How I Got A Project Assistant Job At Red Cross Paying 45-70K With Very Little Experience

Getting a job at Red Cross Kenya is a big dream for most people. This is mainly because they offer a work-life balance, pay well and give amazing benefits.
However, getting a job there is not an easy thing. I spoke to Brenda who managed to get a project assistant position at Red Cross and this is what she had to say about how they managed to land a job there.
How did you start working at Red Cross?
I had been a member of Red Cross throughout University so when I was about to graduate I decided to volunteer at the organization.
I studied Psychology so I knew I wanted to work for an NGO. The first thing I did was find out what they needed in order for someone to become a volunteer.
They wanted a CV and certificates but in my case, since I hadn’t graduated yet, my transcripts.
So I just dropped them at the office in Kisumu and hoped for the best.
Well for the volunteer post there was no interview really, what happened was after dropping my application I had to wait for around two to three months before I heard back from them.
They send a message to the people they had selected for the volunteer posts. I was lucky enough to pick which area I wanted to be in, so I ended up working with women living with HIV in the area.
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Was there any payment?
No as a volunteer you are not really entitled to any payment but if you go to the field then you are given a sort of allowance.
So how did you get the project assistant job?
I was a volunteer for about five months and then I saw they had advertised the position and I applied.
I think I got the job not only because I was already a volunteer at the organization but because I was also working on the same project.
That means I had knowledge and experience doing what they wanted the person to do. If I didn’t have the volunteering experience I don’t think I would have gotten the job.
What was the interview process like?
There were two interviews, the first one turned out to be a panel interview and a week later I attended the second one which had only two people.
This was very scary considering the candidates were a bit older than me and I had only 5 months experience.
How long did it take before you heard back from them?
It took around two weeks to get feedback.
What exactly did your job entail?
The job was basically similar to what I did as a volunteer which was, counseling women living with HIV around Kisumu.
What was the salary range for the position?
The position at the time was paying 45-70K.
There were allowances given on top of the salary, to cover transport and lunch costs.
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What is your advice for job seekers out there aspiring to join Kenya Red Cross?
It would have been very difficult for me to get the job if I was not already a volunteer at Red Cross. So if you want to work for a certain NGO, you should start by getting a volunteer position.
You also need to be patient because it took months for me to get the volunteer position but I did not give up.
Remember that you are competing with people who are just as qualified as you are and because you don’t have a lot of experience you should ensure your CV and Cover Letter show you are a good candidate.