The Drawbacks of Development Work

This is a non-exhaustive list of some of the possible drawbacks you may experience from working in international development. Some of these points will not be true of all jobs or countries, and you may not even regard all of these points as drawbacks.

Job challenges

Low pay

Demand is high for development work, so jobs pay less than you would expect in your home country.

Long hours

Sometimes work can overrun the usual hours and it is often difficult to switch off, particularly if you become emotionally involved in your work

Stressful

You may be involved in and directly influencing people’s lives, and so feelings often run high

Challenging environment

Your work may take you to unpleasant places

Frustration

Knowing what must be done and getting it done are often very far apart

Location

Culture shock

Sometimes the people and customs can really jar and underwhelm

Language barrier

the language barrier can cause a sense of isolation

Inefficiencies

often things taken for granted can prove impossible to achieve. Expect to wait

Corruption

One of the banes of developing countries

Difficult climate

The heat and humidity can be oppressive

Danger

From disease, the effects of unstable governments and sometimes (but not always) increased crime

Lack of facilities

Many of the luxuries and comforts available at home may not be available here

Expatriate community

When small, the community can be stifling

Moving

Moving house

Can be tiring, especially when you have many possessions

Loss and damage

You will almost certainly lose possessions when moving through theft, forgetfulness and/or breakages

Loss of friendships

You will have to leave friends behind just when you get to know them well

Adjustment and readjustment

Wherever you move to, you will go through a period of adjustment, which can be difficult

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