Charity and non-profit
Charity workers are very committed to the cause of the particular charity they work for; and charities usually ask for evidence of this commitment at interview. Specific attributes might be required in some cases, for example, religious conviction if it is a religious charity.

In terms of the attributes looked for in a position in head office: as described in the previous section, charities offer very similar roles to private sector businesses, and therefore demand much the same competencies. Graduates will often have to demonstrate having acquired some relevant business and personal skills, in their studies, extracurricular activities, or work experience. In terms of attributes looked for in field roles. Again, many standard core competencies will be required in fieldwork, such as communications skills (more on this below), organisational and project work capabilities, and teamwork skills, in addition to any specific technical competencies and experience which may be necessary for the particular work of the charity.

In addition to these however, depending on the nature of the charity’s operations, an ability to deal with a pressured environment, with uncomfortable working conditions, with unforeseen setbacks and challenges, and with potentially emotionally distressing situations, may also be necessary. Again, the sheer variety of work undertaken by charities makes it impossible to generalise here.

However, one skill one can generalise about is communication skills: whether working with disadvantaged groups - attempting to understand their needs and describing to them the ways you will assist them; or coordinating the efforts of a group of technical specialists in an aid operation; or speaking to a major donor to thank them for their support; or marshalling a team of occasional volunteers on a project -- an ability to communicate widely and across a range of demographics will always be of the essence.