What other industries or positions might value MEL experience in international development?

Hey! Has anyone ever had two rounds of interview for an ETC position at IFC or the World Bank? I passed the assessment test over a month ago and had a panel interview with 3 people a couple of weeks ago, I am now asked to go through another interview with the hiring manager. Is that common practice and if so how does the interview with the hiring manager differ from the panel interview?

The movement to “decolonize” global health has gained traction in recent years. For centuries, the legacy of colonialism has continued to shape the health outcomes of those in developing countries. To decolonize healthcare means making it more accessible to those that are marginalized by existing systems. What are some ways in which practitioners can achieve this?

I write more about this here: https://open.substack.com/pub/thedevelopingeconomist/p/decolonizing-public-health-in-developing?r=29ekcf&utm_medium=ios

Hello, I am a third-year student in a bachelor program, and I've been looking for an internship with the United Nations to complement my previous background in humanitarian work and international development. However, the only position I've had any luck with is essentially a UN fundraising internship.

Is a "Private Sector Partnerships" internship with the UN less prestigious than others more directly related to the specific organ's field of work? Will it still be a good addition to my CV and help me break into the international development field, or should I try and look for others?

This report implies that technical compliance does not mean enforcement:

• Nevertheless, critics within the literature argue these conditions prioritise technical compliance, especially with standards set by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), over effective implementation.

At the same time, some sources suggest (I can't find right now though) that technical compliance does mean enforcement.

So does technical compliance means that actual implementation of laws should be accounted, or does it just mean black letter rules?

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So I'm looking into humanitarian work as a career. I don't have prior experience and have not gone to college. I would like to know if anyone has any advice on where to start or look.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thegpi/p/on-growth-education-and-immigration?r=mo66&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

I’m very interested in Deggendorf institute of technology(in Germany) and their MA in International tourism development. I am seeing on the website that 87% of students at the college have been able to find employment after 2 months.

After the program I would like a marketing role helping develop new international locations. I would also be open to staying in Germany.

My worry is finding meaningful employment after my program concludes. I am currently in the Peace Corps and about a year into my service. Would it be a smarter choice to seek employment then worry about a masters at a later date?

Link to programprogram webpage:

Over 4 years as a consultant, in the WB you are still considered junior, is it better to leave to and work for the private sector at this stage to enhance the profile and go back at IOs or rather to wait and endure for an opportunity for a real contract?

Hey folks, I’m starting my MPA in Baruch College this fall. I work in my city’s local government and the MPA program is largely suited for that sector since it focuses on domestic policy.

But I am still interested in foreign service/international NGO work. Would an MPA still help me find avenues in that world? Or would a more international focused degree like an MIA be required.

Hi everyone,

I've been admitted to the MPAs offered by SIPA/Columbia and UCL (UK). Although I do have some experience in the int'l development sector, I believe having a master’s degree will definitely improve my career prospects, as I often hold back from applying to jobs for not meeting the minimum education requirements.

While it may seem obvious to many that I'd choose an Ivy, Columbia just made my experience as an offer holder very stressful. My offer is conditional, so they want me to take additional quantitative courses and pay for the tuition deposit before I ever know if I'll have enough scholarships to pay for it. Besides, Columbia is extremely expensive, so even if I get some scholarships (I'm applying for several), chances are they won't be enough to cover all costs. So I'm leaning towards going to UCL.

I've already done my research on LinkedIn and I've seen UCL graduates working for the World Bank, UNICEF and other organizations I'd like to work for one day. But people keep me telling that I'm making a bad decision as UCL is not as known as Columbia and uni life is the UK is quite dull and all about academics.

Anyway, any thoughts? Is school brand so highly valued in the intl dev sector?

PS: I'm an international student and I did my bachelor's at the top school in my country.

I (30f) have a degree in Law (not a lawyer) and have been working in tech sector for 9 years.

I am looking to career change and become a humanitarian aid worker. How do I go about changing my career and getting a role in the field?

It looks like there are some natural career paths for graduates, however I am later in my career.

I have done pretty well in my career and have racked up a lot of change management, digital transformation, and leadership experience.

I have a couple of months volunteering experience in parts of Africa and have been fortunate enough to travel around parts of Africa and Asia.

I have always wanted to become a humanitarian worker (I thought it was a pipe dream and really wish I pursued this sooner).

Do you have any advice on how I can move into the field?

I am a young (26) non-member national joining the OECD soon on a temporary staff position (an A1 equivalent). Usually junior level positions like this at the OECD come with a lot of workload, job insecurity, and not a decent pay. Since I am a non-member national, I cannot work for more than two years there, and there is no scope for longer term employment (unless I change my nationality).

Those who have been/are in this position, what would your advice be to make the most of it? Potentially, also how to find something long term there?

I’ve been working for UN agencies for 5 years, and I recently started preparing for the foreign service.

I find it really stimulating from an intellectual point of view, and despite of the fact that I know real dev work happens at the grassroot level, it seems like a good compromise between

1. Having a seat and a voice at the table
2. Working in international relations

To be honest with myself, I am not ready or willing to quit everything and start working for a small NGO. So the FS seems like a good path.

However, I recently came across a very interesting start-up working in sustainable groceries. I have no idea of what the salary might be, and the tasks are probably related to business development, which is totally outside of my current field of expertise but I’m confident I could do well and keep training myself if they give me a chance to work for them.

On one hand, the idea of growing a project I believe in excites me. On the other, I have never worked for the private sector before.

I am 30 years old so I feel my time for fucking-up is running out. Luckily, I have a decent amount of savings.

My question is, where do you think I can achieve a bigger impact? Sometimes I think diplomacy will be mostly consular work..but also being present where important discussions are made and a very stimulating lifestyle.

Hi everyone,

CONTEXT:

I'm an international student and I've been recently admitted into the MPA programs offered by SIPA/Columbia and UCL (UK).

As I didn't get any fellowship from these schools so far, I'm applying for several external scholarships from my home country. None of them covers all costs. Apart from these, I'm also applying for two scholarships (one full and another partial) directly from my MPA at UCL - and I'm also waiting to hear from Chevening.

MY DILEMMA:

• SIPA is/was still my priority, but Columbia is extremely expensive.
• Plus, my offer from Columbia is CONDITIONAL. They want me to take more quantitative courses and get a B+ before classes begin. This is stressful and costs money. Also, they extended my enrollment confirmation deadline for just 30 days more, but I won't have the results of the scholarships by then, meaning I'd have to spend more or less USD 4K (courses + tuition deposit) even before knowing if I'll have enough money to go to Columbia.

SO...

• I've decided to go to UCL as my offer is unconditional and the program is way more affordable. If a get at least one partial scholarship (either from UCL or from my country) I can cover the remaining expenses with my savings. I'm thinking of choosing UCL for all external scholarships I'm applying for, so that I can increase the chances of having all my grad schoolcovered. I know some people who went to Columbia with even 5 scholarships and still had to get a loan to pay for the rest lol.

HOWEVER...

• I talked with a UCL alumna who did a double degree NYU/UCL and she compared the US and UK systems. She told me the UK education system is very individualistic and professors don't really care about you, while in the US collaboration/group work is encouraged and professors are more approachable and willing to help. She also told me networking opportunities are scarce at UCL. In sum, she told me it's you against the world in the UK. Another thing that worries me is that I'm already 30 and she told me most master students in the UK are like 21-22 and chances are I'll be the uncle of the class and will be excluded by other students. Seriously, I don't wanna cross the ocean to get isolated and bullied 🤡😂

Any insights?? I'm really confused.

Hello! I'm curious to hear more about your thoughts on h1b sponsorship by an NGO/ IntlDev org/ Local non-profit etc..... A lot of people on this thread say it's very hard right now but what are some ways around this that you've heard of? Any specific niche fields known to sponsor more? or any specific orgs? states in the USA?

Any feedback is highly appreciated.

Hi there,

I’ve previously gone through the complete OECD interview process and it generally consisted of the following steps: application => video interview => written text => panel interview => outcome

However, I applied recently for a professional level position and the process so far only included my application followed by a full panel interview (including job specific and competency questions).

Fast forward 2-3 weeks, and I now received an email that says that I need to fill in a personal information form as I’m being invited to “interviews”.

I find this to be a little strange as the HR person at the panel interview clarified the entire process and did not mention any further interviews.

One guess is that the request for personal information (nationality, marital status, current salary, etc) was sent out automatically…

Is that a new development at the OECD?

Sorry to vent out about how I feel. I don’t know if it’s only my experience, or someone else feels this way.

I don’t understand how I got here.

1. It is the most competitive, less lucrative sector.
2. Requires massive studies to get in, while you get 0 learning curve on the job - mostly sending emails or writing very pointless reports.
3. Feeling I don’t really help anybody
4. The money is managed in a very stupid way. Missions are expensive and pointless. Those who are not in precarious jobs, have extremely cushy salaries.
5. What are we exactly trying to develop?
6. Job uncertainty. Not being able to plan a life.
7. How do people raise kids and have normal lives? I feel like an eternal teenager: my friends are having children and buying houses and I’ve spent the last 5 years wondering what will I do next.
8. There are 2 types of contracts: feeling bad about earning money, feeling bad about not earning money
9. Do you feel proud of anything you’ve achieved?
10. Would you do that job/tasks if it weren’t for the logo of your organization?
11. Worst exit opportunities to transition to the private sector: I was a lawyer. I don’t even know what my skills are now. I literally don’t know how to produce anything
12. We are so focused on finding a job and “contributing” to whatever that we don’t even challenge our mental structures or create actual solutions for people (often: people in far away countries we know nothing about; replacing their OWN voice to earn our salary)

Would love to hear those of you who are crying with me, as well as those who are satisfied with your life’s work!

Hi all,

I've been trying to apply for STCs, I'm currently on my OPT, my career goal is to thrive and advance myself professionally in the realm of international development however my current job in US is based at a local government (I find the work boring but they will eventually sponsor my H1b/Work Visa)

If I jump into a STC I'll have to convert into a G4 visa, the work at the Bank will definitely be more stimulating, engaging and the network opportunities will be incredible however STCs are risky and offer no respite to international students! I'll probably have to go back to my home country after 150 days.

Do you think it's worth to take that jump? Is it really worth it as it's just a STC position? It's just the allure of the Bank and the fact that I always dreamt of being a consultant for them that is making me spiral lol

Any advice or guidance will be appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I've been recently admitted to a Master of Public Administration (MPA) at UCL in the UK. I'm now applying for scholarships 🤞 I'm an international student btw.

I'm 30 and I'm a mid-career(ish) professional, as I have 10 years of work experience. My track-record includes:

• public sector: admin support for the implementation of housing policies at a local government (4 years);
• private sector: office and tender management for a Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) consulting firm providing services to the UN system (4 years);
• nonprofit sector: fundraising from international donors (foundations, cooperation agencies etc) for educational projects at national level (2 years so far).

As I've done so many different things, I'd like to take this MPA opportunity to narrow down my career and choose an area of expertise.

At first I thought about M&E but I think that'd be a long shot, as I don't have much experience with research methodologies and I'm not much of a quant person (although I do know there're qualitative approaches)... also it seems to be a quite lone activity, and I've had the chance of witnessing the tough reality of independent consultants in this area.

That said, I'm leaning towards project management in education... and, of course, like many of you, I aim to land a job in an international organization or an iNGO.

What advice would you give me to make the best out of my time in grad school considering my career goals and that the program lasts only 1 year?

Hi. I'm 25, F, from a southeasian country. After 5 years of working in my country, I want to migrate but I still want to be in international development (ironic, I know).

After I graduated from university, I started working in the national government as an associate, got promoted to a specialist, then hired by a private organization as a project manager. I did part-time volunteering work with local NGOs as well. Then, I was hired by my current company, one of the biggest implementors of USAID grants. I don't plan on leaving my country until this current project is finished. I am also in the process of completing my master's degree in policy.

However, after the recent things that have happened in my country, I'm worried about my future -- especially if I will raise a child here. It's getting so dangerous and difficult, even when I have a comfortable life and salary I cannot guarantee that my child will have the same opportunities.

So, I'm hoping to migrate out of here by getting a job from an international development org/company that sponsors working visas. One of my worries is that I seldom find any organizations in developed countries (EU, AU, NZ, US, etc.) willing to sponsor migrant workers. Is there any advice you can give me? Thank you so much.

Hi, I am currently based in Dakar and have been trying to get a WB STC role for the past 4 months.

But despite my efforts, all my attempts failed and I did not even get invited to the interview:(

I relied mostly on 1) Linkedin, 2) Randomly writing a mail to the WB staff related to my sector to ask for an STC, 3) the WB STC job portal to find a vacancy.

Though I know that getting a role is even more difficult due to my location(I can only do either remote work or a position based in Dakar), I feel like my STC hunting efforts have not been successful.

Could anyone share a few tips on how I can get my first STC in the WB? Am I on the right track at least cause I can't shake off the feeling that the entire effort has been pretty futile :(

Any suggestions on how to transition into international development? Background: US-based, bachelor’s in engineering, 3 yoe in consulting, and 2 yoe in data analysis. I have started networking but, I am wondering if there is anything else that I can do to support the transition. All advice welcome!

Hi all,

I was looking at the WB website, on my post completion OPT, can I work a STC at the World Bank or will I have to convert my visa to a G4?

Any guidance will be appreciated!

Hello there, I've been applying to PhD programs this cycle and now I'm down to the deadline trying to consider my options. I'm 27 and have been working in industry since my undergraduate although I always thought I'd head back to school but life/covid slowed down my plans. I'm interested in applied microeconomics, particularly in developmental economics. I've been accepted (or waitlisted) to the following programs:

Accepted: Ohio SU Ag Econ

Accepted: Arizona SU General Econ

Accepted: Unv Washington General Econ

High Waitlist: Michigan SU Ag Econ

Waitlist: UC Davis Ag Econ

Waitlist: Georgetown General Econ

Now I'm not entirely certain about the career path I want to take after my PhD but I'm leaning towards non-academic research institutions like the World Bank. If I went into academia, I honestly think I would prefer to land at a liberal arts college where the competition isn't as intense as highly ranked research institutions. I really feel lucky to have the options that I do as a lot of the other candidates I've met for visitation days have had much better resumes than myself (prestigious pre-docs or masters programs and such).

I'm now feeling some trepidation at the prospect of making a final decision as April 15th is barreling down on us. I truly respect all the programs I've been accepted to but this is a huge investment of 5/6 years, and I want to know that it will pay off at the end with a job I'm happy with. The placements for the programs I've been accepted to are all respectable, but for my purposes of applied micro developmental economics the placements to institutions like the World Bank are few and far between and I'm wondering if I should accept any of them. It seems like the programs I am waitlisted at would better serve my end goals.

As it stands now, I'm thinking about running another cycle of applications next year, but honestly, I don't see my acceptances getting any better than they were this cycle. My current life situation is that I have a well-paying job that I like, in a field that I enjoy but I feel I would need a PhD to break into a new career trajectory in developmental economics. My main advisor said they would support me in any decision I make (they're an amazing person and economist).

Does anyone have any guidance on if these programs could place me in my desired end goal of a notable non-academic research organization involved in developmental economics like the World Bank?

I appreciate any insight that can be given.

Hello!! I graduated a year ago with a U.S. BA double major (Anthropology and International Studies). My program was research-heavy and I produced an original thesis on international schools in South East Asia. I'm not planning to stay in the US (much to the chagrin of many a family member) and am looking at schools around the world.

I REALLYYYYY want to study outside of the west, but as an elite from asia (and with what I study) it wouldn't be safe for me to do the research I want to do at home. I have been looking at the Uni of Cape Town's development programme (as it is so highly rated with research) and wanted to get opinions from professionals at international orgs/ngo's. I imagine that the early career options in SA/Africa are worth it for the field.

Please me know what you think!!!! And thank you for reading all of this!!!!!

TLDR: pls just tell me if you think I should study development in cape town