If you are a resident of a country that is not a part of the European Union, and you have been looking for an ESC voluntary project abroad with no success, let me tell you – I hear you! I know why it is a challenging process, but I also know how to increase your chances of finding your international adventure.
Let us recall what countries can participate in the ESC voluntary projects!
Non-EU programme countries* (Iceland, North Macedonia, Turkey, Liechtenstein), Partner countries* neighbouring the EU (Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Norway, Palestine, Russia, Serbia, Syria, Tunisia, Ukraine), plus of course all EU countries.
*Programme countries can both host projects and volunteers, and send volunteers.
*Partner countries can only send volunteers to programme countries.
In addition, the age limit for a participant is 18-30 years old. You can be 17 at the time of applying, but you have to be 18 on the project’s start date. You can turn 31 during the project, but you have to be 30 on the project start date.
#1 CONNECT WITH SENDING ORGANISATION IN YOUR HOMELAND
Get to know Sending Organisations, also known as Supporting Organisations, in your homeland/country of residence. You can find accredited organisations here.
Contact the organisations to learn what opportunities they offer. Choose the most competent organisation (based on their experience or friendly approach to your ideas) to be your Sending Organisation (further: SO).
If it’s possible, contact other volunteers that were sent by the SO to the ESC voluntary projects to ask for any tips.
#2 START EARLY
Not every project accepts residents from outside of the European Union. You will need the time to either find the one, that does accept a non-EU resident or do your research on the projects you want to participate in, and contact receiving organisations before they made a call for the next project.
You need to obtain a residence permit to enter a European Union country, and the process of application and receipt is time-consuming.
If you find a project that urgently requires volunteers, they will not consider your application, as the entire process—including familiarization with you, paperwork, and your arrival—can take up to five to six months. Many receiving organisations don’t have experience hosting non-EU residents or cannot afford the time-consuming paperwork process.
Let me give you an example of “behind the scenes”. In order to bring an Azerbaijani volunteer to the project in Finland, both us and Sending organisation had to 1) exchange agreements signed by three parties, 2) an application on Finnish migration site had to be filled (with many documents attached), 3) a volunteer had to go to the appointment in the Finnish embassy in Moscow, Russia, 4) wait for several months for the decision, 5) receive the residence permit by person in Moscow again. All in all – the process lasted approximately four months.
Many young people get frustrated when looking for an ESC project, but if you have the “how” knowledge, you approach the search strategically.
#3 PREPARE YOUR RESUME
As soon as you start looking for a voluntary project to go abroad, you should prepare a resume ready to be sent to the Host Organisations and to upload on the European Youth Portal. It has to be in English.
Make it simple – your basic personal information (date of birth, address, e-mail address, country of residence, phone number), education and work experience. Also, a resume with your picture makes it feel more personal.
Young people, who just graduated from high school and don’t have much experience, might mention some short-term voluntary activities, summer jobs or achievements in school (e.g., language skills).
It is best to have a resume in pdf, because it keeps the neat structure when opened on another device.
#4 CREATE AN ACCOUNT ON THE EUROPEAN YOUTH PORTAL
This is where you will have to eventually connect with a Hosting Organisation. You will fill in your account data and upload a resume. No matter if you find the project on the mentioned portal or through other sources (like Facebook groups), this is where you will accept the invitation to participate.
The Host Organisation will ask for the reference number that each account gets upon registration. It is good to have it already mentioned either in a CV or a motivational letter.
#5 WRITE A MOTIVATIONAL LETTER
First of all, a motivational letter is what gives the Host Organisation the first impression of you! Even a few wrong words can cross your chances out, because your whole personality is being judged by your letter. Remember, that you are one of many strangers applying at the same time, and there’s always competition.
Every motivational letter, short or long, has to be tailored to the project! A motivational letter that’s written to fit every project out there, most of the time fits none and doesn’t get attention.
If you believe you are bad at writing, you can also make a short video presenting yourself and telling why you want to participate in this project. Seeing a person in a dynamic format unconsciously creates a connection. But again, you have to mind that you are a stranger to the recruiter – be mindful of cultural differences and common manners.
How to write a perfect motivational letter for an ESC voluntary project? Check this article with real examples!
Shortly, a good motivational note or letter:
- shows your interest and motivation in the particular ESC project. Express it by using the information you have found in the project info pack. Show you have done your reading!
- includes a few sentences on how the project would benefit when you are given the chance to participate and how you would benefit from the participation. A cool trick is to write how you intend to use the skills learned after the project is over!
- doesn’t contain unnecessary information. Don’t write anything that has nothing to do with the project: like information that is already in your CV.
- shows you are a humble and sincere person. Don’t brag or present yourself in a provocative light.
- mentions that you have a Sending Organisation and you are ready for an interview.
A motivational letter written in the right way is a possible door opener for the next step – a call with the Host Organisation, where the ESC project coordinator or any other project staff person will have a conversation with you.
#6 AGREE TO AN INTERVIEW
No matter how poor you believe your English is or how scary it is to talk in the foreign language, you just have to do it!
I interviewed young people with poor English skills, and let me tell you: if they showed a genuine interest in the project and made all the effort to prepare for the conversation, they got accepted for participation. One volunteer even had somebody behind the camera whispering some English words to him, and that’s fine.
Participation in the European Solidarity Corps project means learning skills!
Once a young man sent me a beautiful application and a creative portfolio, but when invited to call for an interview he refused. He explained in numerous e-mails, that his English is poor, but he really wants to participate and if he can be accepted without an interview. I hope, you see how absurd it sounds! Anyone can create an application with a help of other people and digital tools available, but you show up as yourself during the interview. As a coordinator, I want to make sure whom I bring into my community for the ESC project.
#7 PAPERWORK FOR THE RESIDENCE PERMIT
Experienced Hosting and Sending organisations know their work well, and don’t expect you to know what documents to collect and where to deliver them. You just need to react to their requests to proceed with the paperwork smoothly.
Unfortunately, sometimes you might happen to be the first volunteer to travel to a certain country from your residence country. In that case, prepare to be proactive and support both organisations in the process. It is in your interest to get the wheels rolling, and you can’t always rely on somebody helping you.
In the case of Finland, a volunteer needs to register in the Finnish migration service and attach the required documents, among others, an activity agreement signed by all parties. When the application is filled, paid and submitted, an applicant has to travel to the embassy or a consulate to prove the identity. After that comes the waiting for the decision. When the residence permit is granted, you need to receive it in person at the embassy or consulate. It takes up to 4-5 months.
Ideally, the Host Organisation covers all the costs immediately. You cannot be expected to pay fees or travel expenses by yourself. But if you did pay yourself, you are reimbursed upon presenting a receipt.
The Sending organisation can’t charge you anything! Participation in the ESC project is free of charge!
I wish you luck to find the project of your dreams, that will bring a positive change into your life and open new doors for you!
If you enjoyed this and want to fuel my creativity, consider buying me a coffee! Your support keeps the ideas flowing! 🙂
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