Having worked in their placements, some volunteers find that Cambodia offers more to the educated expat than just their volunteer post with an NGO.
Opportunities come in all shapes and sizes. Some volunteers are fortunate enough to find paid work, but that isn’t to downplay the relevance and usefulness of further volunteer posts in different organisations or even fields, since many have found worthwhile internships which have greatly improved their CVs.
The communication skills volunteers pick up in their placements are highly relevant to all work in Cambodia, and employers are likely to recognize the importance of such skills in an increasingly more globalized working environment. Placements prove you have patience and the capacity to reach a common ground with people from diverse backgrounds.
In terms of the particulars, volunteers have found that their knowledge of the country, its political situation and even its arts and entertainment has been immensely useful to finding work in different fields. One volunteer started a blog on visual art exhibited in Phnom Penh and was asked to write for an emerging publication. This work has led to other writing jobs, for both local and international publications.
Another volunteer returned home after a 6 month placement with a local NGO, only to come back several months later to take up a teaching position with a school in Phnom Penh. Another didn’t even get the chance to finish her placement before being offered a job with an international NGO!
Others have gone on to find paid work or intern at various other NGOs in the city. I myself had the opportunity to begin my own social business, Agile Development Group, with a contact I developed through my original placement. This is an opportunity I would never had had back in England, since my expertise is relevant to this particular area, and contacts are developed faster in a locale populated with like-minded people.
Cambodia is developing fast, and business and marketing skills are desperately sought after. NGOs and social businesses need strong marketability and up-to-date internet presence to succeed, just as much as privately owned businesses. Volunteers who do not have backgrounds in development might be surprised to discover that their existing skill set is highly relevant to their placement, and to the rest of Cambodia!
2Way Development: South-East Asia 