can be something on which your whole future hinges in the most positive of ways. There are many people who have returned from a break from schooling or a sabbatical from work where they took advantage of a volunteer work opportunity to find that their school or job prospects had improved greatly because of their desire to use their time serving other people.

Travel abroad volunteer work opportunities are plentiful these days. No matter what your area of interest is or what kind of voluntary charity organization you want to be involved with, there will probably be a number of options to choose from. While simply serving those in need through charity work abroad is rewarding in and of itself, it will be even more rewarding if you have a special affinity toward the people or the charity itself.

 

 

More People Move to Dubai

Dubai’s population is continuing to grow, a government official said yesterday, despite reports that the economic downturn has resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs. The emirate issued 1,000 more visas a day than it cancelled last month, Raed Safadi, the chief economist for the Government of Dubai, said yesterday at a conference. “They’re still positive,” he said, referring to the net entries of people to Dubai. However, the growth in net entries has slowed in recent months.
Based on Mr Safadi’s figures, 31,000 more people received Dubai work visas than those who cancelled their labour or residence permits in January. The emirate issued a net increase of about 40,000 visas in December and in a normal month issues a net of 59,000 work visas, he said.

Dubai’s Ministry of Labour is cancelling an average of 1,500 work permits and visas a day, according to some newspaper reports. Mr Safadi, declining to confirm that number, said the city needed to support growth in consumer demand and job creation to guarantee the economy’s expansion in the future. Late last month, a senior officer at the Abu Dhabi Residency and Naturalisation Department said the emirate received 400 to 1,000 new visa applications every day. He said the number of cancellations remained stable, 50 to 200 a day.

Speculation about the extent of job losses and outward migration across the country prompted an economist at Standard Chartered Bank, Mary Nicola, to suggest last month that “the biggest risk facing the UAE economy is related to its labour market”. The UAE’s redundancies started last year when Morgan Stanley laid off 15 per cent of its Dubai staff and Goldman Sachs let go 10 per cent of its workforce. Layoffs then spread to local firms in the property and financial services sectors. Nakheel dismissed 15 per cent of its staff and Shuaa Capital nine per cent in the fourth quarter last year.

Other property developers and construction companies have laid off staff after scaling back projects and cancelling new developments. Morgan Stanley has said US$263 billion (Dh71.6bn) worth of projects have been cancelled or postponed in the UAE. In recent weeks, Mashreqbank and Damac Properties have cut jobs, while major hotel chains are laying off staff in reaction to sinking occupancy rates.

Source: Dubaiinformer.com

Overseas teaching jobs.

One of the most popular expat jobs overseas is teaching. Huge numbers of people are living their dreams in other countries teaching English abroad. Japan and the Arab Emirates offer some of the most lucrative positions for those wanting to teach English overseas but with around 20,000 jobs being advertised each week teaching English as a second language can pretty much allow you to travel anywhere.

But now it seems that Head Teachers are also getting in on the act and using their qualifications and experience to get teaching jobs overseas. The Maldives government is currently seeking British teachers for schools in the Maldives. The archepeligo, which lies just off the south west of India, is reforming its education system and is offering jobs for Head Teachers. The new President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, a former political prisoner, was educated in Britain (obviously a long time ago) and believes that by employing British Head Teachers he stands a chance of improving the education system for the poor, he’ll probably also end up helping them with their unarmed combat skills as well.

Applications from Heads who want to teach overseas are being sought this month and the government of the Maldives are confident they’ll get plenty of applicants. So if you’re a Head Teacher, tired of having to deal with the Bronx like conditions of Che Guevara Secondary in Bognor you might want to apply. You can swap sitting with your feet up in a dreary office in the UK, for sitting with your feet up on the beach. There’s only one drawback, as with a lot of jobs overseas, teaching abroad is no different and the pay differs slightly from the UK. Secondary Head Teachers who are usually used to taking home around £5500 per month for risking the Iraq like conditions of British secondary schools will see their pay plummet to around £523, but then hey….coconut Daquari anyone?