Have you ever wondered why you have one mouth but two ears? Because it is much easier to talk than to listen.
Asian proverb

"I'm the Assistant Director of the Panos Institute - an international charity working towards sustainable development in Africa, Asia and the Americas. It took me a while to realise the importance of listening - and now I spend 75% of my day doing just that!

I'm responsible for the development of some 50 projects in Africa and Asia each year. I work out who needs what and where - who should do it and why and most importantly who's going to pay for it. I listen to our overseas partners and collaborators, my colleagues and a variety of donors - the general public, organisations like Oxfam and Christian Aid, Comic Relief and the National Lottery, the British Government, the European Commission and the United Nations - and I match monies with needs. It's a dream job for someone with an interest in overseas development and a desire to do something concrete. How did I get here?

I graduated with little or no practical experience, but sure that I wanted to work in the voluntary sector. I heard about TLFC and I joined up for a six week campaign. Four or five months later I realised that I was not only investing my time and energies for the benefit of a variety of good causes, but I was investing in myself too because I was learning so much. In fact I stayed for a couple of years and ended up training other fundraisers.

The campaigns are an excellent way of learning how to communicate effectively, to work as part of a team and support those around you. They're not a doddle, its hard work and very intensive but the rewards can be plentiful. During my time with TLFC I spoke to thousands of people and worked with over 100 other campaigners - and each one taught me a little bit more about my own communication skills. I was always a great talker, but the TLFC taught me how to listen in greater and greater depth- a much harder thing to do.

I used my newly developed skills in my interview for my current job and now I use those skills every day. This week I am meeting the Director of our South Asia office and a representative from the British government, convening a meeting to brainstorm on a new project in India and then travelling to Brussels to discuss funding issues with the EC. Next month I will be in Kathmandu participating in a partners' meeting, training local members of staff and visiting the Nepalese Foreign Ministry. It's a demanding job - but if you get the basics right it isn't that hard.

I got a head start by investing in my communication skills and TLFC provided me with the opportunity to do that. I would encourage you to see what it can do for you."