How to find an EVS project : Tips&advices!

As soon as you have collected all the necessary info and you are sure that you want to go abroad for a period offering volunteer work, you have to find a project that you like and of course be accepted.

How do I find an EVS project?

•  The first step that you can do in order to find an EVS project is to contact a local organization that sends volunteers (or at least want to try to send you!). There , apart from all the info that you have -first hand- they may have some placements to propose you, from organizations that they already collaborate. In this case, they know the conditions, the problems that may errupt and you will have all the support needed.In case that they don't have direct contacts and projects with other organizations, problably they will forward you some mails with EVS vacancies. 
• The most official (and long) database it the one of the European Commission

http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_en.cfm  There you can find all  the EVS projects that they are approved but also lots of projects that they were approved years ago and they are not any more valid. Plus there are not information like deadline for application.

The best that this page has to offer are the contacts of organizations that they are active in doing EVS projects. In case for example you are searching of doing an EVS project on a specific theme or in a specific country the best thing you have to do is to contact directly the organizations asking if they are any places avalaible!

• Another database, very updated and useful is the one of Youthnetworks

www.youthnetworks.eu

There they are plenty of vacancies, updated very often, so give it a try!

• A last one (but not least because like this I find my EVS project!) is to use social network. If you are in contact with organizations, you may see a post or a tweet about a position that may be your ideal EVS!

Finding an EVS project takes a lot of time and unfortunately a lot of energy. Searching a project on a theme that you like, for a period that yoy like, starting on a period that you like and on a country that you like is indeed very hard. For example you may want to do volunteering with kids, in a country that you would love to go, the program description is fantastic but the program is for 12 months and you go abroad only 6!

Addittionally, a lot of people are searching for doing EVS, probably more than the places so there is a lot of competition. Writing applications and motivation letters over and over it can be dissapointed. :(

My advice is to try different channels for searching for projects, keep noting the applications that you have made (because in the end aftetr 10 applications you would nemember if they call you for interview what was the 5th application job description about and nobody garantees that the announcement will be online!) and try to compromise. See what is more important for you the dates of the project? the theme? or the place? And choose according these priorities!