Target online programmes
UN Volunteers online volunteering, UNICEF and WHO internships, and NGO listings on Idealist and ReliefWeb.
Careers
Internships & Volunteering
Build referenceable experience through virtual internships, online volunteering and UN programmes.
Introduction
What this covers
If you have no formal work history, internships and structured volunteering are how you create one. Online options mean you can do this from home.
What matters is not the title but the evidence: a supervisor who can reference you, and work you can describe with results.
Why it matters
- Employers accept internships and volunteering as real experience on a CV.
- You gain references — often the missing piece in a first application.
- Many programmes lead directly to paid roles within the same organisation.
Step by step
How to do it, in order
Apply like it is a job
Tailored CV, short cover letter, and a clear statement of the hours you can commit.
Choose work with output
Prefer roles that produce something you can show: a report, a translation, a dataset, a curriculum.
Ask for a reference in advance
At the start, agree that your supervisor will give a written reference on completion.
Convert it into CV lines
Write each contribution as an achievement with numbers as soon as you finish.
Common mistakes
- Treating unpaid work casually and missing deadlines — references are the whole point.
- Committing more hours than you can sustain.
- Never asking what the organisation needs most, and doing low-value tasks for months.
- Paying for an 'internship placement' — reputable programmes do not charge.
Best practices
- Keep a weekly log of what you delivered.
- Ask for feedback at the midpoint, not only at the end.
- Connect with your supervisor on LinkedIn while the work is fresh.
- Apply to several programmes; places are limited and cycles are seasonal.
Free tools & templates
Use these while you work
Recommended videos
Watch and learn
Verified external resources
Trusted organisations only
Next steps
What to do after this page
1
Apply to one online volunteering assignment this week.
2
Add your last volunteer role to your CV as an achievement.
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