I’d like to offer you some top tips to help you as you start out on your own human rights career. This is not gospel. These are just some ideas to start you off on your own human rights journey. See what works for you.
What’s my mission?
Think carefully about the area of human rights that interests you. It is a huge field and you cannot be an expert in every area!
What sparks your passion?
Where does your heart lie in terms of human rights work?
Follow your gut.
It may take time to find your particular cause. Don’t worry.
You may need to dip your toe in a few different fields before you find the one that calls you.
Start backwards:
The best advice I received was ‘think where you’d like to be in 5 years in terms of your career and how you’re going to get there.’
A forward look to your career in 5 years time is a helpful step. Do you see yourself in the field working for an international organisation or a non-governmental organisation? Perhaps you prefer to be based in your own country campaigning on domestic human rights issues? Do you see yourself working in an office, with a small NGO in a remote village or in an international organisation?
Once you’ve mapped this out, work out your best route there. Who can help you get there and what skills do you need to make it happen?
Know your sector:
It may sound obvious but become an expert in your chosen field. Know everything there is to know (or as much as your brain can hold!) in that area and start to think critically about human rights. Read! Read! Read!
Skill up:
Human Rights professionals need a wide and varied skills set to succeed in the sector.
Take time to learn solid skills such as grant writing, project management, fundraising, program implementation and media skills. These will all help you for a future career in the human rights field.
And develop and refine those skills you’ve learned at university – written and oral presentation skills.
Attend Lectures
If the work of a particular human rights organisation interests you – go to their events. Ask interesting questions.
Meet the key people in the organisation on an informal basis.
Put yourself forward. Can you offer a presentation or a paper at the event? Get your name out there and raise your profile.
Network
Yes, it’s uncomfortable and feels counter-intuitive but beat those nerves and get out there and talk to everyone!
Build up a good list of contacts. These people can help you at all stages of your human rights career.
Talk to everyone and let them know that you are looking for interesting opportunities in the human rights sector. You never know whom they know!
Keep your LinkedIn profile updated and be sure to like, comment and share human rights content that interests you. The right people will soon find you and connect – this opens up opportunities for you to introduce yourself and start conversations. I know because I’ve done it myself and it works!
Unfortunately, the advent of Covid-19 has restricted our ability to attend networking events in person but this shouldn’t detract from your networking efforts. I have found that people have more time and availability to speak so ask for an introductory phone call to learn more about their work and current priorities. It’s unlikely you’ll get push back! Here are 5 tips for networking in the Human Rights field.
Build and draft your CV
There is no time like the present to think about drafting and brushing up your CV. On average, recruiters look at a CV for six seconds so you don’t have long to make a good impression! Start to think about how you present yourself in terms of your human rights brand – this will be reflected in your work, publications and pro bono activities.
Be visible and audible:
Think about how you position yourself. Sit at the front when you attend talks and events. Make sure people see you. Make sure you add to the debate. Don’t wait to be asked.
Be proactive in finding ways to do something ‘extra’ to raise your profile.
Get active on social media. Say something intelligent and with authority. Find which social media channel works best for you be it Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.
You may want to start a blog on a human rights issue that you care about – you start to create your own personal human rights voice and brand. One note of caution: blogs require regular updating so make sure you have the capacity and time to regularly update it. Here’s a good article about personal branding for ethical careers.
Find a Mentor and/or a Sponsor:
Don’t be afraid to ask someone to be your mentor. Mentors can provide you with honest and critical feedback and be a sounding board as you start out on your human rights career. Mentors can help you make key decisions by listening and encouraging.
You should know what you want before you approach someone. Think about the specific thing they can help you with e.g. finding your next job, building your confidence or help with seeking a promotion.
You can have a mentor for just a short time or over a longer period. You will need different people at different stages of your career.
Mentoring relationships can take any form e.g. face-to-face or an occasional email.
Work out the ground rules early on with your mentor in terms of the practical arrangements: how often will you meet, where, boundaries of the discussion.
If there are people that you admire, find ways to learn from them – reach out to them, put yourself forward.
You may have different mentors for different things – don’t feel the need to be wedded to one particular mentor.
How do you find a mentor?
The best way to find a mentor is through your own informal networks. Look for mentors who share the same values system as you and have had a similar career direction as you are hoping to take.
Sponsors:
Sponsors are those people who are rooting for you and will be your cheerleader in a particular organization. They play a different role to a mentor but are equally important as you start out in the sector.
Get yourself in print and on social media:
Carve out your expertise in your human rights area. You do not need to write a great tome. How about starting with a short blog of 500 words? Is there a university human rights publication where you can write your first blog or article?
This will help you to stand out from the crowd. It is a saturated market and you want to show that you are passionate and knowledgeable about your area.
And finally…
Self-confidence
Know yourself and believe in yourself. Come out feeling confident in who you are and what you are. Have ambition backed by a plan about where you want to get to, how and why.
Think about your attitude and how you project it. Attitudes are contagious and make sure yours is worth catching.
You don’t need to conform to get the best jobs. Never stop being authentic/true to who you are.
Don’t limit yourself through lack of fear of confidence.
Push yourself through the pain barrier e.g. if you know you don’t like public speaking, seek opportunities to do it. Normalise it.
But do be kind to yourself too! We can only do our best.