Every opportunity I have had—whether it was to study in my undergrad or to take a year off and travel or then to go and do an internship or whatever—I have managed, at first through luck and then through conscious decision, to incorporate language into that. And I think that's really gotten me far. I grew up speaking just one language to the age of near 20, and now I speak four language at near enough to fluency, if not full fluency, that I am able to work efficiently in them. Importantly, for the career that I have since I got into, I did a lot of extracurricular things. I wrote papers on a given human rights topic, or something that I was learning about in my studies. I knew people who were organizing a conference on different human rights issues at a more theoretical, abstract level, but I talked to them, interested them in what I was interested in, and I managed to get to spot on a panel speaking about it. I worked as a research assistant and teaching assistant to a professor, and in that way I was also able to delve more into issues of constitutional law, Indigenous law, things that ultimately gave me valuable experience to put on a CV. I that this, more than my studies themselves, more than my work at the Department of Justice, really highlighted an interest of mine that was ultimately flagged by my first real job. People would actually just come to our office and say, "Yesterday, there was fighting near my farm, and it caught fire and half of it burned down, and we had to flee, and now we're here and we have nowhere to sleep and can you please help us?" We would talk, and explain what we can do, what we can’t do. As much as the language opens doors, anyone who finds themselves working in a language that is their second language—a language that they did not grow up with, but learned as an adult— at some points you will find yourself, or feel yourself, to be handicapped by this. At times, you are "the rich guy" to a population that makes a dollar a day, no matter how much you want to just go and grab a beer with them. It's just hard to get over that—more so, I think, than the culture language itself in terms of making friends. These are not things that one can deal with alone, I think, or at least not easily. And so, having friends at home, even if they have no real idea of the kind of the day-to-day reality you're living, but who you can still reach out to... that's a big thing. It’s a fine line. I did I have, and continue to see, colleagues who I think have crossed the line and to kind of de-sensitivity towards this kind of thing— people who have seen it too often, and their way of dealing with it has become to just stop caring. I think for those who have stopped caring, there's no more reason to work in this field of work, and they shouldn't, and I don't think it's healthy. I'd say, those are the two best: internship programs, and programs in UNV. Otherwise, like I said, motivation and general knowledge of the field definitely do help. So, if you're able to get involved locally with NGOs, with a nonprofit or Red Cross, for example. Red Cross, recruit volunteers all the time. Do I think of graduate studies as being necessary? Yes, at least for the work that I do, involvement in the ICRC period, or work in the United Nations in any substantive and rewarding way. And, for that matter, I think it is necessary even with more the more respected and known NGOs, such as Doctors Without Borders, or Norwegian Refugee Council—having a master's degree is a minimum. Unless you have perhaps a decade or two of very relevant experience, the door will be closed to the majority of really interesting positions in the humanitarian sphere, at least internationally. Networking while it is omnipresent in every sector, it is less important, I think, than in most private sectors. What people will get through contacts is they'll get put on the right track with the right advice. That is where networking will really help you, at least in my experience in this sphere of work.

The Red Cross: the name is synonymous with the alleviation of suffering in disasters and emergencies worldwide. But, did you know that this movement—which is the largest humanitarian network in the world—is not a single organization, but a vast worldwide network?

What organizations look for in a humanitarian worker, and what to expect on those highly secretive "recruitment days".

The most important skill to bring to the table is resiliency. No matter what challenges are presented to you, you will have horrible days. And when we do work hours as long as we do, and you’re probably jet-lagged, and eating stuff that’s making your stomach not feel great, the ability to get back up every day and face the world with positive, dedicated, ambition is so important. Because if you lose that, if you let yourself go, it can cost you. As a field producer, especially, you are the morale lead for the crew. If you’re bringing the team down, then the rest of your crew will not feel inspired. When I’m looking to staff my crew, my Roledex only ever includes people I know I can trust, and are not the type to deceive. Not even necessarily lying, but even toying with the truth to make yourself look better. I won’t say anything, but I’ll probably never call you again. A formal education definitely helps. If you do want to move on and eventually work for a broadcaster, you will need a post-secondary education, so it’s not something to omit for too long if that is the direction you want to go.  It's important to note that broadcasters also have final sign-off for key crew, directors, producers, etc for each show. So if you don’t have that education or a really strong resume, it will lessen your chance of getting those roles. If you can spend your summers doing a couple of side projects that you can add to your portfolio, that’s hugely beneficial. If you really want to get into the business right away, and test out the waters, just start going to everything. Join the Facebook groups that are out there. Go to the networking events, meet everyone you can, email a producer see if they’d be willing to go to a coffee with you.

Corporate communications has definitely changed over the past 15 years, having said that, the core skill set is very much the same. Communication skills, written and verbal. Interpersonal skills, relationship development skills. Those are really at the core of what we do in our field of public relations. I’m very lucky to be in a profession where the skills are quite transferable, not only from industry to industry but also from culture to culture. I’ve been lucky enough to work on four continents, in three different languages, doing the same profession. The core skills are there, if you can communicate and build relationships, that will take you a long way. I will flip right to the last page of someone’s resume, instead of looking at the first.  I go right to end, to volunteer or community experience. That’s important to me. If a person’s worked in the community and done a lot of volunteer work, they’ll naturally understand the work we’re doing in community development and corporate social responsibility. This is a profession that if you let yourself, you could work 100 hours a week, and the work will not stop. There’s always a new priority, there’s always an issue to manage. I find young people often come with that hero complex, "I can do more, I can work 100-hour weeks, and I’ll impress them if I’m here later than the CEO." To me, it’s the opposite. I look at the people who work without taking their time off, and they’re going to burn out quite quickly. I don’t need someone on my team who’s burnt out.

When we hire someone from abroad to work in Cambodia, people are unaware of how challenging it's going to be for them.  We’ve had people who haven’t lived abroad before and it’s been very hard for them. And we’ve had people who have taken on the challenges really well and adapted and matured. So I'm often very hesitant to hire someone who hasn’t had experience being abroad before—or if someone tells me they’ve only been to Europe, it doesn’t give me confidence that they are going to be prepared for some of the cultural challenges they will face. It’s so hard when you’re watching something in front of you and you can’t do anything about it. You realize I can’t save everyone, I can’t do something for everyone. That makes you feel hard, on the one hand, but on the other hand, you need to be okay with what you can and can’t do, and what you should do and what you shouldn’t do. When a woman has economic freedom and when she has a support system, it’s amazing how she can pull herself out of bad situations. I’ve seen people get out of abusive situations that they weren’t able to before because of the job they have with us. It’s not me saying “You should do this” or “You should do that”. They know what to do, and they know what’s right for them. They need the tools to be able to do it. Surround yourself with the right people…you need a support network and you need to understand what skills your skills are—and what they are not. First of all, identify what your strengths are, what your talents are, and what you’re lacking—and, really, what you’re going to need to accomplish this goal of starting a social enterprise. Also learn from people in the community first, before you decide, ‘Oh I’m going to go do this project.’ Listen to what people actually want, and actually need. When people approach me and want to ask me something or ask me a question, I really appreciate it when they do two things. One is to make the ask really concrete. If it’s something I can do for you in 10 minutes that’s really going to make a difference for you, great, I can do that. But if you message me and say "I just want to pick your brain and can we talk," I’m probably going to be less likely to respond to you.  The second thing is, if there’s something you can offer that person in exchange, it’s a nice way to acknowledge that they are helping you and giving you their time.

Relevant degrees, hard skills, soft skills and global competencies, and international experience are all important elements to succeeding in international business

While humanitarian aid and international development are often talked about together, there are some important differences that are vital to understand if you are considering entering these fields.

Careers for Globetrotters: Meet Sahar Ghadhban - Foreign Service Officer in Canada & Russia