GVI Career Guarantee Policy

Man scuba diving collecting research

What is the Career Success Guarantee?

The Career Guarantee provides eligible participants with a refund of 50% of their program fees should they not have received a qualifying job offer, as defined below, within 18 months following completion of their program.

This Guarantee is subject to the following conditions:

 

Who is considered an Eligible Participant?

In order to be eligible you must meet the following criteria:

  • You must be legally authorised to work in one of the following countries from the time you complete your program:
    • United Kingdom;
    • United States of America;
    • Canada; or
    • Australia;
  • You must be 21 years of age or older upon commencement of your program;
  • You must have completed at least a Bachelor’s degree prior to the start of the program;
  • You must complete either a GVI Internship Program, Professional Apprenticeship Program or Research Fellowship Program with a minimum in-field duration of 12 weeks; and
  • You must complete your participant responsibilities as outlined below.

If you do not meet all of the above criteria, you will not be considered as eligible to use the Career Guarantee.

 

A Qualifying Job Offer is defined as the following:

Any job offer you receive, or role you commence will be considered a Qualifying Job Offer if it meets each of five criteria relating to Time Period, Compensation, Industry, Employment Type and Offer Form.

1. Time Period

It is received within 18 months of the completion date of your in-field program, whichever completion date is later. For the purposes of this policy “in-field” is defined as a GVI internship, professional apprenticeship or research fellowship abroad.

2. Compensation

It provides acceptable compensation. Acceptable compensation is a package that includes a base salary or an hourly rate or is based on commission. Acceptable compensation also includes any offer that provides an allowance for travel, meals, and housing instead of, or in conjunction with, remuneration. Any revenue stream derived from a role that is sufficient to cover travel, meal and housing costs would also count as acceptable compensation.

3. Industry

Job offers in or connected to the social impact, conservation, NGO or charity or related industry will qualify. GVI reserves the right to make the final decision on qualifying jobs. If you opt to take an offer for a role in a non-related industry, this Guarantee will fall away.

4. Employment Type

A job offer is classed as successful if the work status it confers is full time, part-time, freelance, contract-based, an apprenticeship, an internship, independent contractor or in a self-employed role.

5. Offer Form

The job offer can be made verbally or in writing. For self-employed roles, no offer is required.

 

What are my Participant Responsibilities?

Participant responsibilities are your duties and responsibilities before your program commences, during your program, and the year following the completion of your program.

Before your program commences:
  • You must pay your program fees in their entirety;
  • Successfully complete the following online courses:
    • GVI Online Leading Teams for Impact  Course;
    • GVI Online Marine Conservation, Wildlife Conservation or Community Development Course; and
    • Any relevant destination specific training.
During your program:

All participants:

  • must complete all assignments set out by your Supervisor;
  • must have had satisfactory overall behaviour; and
  • must have 100% attendance on all scheduled project work.

Research Fellows must also:

  • Receive a passing grade on their final research paper or thesis

Interns and Professional Apprentices must also:

  • Receive a passing grade on all project work assigned by our Partners

You will be automatically disqualified from this Guarantee in the event of any one of the following:

  • You receive disciplinary action ( verbal or written warnings or expulsion) for any reason, including but not limited to, breaching GVI’s Terms and Conditions, Code of Conduct, Risk Assessments, or other Health and Safety measures; or
  • You are unable to complete your program for any reason, including, but not limited to, medical complications (including mental health), Force Majeure or other instances where GVI must cancel or curtail your program.
After your program:

After completing your program you must:

  • Successfully complete all assignments related to your GVI Online Careers in Sustainable Development Course within 4 weeks of your program end date;
  • Attend both sessions with your Career Supervisor and complete any relevant assignments within 12 weeks of your program end date; and
  • Update your LinkedIn Profile and CV/Resume with your GVI-related experiences and qualifications within 12 weeks of your program end date.

Within the first year of completion of your program, you must be able to show evidentiary proof that you applied to a minimum of 50 different vacancies. For each vacancy you must be able to demonstrate the following:

  • You met the minimum requirements for the role as outlined in the vacancy;
  • You applied for the vacancy within the deadlines specified;
  • You provided all documentation requested before the deadline;
  • You replied to any emails received from the prospective employer within 24 hours; and
  • You attended any requested interviews or meetings.

Furthermore, many employers will not consider applications where candidates are required to relocate or have made unreasonable salary expectations. Therefore these vacancies:

  • Must be for positions that are a minimum of 50 miles/80km from your residential address or are completely remote, or you must be willing to relocate at your own expense if the role is in another location provided that the position offered makes it clear that they are considering international candidates and
  • May have any salary range regardless of your expectations.

For all vacancies where you are unsuccessful, you must also contact the employer and request feedback on why you were unsuccessful and make reasonable attempts to rectify any shortcomings where possible.

We reserve the right to request any documentary proof of your communication and interaction with prospective employers. We also reserve the right to contact any prospective employers regarding your job application. In order to claim this Guarantee, you must authorize prospective employers to communicate with us regarding your job application when we request you to do so. Failure to do so will make you ineligible for this Career Guarantee.

GVI will retain the sole discretion for determining your eligibility for claims under this Guarantee. Should you be eligible for a refund under this Guarantee, you will receive the funds 90 days after the determination is made.