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Choosing A Placement** Click
here to try our new placement finder **
When
choosing a program, one must
consider 3 main factors:
requirements, location, and
supervision.
Requirements
The
requirements listed are the minimum
requirements necessary
to be accepted for the work.
It is best to choose a
placement for which you
exceed the minimum
requirements.
The
suggested age minimum is 23;
however it can be a bit
flexible, especially for
someone who already has
experience being in the host
country or who has extensive
overseas experience and who
can demonstrate the maturity
necessary to handle the
challenges of volunteer
service in a foreign
country.
Location
Choosing
a country/location in which
you feel comfortable is one
of the most important
elements for a successful
overseas work experience.
Before choosing a location,
do some research. Guide
books are a great
start. Learn about
local customs, beliefs,
history, food, climate and
geography of the
country/region. Seek
opportunities to see movies,
both documentaries and
feature films, about the country/region; read novels
from and about where you're
planning to go; guidebooks;
local newspapers (available
in many bookstores and online); call the tourist
board and request
information and explore
local organizations that
support expatriates of that
community. Also, try
to seek out past volunteers
with whom you can talk.
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Level of Supervision
The
level of supervision varies
with each placement. Here
are some basic rules of
thumb:
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Placements
with non-profit
organizations
usually do not
provide a lot of
training or
supervision. These
types of
organizations have
scant resources and
therefore cannot
devote too much time
to a volunteer.
However, they are
also the places that
need the most help.
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Placements
which provide group
housing or which
charge an extra
placement fee
normally provide
more supervision,
structure and
training.
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Placements
at a language school
(Student Service
Coordinator or ESL
placements) will
vary in terms of
structure and
supervision. One
clue to determine
the level of
structure is in the
description of work
outlined. If
specific work
schedule and other
details are
outlined, it is
indicative of a well
organized and
supervised position.
Placement
descriptions with
less detail indicate
a job where the
volunteer/intern
will have to show a
lot of initiative to
organize his/her own
projects.
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Contact
Past Volunteers &
Interns
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