AVERT - AVERTing HIV and AIDS

"How can I apply to work at AVERT?"

Although AVERT funds a number of AIDS projects overseas, staff for these projects are employed directly by the local organisations that run them. This means that we only publicly advertise for positions at our UK office in Horsham, West Sussex. At present we have a vacancy for the new position of Chief Executive. Further details of this position can be found on the website of PAS Charity Recruitment at www.pasconsultants.co.uk

"Do you offer internships or work experience?"

As a small charity, AVERT cannot offer any internships or work experience at our offices. However, there are several larger AIDS organisations in the UK that you may like to try contacting:

Terrence Higgins Trust www.tht.org.uk
George House Trust www.ght.org.uk
National AIDS Trust www.nat.org.uk
UK AIDS Consortium www.aidsconsortium.org.uk

You might also want to contact one of the UK-based NGOs listed below, or check your telephone directory for organisations in your area.

"How can I volunteer to help out in countries affected by HIV and AIDS?"

Most of our overseas projects are small and run by local people, so AVERT doesn't currently offer voluntary placements. However, if you would like to help out, there are plenty of other organisations that would be happy to hear from you, particularly if you have a medical background or speak a language native to any of the regions they work in. Below are a few you might like to try:

Student Partnerships Worldwide www.spw.org
Oxfam International www.oxfam.org
Save The Children www.savethechildren.org.uk
Médecins Sans Frontières www.msf.org
Christian Aid www.christian-aid.org.uk
ActionAid www.actionaid.org
Voluntary Service Overseas www.vso.org.uk
The Red Cross www.redcross.org.uk
SkillShare www.skillshare.org
Global Volunteer Network www.volunteer.org.nz

You might also like to visit the NAM website for a list of organisations based in the specific country you would like to visit.

"How can I go about starting a career in the field of HIV/AIDS?"

Well, it depends what you want to do! There are lots of different careers paths available within the field of HIV and AIDS work, and many people start out in entirely different sectors before deciding to transfer their skills. Jobs vary greatly depending on the type of work an organisation does.

You could be employed at a basic level as an administrator or fundraiser. You might have computer skills and want to work on an organisation's website, or help to design publicity campaigns.

If you have a scientific degree, you might even be lucky enough to find research work with people developing new AIDS drugs or vaccines. Or you could choose to go and work with people directly affected by HIV and AIDS, either in your own country or abroad. It all depends on what interests you and what skills you have to offer (although it helps if you know something about HIV and AIDS!). To learn more, please feel free to browse our website further, and best of luck in your chosen career!

"I am a consultant and was wondering if you could use my services..."

While we appreciate that consultants can sometimes provide useful insight, we do not as a rule employ them and will not reply to any unsolicited e-mails that we may receive.

Last updated July 07, 2010