About volunteering with VSA

What makes a great VSA volunteer?

VSA looks for individuals who are 

• Committed to the spirit of volunteering, to VSA and our in-country partner organisations 
• Open and agreeable  
• Culturally aware and respectful 
• Adaptable and calm when facing challenging situations 
• Resourceful and solutions focused 
• Resilient and able to cope with setbacks 
• Strong mentors who champion capacity building 

Our recruitment process 

All prospective volunteers will undergo a comprehensive selection process that includes:

• Pre-screening telephone interview 
• Behavioral interview that will explore your relevant professional experience as it relates to the assignment specifications 
• An interview that explores personal motivation, your flexibility, resilience, and adaptability to take on the challenges of a volunteer assignment   
• At least two references will be contacted to explore your professional and personal motivations for applying, and your flexibility, resilience, and adaptability to take on the challenges of a volunteer assignment 

What’s in it for you? 

Volunteering is a unique way to utilise your skills in a new environment, become embedded in a new culture and make friends for life. We asked our returned volunteers what they got out of it, and they all say they got far more than they gave, which included: 

• increased resilience 
• patience and an entirely new way of seeing the world 
• they returned home committed to their new communities and recommitted to their home communities. 

Support and benefits

For volunteers travelling overseas, we provide you with:  

Before you go

• Pre-departure briefing  
• Airfares & baggage allowance  
• Visas  
• Travel insurance  
• Medical clearance & vaccinations  

On assignment

• In-country orientation & language training  
• Accommodation & utilities  
• Living allowance   
• Safety & security support provided by our in-country staff   

When you come home

• Debriefing on return to NZ  
• Career counselling   
• Membership to the Returned Volunteer Network  
• Additional costs and grants are dependent on the assignment.

What we do and where we work

We work across Polynesia, Melanesia, Timor-Leste, and Cambodia, with organisations that range from grassroots community groups to UN agencies and corporate organisations. 

Our volunteers come from a wide variety of backgrounds, from engineering, renewable energy, education and health to the fields of law, business and tourism.