Want to work abroad for a couple of years? Feel a need to broaden your horizons, stretch yourself and gather experience not readily available in this country?

Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) does not offer a fat salary or tax-free bonuses. Volunteers earn enough to live on but, after all, it’s not about the money. You’re there to impart your expertise to other people and to make a contribution to a worthwhile cause.

The charity responds to requests for skilled people from employers in eastern and central Europe, Africa, south and east Asia, Central and South America, the Caribbean and the South Pacific Islands. And there is an ongoing need for accountants (CCAB) for auditing, budgeting and financial management services.

Business advisers with an MBA degree, HND in business studies or accounting, or AAT qualification, along with two years’ experience, are also needed to set up and run small firms and offer business planning, quality control, marketing and fund-raising.

The role of business advisers is vital. "Soft skills are important. We need people who are not only qualified and can do the job, but who can impart their skills to the people there," says Emma Crabtree, VSO assistant coordinator, business unit. "We don't want people who are just trying to escape from something," she adds.

Life with VSO is no easy option. That is why you must meet basic criteria. Volunteers must be aged between 23 and 60, willing to work for a "modest" living allowance, healthy, qualified and experienced, able to spend up to two years overseas and willing to work where most needed.

Applications are assessed on qualifications and experience and people with the right mix are then invited to an assessment day of interviews, role playing and tests. Personal and professional references are also important.

Successful candidates can expect a reasonable standard of accommodation, clean water, a healthy diet and at least four weeks’ holiday a year. Support networks and programmes offer help along the way.

Stephen, a chartered accountant from London, left his job with a small firm of West End accountants to spend two years in Bangladesh. "After the selection process and training with VSO in London, I quit my job on a Thursday and flew out on the following Monday," he says. He found the selection procedures rigorous. "The idea is to coax out the real you and see if you are suited to the type of work you will be asked to carry out. Are you a leader or a team player, for instance."

On his arrival in Bangladesh, Stephen was given a month’s intensive training on the language and culture of the country. "The main difference is the management style," he explains. "Things are much more laid back and you have to adapt to their style and take them with you."

Although his job title was business adviser to a large charity based in a remote northerly part of the country, Stephen soon found himself involved in the financial accounting and management operations of the whole organisation. "I had the opportunity to become involved at a higher level than I been used to at home," he says.

But not all countries turn out just as they are portrayed in the travel brochures. The Maldive Islands, for example, conjure up visions of empty beaches. This is not quite accurate, according to Ian, an accountant from Manchester who took leave from his job with the Audit Commission.

"I was in the capital, Malai, and the first surprise was how crowded it was," he says. "The area is heavily developed and it was difficult just trying to get some time on my own." His role was business manager but, like Stephen, his remit turned out to be far wider. "You have to become a generalist," he says. "You may be the only one with the skills to complete a job, so you need a hands-on approach."

Crabtree also emphasises that volunteers must get involved for the right reasons. "People-to-people skills are very important," she says. "Our assessment process aims to ensure that volunteers are likely to succeed in the job and are also likely to benefit from their experiences."

For those worried about returning to the UK and finding another job, VSO has a returned volunteer office. This has contacts with a range of employers and sends a fortnightly jobs list to recent volunteers, who are also invited to a returned volunteer weekend.

Carol Burns at the returned volunteer office argues that VSO experience can be a strong selling point. "Many employers grant leave of absence for staff wishing to work with VSO," she says. "And, if not, we can help you to sell the positive aspects of your work abroad, including the soft skills."

On the financial side, volunteers get a living allowance, an equipment grant of up to £500 before they go, and another small grant (around £300) midway through their placement. A re-settlement grant of about £1,500 is available on their return.

Both Stephen and Ian found their stints enjoyable and rewarding. "The training and selection process was good experience in itself," Stephen says. Ian adds that his time with VSO gave him the confidence to change career. "My advice is to go for it," he says. "The difficult decision is where to go. There’s no point agreeing to go somewhere you can’t handle."

They are not the only ones. Andrew, a certified accountant from Bradford, left his job as a finance manager to work in the Gambia in February 1998. He’s just extended his contract. "I work in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Banjul," he says. "The weather, the poverty, the noise, the people and the terrain have all made my placement a huge cultural experience. But support from VSO and the welcome from the Gambian people helped me to adapt."

Like Crabtree, Andrew stresses the importance of soft skills. "I have developed personally far more than I have given professionally," he says. "Many UK job offers promise the earth. VSO can promise you an unforgettable experience."

Learning to raleigh around

After qualifying three years ago as a chartered accountant, Debbie Jeremiah finished her contract as a business analyst for a construction firm and set off to Patagonia and Mongolia as an expedition accountant for Raleigh International. "My primary reason was to use my professional skills in a challenging overseas environment," she says. She began the Patagonian expedition in 1999 and will finish in Mongolia at the end of September this year.

Expedition accountants work alongside young volunteers known as venturers as well as other staff. Jeremiah is responsible for setting up, monitoring and controlling day-to-day expenditure and overseeing the financial management of the expedition. She also submits regular reports to the UK head office.

Most days begin with a field base team meeting at 7.30 am. "In Chile, the stunning views helped to make the early morning meetings bearable," Jeremiah says. "In Mongolia we live in traditional GER (white felt tents) with views of the Soviet-style high-rise apartment blocks of Ulan Bator and the rolling Mongolian hills." She spends her days maintaining financial records, ensuring funds are available for the logistics team and project managers, monitoring cash flow levels and maintaining budgetary control over expenditure.

"Fluctuating currencies require constant monitoring and I make regular visits to local banks to obtain cash, bank travellers’ cheques and exchange currency," Jeremiah says. "Daily e-mails to accountants at the UK head office provide the support I need."

She also gets the chance to visit projects. "Spending time with venturers and integrating into the local community is intensely rewarding," she says, and recalls being marooned on a small beach opposite a South American glacier to trap wild cats for radio tracking. "The only entertainment was watching the icebergs float past." The next challenge will be time in the Gobi desert and three weeks on horseback in the Mongolian forests.

There are other rewards as well. "It is satisfying knowing that projects made a contribution to the country and people," Jeremiah says. "And you gain insights into different cultures." But, she warns, initiative, common sense, teamworking, stamina, flexibility, patience and a sense of humour are as important as accountancy skills. "Experience working with foreign currencies would be valuable and a language is useful, but not essential," she adds.

For more information, contact Raleigh International on 020 7371 8585, or e-mail: [email protected]

Tom Kelly is a freelance journalist

AT, March 2000, page 18-19