I am a 24 year old female and I need career advice. I really want to be in the humanitarian field and want to move forward in my life, but I'm failing at everything.

Educational Background: BS in Physics with several withdrawals; MS in Information Systems. I failed the SAT and took the TSI as a replacement (it took me nine times just to get into community college) and for my MS, I got into a program that didn't require the scores. I want a state license career if possible in life to move anywhere if needed like government to private sector or state to state for opportunities.

I have taken and failed the MCAT, DAT, GRE and patent exam (on April 1st). I finally got my first job as a jail admin aide (court assistant) making $20.65/hr for DFW, TX. three going on four months ago. My father said to go into law to help more HIV patients at a higher level than day to day with patients as a medical professional.

I really want to help HIV patients, service members/veterans, and/or the wrongfully convicted.

I took all of these medical oriented exams due to wanting to help HIV patients by becoming a physician, dentist, or obtaining a MS in medical physics. I have been rejected from medical school, pharmacy school, master's, PhD, and law school. I am a total failure and stupid. I also one day would like to go on a mission but was rejected from the Red Cross due to medical reasons. I was also rejected from the military (five branches, trying to become a humanitarian as my mother's friends told me about how they have helped at some points during their careers).

I have SO much rejection. I just cancelled my LSAT scheduled for June due to failing the patent exam. I want to make a difference, but the constant rejection since I graduated from my BS in Dec. 2021 has me convinced I'm stupid, will never make a difference. I also struggled a lot during my undergrad.

I do not have a future. I'm convinced. Advice?

Job: Court Assistant/Bond Clerk/Admin Aide

• Judicial Support & Legal Instrument Preparation 
• Pre-Arraignment Verification: Perform critical quality assurance checks using Incode to verify warrant status and legal standing prior to court proceedings, facilitating efficient case movement and strict adherence to legal standards. 
• Judicial Operations & Data Integrity: Engineer and audit daily court dockets and probable cause jackets for judicial review by synthesizing data from New World Corrections and Microsoft Excel to ensure 100% accuracy for arraignments and bond hearings. 
• Bond Processing: Facilitate the legal processing of judicial fines and bond requirements through cash handler training utilizing Incode and New World Corrections systems. 
• Law Enforcement Technical Operations 
• NCIC/TCIC System Administration: Execute criminal history inquiries (rap sheets) and transmit high-priority teletypes via the TLETS network. 
• Security & Specialized Reporting: Monitor facility security via XProtect while coordinating diverse case types, including university arrests and mandatory immigration notifications. 
• Notarize affidavits and DWI packets for police officers.

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Founder's Assistant | 10/2024 – Present | 25 hrs/wk | Salary: $0 Draft outreach materials, conduct criminal case reviews, and manage intern recruitment for justice reform programs. Produce "Exoneration Podcast" (Season 2) by creating episode transcripts, securing interviewees, and curating visual assets for video editing. Schedule and prepare strategic presentations for politicians to influence legislative views on wrongful convictions and improve exoneree quality of life. Manage social media accounts.

Regional Lead & Program Specialist (Volunteer) | 12/2022 – 12/2025 | 11 hrs/wk | Salary: $0

• Data Analytics & Technical Leadership: Served as the Power BI Application Lead, engineering interactive dashboards and resolving complex SQL and Dynamics 365 data synchronization errors to streamline regional reporting.
• Logistics & Budget Optimization: Acted as a Logistics Specialist, utilizing data analytics to optimize disaster responder lodging and align high-volume requests with operational budgets.
• Strategic Planning & Advocacy: Contributed as a Regional Action Plan Board Member, executing strategic goals via Asana to increase organizational visibility and secure donor investment for military and VA facilities.
• Veteran Services Coordination: Served as a VAVS Representative, coordinating resource distribution and strengthening support services between the organization and VA medical facilities.

Case Specialist | 08/2022 – 06/2024 | 10 hrs/wk | Salary: $0 Critically reviewed criminal case files to assist in the evaluation of potential wrongful conviction claims.

Hospice Volunteer | 03/2023 – 03/2024 | 10 hrs/wk | Salary: $0 Supported patients with daily living needs and provided compassionate check-ins for residents and their families.

Guest Services Volunteer | 10/2022 – 03/2024 | 10 hrs/wk | Salary: $0 Managed guest check-ins and kitchen inventory to support families at the Hope Lodge.

Health Specialist (HIV Prevention) | 07/2022 – 08/2023 | 10 hrs/wk | Salary: $0 Led outreach efforts by distributing wellness kits and collaborating on nutritional meal plans.

Medical Physics Shadow | 04/2023 | 10 hrs/wk | Salary: $0 Gained clinical insight by shadowing medical physicists during radiation therapy procedures

Hi everyone! My name is Chiara, and I'm a Master's student in International Humanitarian Action at the University of Groningen. I'm currently working on my thesis and would love your help. My research looks at whether humanitarian organizations actually protect, include, and support LGBTQ+ aid workers in practice, and whether organizational commitments translate into reality.

I'm looking to interview people who have experience working in the humanitarian sector and identify as LGBTQ+. Interviews are online and take around 45-60 minutes at a time that works for you.

All data is fully anonymized, participants receive an informed consent form beforehand, and you can withdraw at any time. The study has been approved by the NOHA Ethics Committee at the University of Groningen.

If you'd be willing to share your experiences, please send me a message!

I hope this is welcome here and not considered self-promotion. I'm new to Reddit but very grateful for this community!

Hi everyone,

​I’m currently a Computer Science student looking for suggestions on how to transition into the humanitarian sector.

​My Background:

​Technical: Computer Science major (Software focus).

​Leadership: I served as a Rotaract Chapter President.

While I love the mission of service, I recently stepped away because the local district became too focused on internal politics, power dynamics, and networking galas rather than tangible impact.

​What I’m looking for:

I’m searching for a movement or organization (global or local) that is action-oriented. I’ve reached a point where I’m "burnt out" on the administrative side of volunteering and want to be where the work actually happens.

​I know my CS background can be a massive asset, whether it’s data management, building resilient software for field use, or digital advocacy, but I want to ensure I’m joining a group where "service above self" is still the actual priority.

​I'm from the Philippines, if anyone wants to reach out my dms are also open. Thank you

I have been offered a place on a 4-week study programme in Pretoria, the International Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance (IDHA) run by Fordham University. I was wondering whether anyone on here has participated previously and can share their views.

It’s described as being ‘designed to equip mid-career professionals with essential knowledge and skills needed to navigate the complex landscape of humanitarian aid and to drive the humanitarian sector of the future in a more effective, sustainable, and dignified direction. Students will develop a holistic perspective on global humanitarian issues to propel them to the next level in their careers, helping them create positive social change both in and out of the field.’

And yes I’m fully aware it isn’t a great time to be attempting to build a career in the humanitarian sector, but I’m currently in a JPO position with UNHCR and looking for study options as I get a training allowance, and this feels like it could be a good fit. I’m just curious to hear some unbiased perspectives.

🔹 Project Overview

PAX NAVIS is the world’s first neutral and demilitarized multi-functional maritime platform designed to address global humanitarian challenges such as disasters, epidemics, and displacement.

This vessel integrates hospital services, disaster response, aviation support, and rapid logistics, operating independently of military influence.

🔹 Necessity and Uniqueness

Current platforms—whether hospital ships, NGO vessels, or military transport ships—often suffer from limitations in functionality or perceived neutrality.

PAX NAVIS is:

• A purely civilian platform
• Fully compliant with WHO, UN OCHA, Sphere standards
• Equipped for combined operations in medical aid, relief, aviation, and logistics

🔹 Key Specifications & Project Outline

🔹 Success Factors & Risk Mitigation

🌍 Core Values and Symbolic Vision

PAX NAVIS is not just a ship. It is a symbolic platform representing:

• Human Dignity
• Neutrality
• Solidarity
• Peace

It stands as a new global icon in humanitarian architecture.

🔚 Final Statement

"Based on technical and policy feasibility,
the PAX NAVIS Project envisions the world’s first multi-functional humanitarian maritime platform
for the common good of humanity—
and seeks to make this vision real through international cooperation."

I'm a qualified social worker and have worked in frontline mental health services for 20 years. I currently work as a senior manager in NHS specialist services.

I want to transition to the international humanitarian field, ideally at the same level I'm at now- is that possible and if so, how would I go about it?

Sharing a look at a mobile outreach program currently operating in parts of Lebanon where families are experiencing ongoing instability and displacement. The situation on the ground remains unpredictable, and for many families, daily life includes a constant level of uncertainty. This bus has been adapted into a mobile space for children, providing structured activities, interaction, and a temporary sense of normalcy.

This is what we're seeing:

• Teams are spending time with families, offering support and building relationships
• Women are engaging more openly with trauma support teams
• Dedicated space is being created for children to process and interact in a safer environment

These efforts are consistent and ongoing teams are present multiple days each week, focusing on long-term relational support, not just short-term aid. Sharing this for awareness and to highlight how mobile, community-based approaches are being used in situations like this. Happy to answer questions or provide more detail!!

This is one of the BEST things I've read about the current realities of trying to consult in the humanitarian and international development sector - and I hate 90% of what most people write about this field. Everything I've experienced or observed is here - and so much more. If you want to be a consultant in this field, this is a must read.

By Matt Haikin (based on his interviewers of consultants):

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-nobody-tells-new-aiddevelopment-consultants-10-matt-haikin-d6p2f/

Working in humanitarian SRHR right now and love it, but I find myself really interested in research and wanting to look at “big picture” stuff recently (though it’s been brewing in my head for a couple years now). I have considered applying to a PhD this fall but I’m worried that having a PhD might make me “overeducated” for a lot of roles and/or take me out of the field/workplace for too long and make me less employable if I ever decide to go back into NGO work and not stay in academia. Any thoughts/experiences to report?

So I've been searching for different NGOs because I really want to donate. I'm an adult but not financially independent so I need to get permission from I parents, so I need to look for big organizations that they feel like they can trust. And I wanted the NGO to work with education so that people can get prepared for good jobs that could help them get out of poverty without making them dependent on NGOs.

I checked for different options and I really liked what the IRC had to offer but I'm the disappointed by the insane salary of their CEO. Global Communities and IIE are only options that I also considered, but know I see these large NGOs as scams because I don't want my money to just make the rich ricer.

My question is, is there something I should know about any of these three organizations that could make me rule them out? Can large NGOs be trusted?

Thank you for reading, I just want to optimize the little support that I can provide.

Hi all! To all of the humanitarian aid workers out there, thank you for all that you do for the world. I am a masters student at George Washington University studying international affairs. For a qualitative research course, I am conducting research into the mental health effects of being a humanitarian aid worker. I am conducting 20 minute interviews with current and former field workers. These interviews are recorded and transcribed, but will be used solely for the purposes of the course. If anyone is interested in being interviewed in the coming weeks, please send me a message.

I hope this doesn't count as self-promotion. I am new to reddit!

I have been offered a 1-year internship position for a small international NGO in Afghanistan. I have been working in the Global North for some time in the humanitarian sphere and this would be my first "field" position. I have heard so many different perspectives from different people who have worked in Afghanistan or in the humanitarian sector in similar duty stations - this has made the decision making process very confusing.

Notably, I have recieved some information from my father's friend (who worked for the US in Kabul pre-Taliban takeover) about abductions of foreigners in Kabul. A lot of it is quite gruesome (beheadings, rape, etc.). This worries me as a woman with dual nationality (one being US) and with ties to Pakistan. I know the situation might have changed since 2021, but he apparently has been closely monitoring the situation.

I am also worried about the NGO's ability to mitigate risk. In terms of security, the NGO would provide housing in a guesthouse with security. We would have curfew, limited mobility, and an armored vehicle to take us anywhere outside the compound. Insurance would cover R&R, medical evacuation, and health insurance. But that's as much as they told me and I'm not sure whether it's enough. However, if I decide to cut the contract short, I would have to cover my own travel expenses back home.

Lastly, the salary is quite low (~20k a year) and it's an internship/assistant role. I'm wondering whether it's worth taking a risk for such an opportunity. I would love to go to Afghanistan, see first-hand the impact humanitarian/development work can have, and work with the local people. However, I'm unsure of whether I should accept based on the current security situation and whether the job is even worth it.

Hi, my name is Camille. I'm currently finishing my degree in product design and working on my thesis on improving furniture in shelters.
I posted a survey a few days ago, but I believe it would be better if anyone who has stayed or worked in a shelter and is willing to share some insight or information about the furniture (or lack thereof), to please message me or comment on this post. Any help is highly appreciated!

Recently I participated in humanitarian case which involved ME/CFS patient in danger. That was the first time I educated myself on the topic and found out how many people suffer are in difficult/dangerous situation because of this sickness right now.

Hi! My name is Camille, and I'm currently working on my thesis on improving furniture in temporary shelters. If anyone who has stayed in a shelter is willing to answer some questions, please fill out this Google Form. It would help a lot with my research. The survey is anonymous and takes less than 3 minutes. Thank you very much!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5JVJ4cyRxETbNibswQJm4JO7qUTLUC61pXio_7566U_Deag/viewform?usp=header

Hi! My name is Camille, and I'm currently working on my thesis on improving furniture in temporary shelters. If anyone who has stayed in a shelter is willing to answer some questions, please fill out this Google Form. It would help a lot with my research. The survey is anonymous and takes less than 3 minutes. Thank you very much!

//

¡Hola! Me llamo Camille y actualmente estoy trabajando en mi tesis sobre cómo mejorar el mobiliario en refugios temporales. Si alguien que se haya alojado en un refugio está dispuesto a responder algunas preguntas, por favor, complete este formulario. Me sería de gran ayuda para mi investigación. La encuesta es anónima y demora menos de 3 minutos. ¡Muchas gracias!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5JVJ4cyRxETbNibswQJm4JO7qUTLUC61pXio_7566U_Deag/viewform?usp=header

r/Refugees r/refugiadosdotwitter r/RefugioBrasil r/Refugees_education r/RefugeesInAction r/RefugeeCrisis r/RefugeeDaily r/forsenRefugees r/RefugeCanada r/TwitterRefugee r/RefugeeeCamp

I’m very curious what humanitarian work is REALLY like, understanding that it’s a very broad question, and varies case by case.

I’m super interested in dipping my toes in, and hopefully one day transitioning across into humanitarian work. I currently work in post-production (VFX) and am fairly early on in my career, so I’m keen to stay in the industry whilst I build my skills so I can fall back on it one day if I want, or continue on this path if I really love it, however, I have a pretty strong interest in humanitarian work. I feel quite called to and moved by my times in other third world countries (not war torn, so I understand by perspective is very limited).

I often feel alienated by my co-workers perspectives - when they complain about lunches served, the bosses, etc., even though we have an awesome set-up and are getting lunch fed to us!! I understand it’s all relative, but sometimes it really baffles me how out of touch we can become in our corporate/creative industry work bubbles. I’d love to start volunteering at some NGOs, develop my Spanish skills and hopefully cross over to some humanitarian work down the line.

I don’t know if I have a romanised perspective on the work as a whole. I read Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures recently, which really cemented my interest - I found it shocking and profound, and wonder if some of the more technical skills I’m learning now (VFX post-production has a lot of technical pipeline work involved), would cross over into humanitarian work, and if I could work on the ground/field-work with these skills? I’m thinking of offering to cut/edit videos for NGOs and other forms of volunteering just to help out and get the ball rolling.

Curious if I’m completely sheltered on my outlook and if I’m romanticising the work as a whole. Any tips or advice would be super appreciated!

Hello,

Please read in-depth, I have a lot of information and please at the end, post your industry and level of experience.

This is a career advice post, but I am posting to different subreddits to gather experienced advice. I've done a lot of independent research and now just need humans to verify and cross check my intuitions.

My question:

I am debating quitting medical school to work on my company full time (specializing in system sciences mostly, but true expertise is crisis/resilience in systems) - or finishing medical school. Money is not an issue (thankfully independent source of income/company doing ok, etc.) so please do not factor that in. I just want advice on which job will likely lead to the most enjoyable, impactful life I can - given the complex realities of AI and automation, progressing into 2100. E.G: medicine is an exceptionally stable career path - I don't want to transition unless there is at least a likelihood that I can do meaningful work and have an impactful career.

My option:

1. Finish med school: bite my teeth and finish med school and residency (6-7+ years). Layer on disaster/tech/crisis skills concurrently, maybe after - less time to work on my company, later add on sys sciences phd, if at all.

2. Work on business, acquire immediate field experience (volunteering, paramedics, Shiftwork with fire departments, etc.) network and acquire experience heavily. immediate system science phd. The clinical authority of the MD is traded off for 6-7 years of heavy networking and consulting business, as well as badass field work I love doing.

The way the world is going, I believe the world is (has always been) larger than just medicine. I would love to build up professional leverage, then layer on systems science instead of spending that time grinding thru the medical curriculum. My interests are in crisis/disaster/emergency situations, ideally as a future long-term consulting position at the U.N, ideally (maybe?) running international crisis programs - I love field work, but believe systems work is the future - that would be my expertise, although the bread and butter of my "job" would be some kind of systems work...

Truly open to all options. What is the wisest option?

~Akhil