How to Find a Job After the Mission Field

Bethany DuVal • May 24, 2019

When Peter returned from the mission field with his family, he wasn’t worried about his job hunt. He’d studied aviation and spent years as an aviation missionary in Papua New Guinea. He was sure to land something.

But when Peter started his job hunt, no one wanted him.

Nonprofits didn’t call Him back. Big airport jobs were snapped up by returning military personnel. And regional airports paid too little to support a family.

As Peter faced rejection after rejection, he began to wonder, “God, are you done with me? Did we make a mistake leaving?”

Peter’s situation isn’t uncommon.

When it comes to missions, most of us think about getting to the field and thriving there. In the midst of all that excitement, it can be hard to plan for after the mission field .

But even the most committed missionary can be brought home suddenly by health issues, lack of funding or a rejected visa. And for many, long-term missions is becoming less of a lifetime commitment, and more a season of life.

That’s why it’s vital that every missionary know these six keys to finding a job after the mission field.

Missionary works on laptop to search for jobs.

Make sure to keep your resume up to date. This includes adding all of the valuable skills and experiences you’ve gained from your time on the field.

1. Build Your Resume — on the Mission Field

Everyone should have an up-to-date resume, but the missionary who neglects this pays a steeper price than the ordinary job seeker .

Unless you stay in ministry, chances are good you’ll have to reframe some of your skills to attract the right jobs . And no one wants to figure that out while overcoming reverse culture shock, giving final reports to supporters and getting kids settled in new schools.

As you build ministry skills, start thinking now about how they can transfer to the secular work force . Ask your teammates what they think you’re good at. If you know what job you’d like after the mission field, find people who are doing it in your host country. Ask them about their work and what transferrable skills they see in you.

(You’ll also want to check out tip 4 for specific, valuable skills most missionaries have.)

If you come to the mission field with certain certifications, keep them up to date. And take opportunities for continued learning while you’re on home assignment . It’s always easier to keep your credentials current than to try to catch up on years of neglect.

2. Deal with Your Grief First Early On

A ready resume has another benefit once you return from the field: It gives you time to process your grief.

Former missionary Shonna Ingram works as a career guidance advisor for Pioneer Bible Translators . But before she digs into people’s professional skills, she asks them about why they came back, what they’ve lost and how they’re coping emotionally. Sometimes she recommends a counselor.

Everybody processes coming back to the States differently. But if we don’t handle our grief in a healthy way, it can hinder our the job hunts.

“It’s worse than going overseas, and a lot of it has to do with your identity. You know your purpose of why you’re going over there,” Ingram says. “Coming back, you don’t always know your purpose.”

If you haven’t processed that, you may have unrealistic expectations for your new job to fill that void. Or you may feel undue pressure to prove yourself.

Former TEAM missionary Jaime (whose name is changed for security reasons) says that when he got his secular job, “I was so eager to prove that I was worth something and that I was back on my feet, that I wasn’t willing to stop and let people help me.”

But instead of impressing his co-workers, his self-sufficiency was seen as arrogance.

Processing your loss early on will help you enter your next chapter of life with a healthy vision of purpose. It allows you to make peace with your changing identity. And it helps you understand what your family needs in a job now.

3. Create a Regular Schedule

It’s easy to let a job hunt take over your life — to feel like your life is on pause until you complete this task.

“[It’s] really hard to … know that the Lord’s sovereign when you don’t have a job and you don’t understand why you’re where you are ,” says Jaime.

But frantic job hunting rarely leads to quality results . It makes your failures feel bigger, puts you on edge when you do land an interview and often makes you irritable around those you love.

Instead of panicking, Jaime says to make a plan. Set working hours so you can “come home” for dinner and relaxation. Give yourself a few small goals each day so you have victories to celebrate. Decide on certain days or times when you’ll search for new jobs or craft cover letters.

This structure will lend peace to the process and give you added time to continue with step 2. It will also help you to keep your focus where it belongs: Christ.

4. Don’t Undervalue Your Ministry Experience

A lot of people think once you go into ministry, that’s all you can do. However, missionary field trainer and business consultant Ali Llewellyn says missionaries have skills that are highly valued in the business world.

“Missionaries are number one at innovation and change. … Talk about, ‘I can walk into a culture, figure out the lay of the land and find a solution that’s locally appropriate,’” Llewellyn says. “Because in business, that’s a huge deal.”

Sometimes we undervalue our ministry experience, but cross-cultural experience is a great asset that many employers search for.

Other experts note missionaries’ strong skills in management, sales, public speaking, speaking other languages, logistics, self-reliance, adaptability and more. The key is learning how your new industry talks about these skills.

“You need to give up on … the missions speak,” Peter says. “You need to use language and terminology that the business world will understand because you’re going into their world.”

Ask your support network for connections with people in your industry — not just for job leads, but to explain insider lingo and values. You might also consult a Christian career coach.

5. Don’t Let Money Keep You from Additional Training

Even if you don’t have much money, there are growing opportunities to expand your education . And that’s especially important if you have your heart set on a technical field or need some kind of certification for your dream job.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act provides up to $10,000 in training for qualified candidates. You can find local programs at Career One Stop . In 2017, Tennessee became the first state to offer tuition-free community college for adults . And tech schools like Lambda offer certification in just months , with no tuition required until you get a job meeting the minimum salary requirement.

When Peter left Wycliffe Bible Translators , he thought he’d get an aviation job, but the market was flooded. Fortunately, he had also spent time on the field as a project manager.

He decided to go community college and study for a widely-respected project management certification. Peter’s time in class not only added to his credentials, but it also gave him professional connections that led to a job .

6. Rest in Christ as You Wait on Him

A study on career transitions of former missionaries showed that missionaries whose churches supported them during their transition felt less pressured to find quick employment and felt more fulfilled in their present careers.

A group of women learn to rest in God's timing as they pray together.

Don’t forget that your church supports you. Their desire to see you succeed does not end when you come back from the mission field.

Sometimes you can’t hold out for the best job. But it’s worth it to ask your church for extended support or consider a part-time job that allows you to pay the bills while continuing your targeted job hunt.

“Some people have to start off being an Uber driver. … It’s sort of a process,” Ingram says.

Ultimately, trust God to direct you and provide for your needs.

“It’s funny how you can do everything. … There’s nothing, nothing, nothing,” Peter says, “and then all of a sudden, boom! It’s like God says, ‘OK.’”

Look for people who will keep you grounded in Christ while you search, and remember that God isn’t done with you. This is a new season of living for God — and He will be glorified by it!

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Bridging Dissonance: Finding Connection in Music and the Gospel

By Emily Sheddan • 18 Jul, 2024

TEAM worker Luke Standridge and his fellow musicians use music to build connections to faith in Japan. In music terms, dissonance creates movement or even suspense in a song. It invites tension. That tension is what helps grab our ear’s attention and the interchanging of these notes with pleasant melodious parts is what makes music such a delight. In a similar way, God is using music to grab people’s attention and catalyze Gospel impact in the largely unreached nation of Japan. TEAM Global Worker, Luke Standridge moved to Japan in 2019 with no clear direction on how he was going to use his passion for composing music while doing ministry. However, after Luke got involved with a local church and began developing deep friendships, the Lord opened unimaginable doors for Luke that in time, coordinating his creative skills with sharing the Word. “People Need to Come to Japan!” Growing up as one of ten kids in a family that was heavily involved in ministry and missions, Luke never considered that it would one day be a part of his own journey. In 2016, via a Japanese language learning class in Indiana, Luke and his brother had the opportunity to travel to Japan. Hearing, learning, and using the language in the context of Japanese culture was the goal. While it was Luke’s first international trip – even his first trip on a plane - it was also his first time hearing about the spiritual condition of the Japanese people. “And just through that, God did a huge 180 change on my heart,” says Luke. “More people should come here as global workers. People need to come to Japan!” The call God was laying on Luke’s heart is echoed when looking at the spiritual landscape of Japan. The nation is home to the second largest unreached people group in the world. It is one of the most difficult places for the Gospel to take hold and grow. Japan is also home to a deep and rich culture that prizes creative arts from pottery to ink to music to anime – a fact that would help Luke find his niche in life and ministry. God’s Guiding Hand In the short three-month timespan of that first trip, Luke found that opportunities came naturally to share about life, and people’s curiosity for Christianity grew. “I left Japan knowing I just had to come back,” Luke shares. “Even if I didn’t get back to the same area, I knew Japan was where God wanted me to be.” The Lord is good all the time and all the time the Lord is good. His plans do not fail. Luke returned to Japan in 2019, and less than a week after arriving, he was put in touch with a renowned composer in Japan. The composer saw some of Luke’s music and invited him to help write the music for a beloved in-country animated show. But God wasn’t finished yet! Fast forward a year, and more connections and opportunities allowed Luke to help with music for Pokémon - a franchise that has brand recognition around the world and was being developed into a TV series in Japan. Luke recalls how the Lord began using these connections in the production world to open doors for Gospel conversations. One night while having dinner in downtown Tokyo with famous artists and composers from all around the country, Luke was asked about his ministry-focused visa. This was a rare opportunity in a setting with people otherwise uninterested in Christianity. Luke shares, “The whole time I could see God’s hand in guiding the entire thing.”

Connecting in a New Kind of “Neighborhood”

By Lorena de la Rosa and Suzanne Pearson • 13 Jun, 2024

Through creative arts and other forms of innovative outreach, “The Neighborhood” is creating connections to the Gospel and the love of Jesus. CONNECTION. It’s a common word with powerful implications. Dictionary.com defines connection as a joining or linking together; a relationship between people or objects that unites or binds them together. God has created each of us with a deep need for connection with Him as well as connection with others. Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks to this, as the writer exhorts, “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” This God-given need for connection lies at the heart of a creative and innovative ministry in Japan known as “The Neighborhood.” TEAM Japan global worker, Kelly and her family created The Neighborhood as a place where connections are formed through creative arts, educational opportunities, and simply just providing a space for people to be together. A Family Calling The journey to the creation of The Neighborhood began over 5,000 miles away from Tokyo, in California where Kelly, her husband Jeff, and their five children were living. The kids were the first to sense God’s calling to missions, and asked why their family wasn’t serving in this way. How Kelly and her family came to TEAM is a God-story in and of itself. “God placed a TEAM Japan worker at our lunch table the same week that the kids posed that question to us,” Kelly recalls. “We had never heard of TEAM and so we thought, ‘let’s check this out.’ After that, God just kept confirming that we were supposed to be here.” After a period of fundraising and with much excitement, the family of seven moved to Japan in 2014. For the first five years, Kelly and Jeff served as a part of other TEAM ministry initiatives, but they began to sense a stirring for something new. Creating The Neighborhood Kelly and her family truly have a deep gift for hospitality, and regularly opened up their home to others they met in Tokyo. They saw a great need for people to have a place to gather and connect, and they wondered what doors the Lord might be opening for them to meet that need. “About a year before we were to return the States on home assignment, we were just really thinking about our future in Japan,” Kelly says. “We saw a need for people to have a ‘third place’ – a place that’s not home and it’s not work. They didn’t have a church community or any other place where they could meet people and just connect.” Kelly goes on to explain that in Japan, the culture is such that people don’t generally invite each other into their homes, but as her family did so, people embraced that opportunity. “This idea formed in all of our hearts of a student ministry center – a place where we can create community and learning,” says Kelly. “It was born out of what we were already doing in our home, but seeing how we could expand it and have better space.” God’s Provision What happened next is a true testament to God’s provision. Kelly, Jeff, and the kids returned to the States and began sharing their vision for The Neighborhood with their supporters and churches who responded generously. Upon returning to Japan, the search was on for the right space. “We had a Christian realtor that we told our dream to, and he just went looking for it,” Kelly recalls. When the realtor found a 5-story apartment building, he said, “It’s kind of out of your budget but it has what you need and want.” The Lord provided the funds and the family moved into the space in November 2019. They now occupy all but the ground floor, with living space for their family as well as classrooms, areas to study or hang out, and guest rooms for exchange students or others who need a place to stay overnight. The first floor is occupied by a pizza shop – a welcome amenity for the many groups and students who visit The Neighborhood. “It’s very convenient!” Kelly says with a laugh. The Neighborhood began to see lots of activity right away until the pandemic hit in early 2020. During the height of the quarantine, Kelly and Jeff used the time to redecorate the space and plant gardens outside the building. Then as the restrictions eased, they invited individual students or families over for meals and fellowship. It wasn’t until March 2023 that The Neighborhood was able to fully open again as intended. Kelly shares that despite the setbacks of COVID, the Lord continued to provide the funds to pay the rent.