CharityComms

I recruit professionals from corporate or charity backgrounds to take on volunteer placements with VSO in developing countries. They can work in management, marketing, IT, communications, fundraising, finance and more.

I've always wanted to be a VSO volunteer but got side tracked with a career in motorsport PR! Then I worked in marketing for charities for about six years before taking a training course with Red R, enrolling in the Humanitarian Centre's certificate course in International Development and quitting my job. Red R recommended I check out vacancies in the head offices of international development charities; the vacancy at VSO seemed perfect.

My inbox is full of news alerts and e-briefs; I need to know what's going on in the public, corporate, volunteering and international sectors. The media team sends international news clippings - it's important for us to know what's happening globally. I check that adverts have appeared as they should, and then embark on a series of activities to get the people we need to volunteer. This can mean really urgent things, such as liaising with the press team about an urgent need for IT developers that speak Mandarin! I might give a presentation, do some ad planning or work with stats, and come up with press ideas, all on the same day.

You need to be passionate about the cause. Everyone I work with has a passion for international development and VSO, and has either been overseas as a volunteer, or has travelled and studied in these regions. You also need to be creative in the ways you engage people.

Getting people so enthused about VSO and volunteering that they decide to apply. Being part of a chain reaction to make a positive difference to the world, and hearing first hand from people who went on to volunteer and achieved amazing things in challenging circumstances.

As soon as my debt is paid off I plan to take on a short term placement. I'd like to use my skills in developing countries, working on HIV education programmes. And after that, who knows - all our returned volunteers say that VSO is a life changing experience!