Charities, NGOs, development work, and international relations
The charities, NGOs (non-governmental organisations), developmental work, and international relations sector offers a wide range of career opportunities for graduates passionate about catalysing social change, humanitarian aid, and global cooperation. Organisations in this sector are often referred to as the 'third’, ‘voluntary’ or 'not-for-profit' sector and they work to address complex social, political, economic or environmental challenges locally, nationally and globally.
Organisations within this sector have a range of legal status ranging from charities governed by the Charities Commission, NGOs, social enterprises and institutions such as inter-governmental bodies (IGOs) working in international relations such as the United Nations and European Union.
Working in this sector demands a specific set of personal attributes, capabilities and strengths. Organisations often have limited budgets and rely on adaptable and flexible individuals with a strong set of values to get their work done. Gallup Strengths Finder highlights the following strengths as important:
- Responsibility is key, as individuals need to be committed to getting things done in often difficult circumstances.
- Relating is important for building strong and trusting relationships with diverse stakeholders.
- Achiever relates to getting things done driving the persistent pursuit of tangible outcomes and goals, often under challenging budgetary circumstances.
- Empathy is key to developing strong relationships and sensitively supporting others.
- Strategic thinking is vital for navigating complex global issues and devising innovative solutions.
VIA Character Strengths identify the imperative of applying Kindness, Perseverance, Teamwork, Hope (Optimism) and Fairness . To find out more about strengths click here.
The sector is large: A 2025 report by the Charity Commission and Pro Bono (voluntary or fee-free work) Economics states that the charity sector employs approximately 3% of the UK workforce, which equates to just over a million workers. Even with challenges like less government funding, inflation, and rising costs, the sector is still growing and adapting. Charities are finding new ways to raise money, using digital tools, and adjusting to global changes, especially after COVID-19.
The sector includes both small community groups and large international organisations with budgets of millions of pounds. Big names like Oxfam, Save the Children, and Médecins Sans Frontières work alongside many small local charities that make a big impact in their communities.
In March 2024, the Charity Commission recorded over 170,000 registered charities in the UK. Most of these – over 80% – are small charities with yearly incomes under £100,000.
Working in international development is very competitive. There is strong demand for people with skills in areas like sustainability, global health, humanitarian work, and who understand different cultures and speak more than one language.
Development consultancies (such as IMC and Dalberg) and larger companies (like PwC) also work in this field. They often compete for contracts from donor agencies like USAID, the UK’s FCDO (Foreign and Commonwealth and Development Office), and international banks like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Global organisations like UNICEF and UNDP play key roles too. Other important players include government aid agencies, charities, universities, and think tanks.
There are many different types of jobs in this sector. You could work in areas like:
- Supporting people directly (frontline services)
- Policy and advocacy
- Research
- Fundraising
- Project management
- Communications.
These jobs often focus on big issues like poverty, education, health, human rights, the environment, conflict, and disaster response.
Getting your first job in this field can be tough. Many organisations prefer to hire people who already have some experience. Graduate schemes are limited. For many people, the first step is volunteering, which can lead to paid work.
Some international organisations, consultancies, and development banks offer structured graduate programmes or young professional schemes. There are also more internships, volunteering roles, and training opportunities aimed at bringing in people from different backgrounds.
Professional networks like the Development Studies Association and BOND are great places to learn more, meet people in the sector, and find career support.
If you are interested in this sector these pages might also be of interest to you:
- Consultancy and think tanks/policy institutes (e.g. Chatham House) and government bodies. See Politics, Government and Public Sector.
- Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives within organisations covering sustainability, community support. See Environment, Conservation and Ecology.
- For global health and wellbeing including tech firms related to healthcare. See the following pages: Science, Research and Development; Health and Social Care, Education and Training, and IT, Data and Tech.
- Social enterprise and impact often generates income to fund good causes through acquiring investment. There are opportunities to work in financing good causes (e.g. Big Society Capital). See Accountancy, Banking, Finance and Insurance and also Business Operations and Management for the work area focusing on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
If you would like to do further research into this sector, the following resources may be useful.
- Career Zone Podcast episodes on charities, NGOs, development work and international relations
- Careers in Charity & the Third Sector - Virtual Alumni Panel recorded in February 2025.
- Charity Times – media outlet surveying developments across the UK’s third sector.
- Development Studies Association (DSA) – professional membership organisation representing people training and working in global development.
- Global Partners Governance – UK based social purpose consultancy firm supporting political institutions and leaders in developing countries to improve governance and democratic effectiveness.
- Idealist – guide, tools and jobs platform in the development sector.
- International Affairs journal – academic peer reviewed journal commenting on developments in international relations. Accessible by University of Exeter Library by clicking here. See the International Affairs journal’s suggested reading list by clicking here.
- Prospects guide to getting a charity job.
- Target Jobs guide to graduate careers in international development.
- Target Jobs guide to the charity sector.
- The Guardian section on charities – media outlet reporting developments in the sector.
- Third Force News (TFN) – media outlet for charities and voluntary organisations in Scotland.
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – UK ministerial department promoting diplomatic, development and consular work around the world.
- Philanthropy bodies and private foundations such as the “Wellcome Trust”.
- The United Nations pages on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Making contacts is essential for success in this and other sectors. Many jobs in this field come through networking and speculative applications. You could start by speaking with the experts, find out what they did after graduation and contact them for advice.
Making contacts for work shadowing, informational interviews and speculative applications
To help increase your networks who may also be able to suggest ways to gain experiences look at:
- Ask an Alum: A fuss-free way to connect with University of Exeter alumni to ask careers questions.
- Career Mentor Scheme: A popular employability scheme which matches a student or graduate with an experienced professional, for sector insight and one-to-one careers advice and guidance, over a 6-month period.
- Professional Pathways: a suite of sector-specific training courses and paid 35 hour internships that take place in June and July each year including a Pathway to Charity and Development.
Speculative application
A speculative application is when you proactively contact a company or organisation without knowing if they have any job openings. This allows you to seek out opportunities that have not been advertised and it is likely that in the International Relations sector, this will be a successful route to take. Use the following link for top tips for a speculative application: How to write a speculative application - Prospects
Recruitment fairs, careers fairs, open days, talks, and events give insights and opportunities to make contacts. For details of future events visit Handshake. If you have not yet activated your account, select the Single Sign On (SSO) option and follow the onscreen instructions.
Other annual events of interest include:
- Skoll World Forum – network and conference exploring innovative solutions to promote social progress.
- TED conferences – nonprofit organisation devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks by experts and thought leaders on a wide range of topics.
- TEDx conferences - program of local, self-organised events bringing people together to share a grassroots TED experience. These events are independently organised under a free license granted by TED.
Many major graduate recruiters have policies and processes that are proactive in recruiting graduates from diverse backgrounds. To find out the policies and attitudes of employers that you are interested in, explore their equality and diversity policies and see if they offer Disability Confident Employer Scheme or are recognised for their policy by such indicators as Mindful Employer or as a Stonewall’s Diversity Champion.
The UK law protects you from discrimination due to your age, gender, religion or beliefs, disability or sexual orientation and more. For further information on the Equality Act and to find out where and how you are protected, as well as information on what you need to do if you feel you have been discriminated against, visit the Government's webpages on discrimination.
To learn more about how to share details of a disability with an employer and the support you can receive applying for jobs and work experience visit our equality and diversity page.
Further information
- Bond: The UK network for international development organisations, actively working to transform the NGO sector through anti-racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives, including resources and working groups.
- Charityworks: The UK non-profit sector's leading graduate scheme, committed to championing diversity by actively seeking and encouraging applications from diverse backgrounds and employing recruitment practices designed to overcome unconscious bias.
- Change 100: Promoted by the charity Leonard Cheshire this scheme is an internship and development programme for students and graduates who have a disability or long-term health condition.
- Charity So White: A movement raising awareness of and promoting racial equity within the charity sector, putting pressure on organisations to implement better Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) practices in recruitment and progression.
- Diversity in Development: A UK charity dedicated to making information and opportunities in international development more accessible, especially for young people from underrepresented groups and lower socio-economic backgrounds.
- Human Rights Watch Internships: While not exclusively for UK graduates, HRW actively seeks diverse applicants for its global internship programs, which can be a pathway for UK graduates into international human rights work.
- OECD Internship Programme: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development offers internships designed to bring highly qualified and motivated students with diverse backgrounds into the organisation, providing an avenue for graduates interested in international policy and development.
Action
Explore roles in the sector by visiting the areas of work below. Each profile covers typical duties and responsibilities, entry requirements, key skills required, professional development opportunities and links to finding both work experience and graduate roles.
