Hello - I’m looking for advice on two top choices for jobs in London.

For context, I have 3 years of big 4 management consultancy experience (role was Consultant and then promoted to Senior Consultant) and have just graduated from a top UK school with Masters in International Development.

I have an offer to a leading UK international development research think tank as a Project Manager but am also in final interview stage with a Business ethics consultancy for the role of Consultant. Both roles are London based (where I want to be). The Project Manager role is quite administrative but has purview over tons of interesting projects with opportunity to research and support delivery. The business ethics consultancy seems like a small and exciting team but is more corporate in nature and the job title would be the same as my title 3-4 years ago at the big 4 firm. I’m not sure if anyone has any advice or thoughts on this - I’d like to stay in the development space and am wondering what roles or progression can occur as a PM in a research and advisory think tank. I’m also aware business ethics consultancy isn’t development work and would probably constrain me to the world or B2B ethics / human rights / sustainability work.

Thanks!

Hey Everyone!

Context:

I am seeking advice as I recently graduated with my bachelor's in environmental studies with a concentration in human rights and a focus on decolonial politics. I am looking for high/good-impact careers. I am not trying to sell myself out (as much as possible) and make a shift towards sustainable/global/just development internationally.

Despite just getting my bachelor's 2 months ago, I've had a professional environmental background for the past 6 years (nationwide and international climate organizing, supporting strategic campaigns for the Green Party in Canada, and Congressional campaigns in the USA, involved in a lot of research analyst jobs looking at anything from decolonization to migration to environmental justice and related topics, teaching/education, and most recently making my way into USA federal environmental/human rights policy and legislation).

Questions:

Do companies discriminate based on age? I am 22 with 6 years of professional but unsalaried work. How would I get around this? I worked part-time to full-time for 2 years before college and while doing relevant jobs.

What organizations, groups, institutions and/or companies do you think I should look at based on the context I've given myself and my work?

Are there any professional development programs or courses/certificates I should investigate? And in the same vein, should I know of any fellowships? (for info, I have Canadian and USA citizenship with a Taiwanese background)

Is there a specific job title I should be searching up?

hello everyone! i have an interview with the oecd regulatory division, specifically for a food fortification project. it’s not my area of expertise since i come from a security background. i was wondering if anyone has experience with the written test at the oecd and can give me some tips about it. thanks a lot!

Hello!

I’m looking to pivot into the international development field. I am currently in tech, have been working for 3 years. Very tired of the mindless pointless work they have me doing. I want to feel like I’m making a difference in the world with my work, even if it’s tiny, so I would like to pivot into international development.

Which companies would you guys suggest I apply to? Can I make 100k+ with my experience now? Please let me know, thanks!

Hi Everybody. I am a recent graduate of a Masters's program in Health Economics and I found myself in a spot where most of the people graduating with me want to go into pharmaceuticals, while I am leaning more towards the international aspect of health, e.g. health development. I have two years of experience working on research and management in some health development projects with ILO//WHO and TGF. Does anyone have any advice on how should I plan my next move and how can I break into this industry? Currently, I am on a one-year orientational visa in the Netherlands. Do you know any NGOs other organizations/companies involved with health development that are keen to employ recent graduates whether that be in the Netherlands or anywhere else in the world. Thank you in advance!

Hey guys, I got an invitation to complete an M&E assessment recently. My background is more qualitative, but I have a general understanding of quant methods. Like very general. The location of the job is pretty remote and the conditions not great, so I’m thinking this is why I got the call back. I’m seeing it as a foot in the door and a way to learn, as I don’t feel very skilled in this area. Has anyone taken a test like this before? Any advice studying? I’m told I’ll get an excel sheet and that I won’t need any other software, so it sounds like it will be basic. Probably still a challenge for me. Any insight appreciated!!

I worked as an STC many years ago and interested in doing it again, but I need to check the pay scale to make sure it would work financially! I can't find an updated STC pay scale though (for the US)... Can anyone who's currently at the WB help me find it?

Monitoring and evaluation? Project officer? Research associate?

Would really appreciate your advice. I really like traveling, and I would love to have that flexibility in my career. I am still in college, so I have years to build and plan the work experience and skills needed to make this possible. Your advice will greatly help me be ahead. I am from Southeast Asia for context.

This might be an unusual question but I ask because i am losing a bit of hope. I am trying to break into the industry for around 2 years with a lot of interviews but no offer. I have ADHD and I believe this affects me when interviewing. I also know most jobs require extreme organization with can sometimes be a struggle for me. However my condition makes me more empathic which is why I want to be in this industry. I am beginning to lose hope. Is there anyone with autism or adhd that has found a successful career in this field? And if so how did you do it and how do you feel your neurodivergencey affects your job performance ?

Hey guys! I've seen a couple of posts on this thread, but have not come across many civil engineers here. Is there enough scope (in terms of job availability) for civil engineers in international development? What are some of the organizations that have positions open for this (World Bank??)? Thank you so much!

I'd like to find a position in the realm that is similar to the world bank or IMF. My background consists of data science, data analytics, economics, and statistics

Hello all. I am currently employed by a federal agency in DC on a term appointment. Usually they hire terms into permanent positions, however, the new budget situation may not allow for it for the next few years, which is much longer than my term is. I'm at a loss as of what to do next. My previous position in DC had me working on agricultural development projects and that is my current experience. I would like to eventually one day go to grad school and continue in agricultural development. I'm just torn as to see if I should stay in DC and get a year or two more experience or start applying to schools. Would anyone have any advice as to where to apply for agricultural development related work in DC? Or just have any advice in general and how you navigated it? I would greatly appreciate it!

I work for a small NGO with a model that is highly dependent on community engagement (in largely agropastoral, rural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa). However, something that I think is important is to understand how much time we are requiring of communities and whether this time is seen as acceptable or whether it deters certain groups (ie, seasonal workers) from participating. I was wondering if anyone can point to any resources on studies that have been done like this before, to help me get my wheels turning around how my org might approach a study like this.

On April 17, 2024, Swiss nonprofit Public Eye released a report alleging that Nestle baby food products sold in low- and middle-income countries contain high levels of added sugar. Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan were among those affected. Since then, regulatory authorities in Bangladesh and India have announced their own investigations relating to the issue. Pakistan, on the other hand, has been silent. What does this mean for long-term public health outlooks?

I write more about this here.

Ads for short-term MEL consulting work often request the applicant to provide a technical offer or proposal that lays out the methods the consultant would use, etc.

No place I've actually worked has required this, but it makes me curious: how do the applicants understand enough about the programs they propose reviewing to write a plan that's at all realistic? Do they just research the target programs and guess? Are the winners always insiders? Are there courses or guidance out there about how to write a compelling technical offer?

Hello all! I am considering programs for my masters degree and would like to work in the International Development field, with a focus on Urban Planning in developing countries. My undergraduate degrees are in Economics and Urban Studies. Would a MUP from NYU or Columbia with a focus on International Planning be adequate for this field? And if anyone has any experience or advice, I'd love to listen. Thank you.

Hi everyone, I wanted to ask about your favorite International Development related podcasts? I’m mostly interested in conflict/poverty but feel free to suggest any other topics - would just love to find some new quality content to listen to!

Hi Everyone. I'm a 27 year old communication and administrative specialist working in a health project for an international organization now for 2.5 years. This was my first job after my masters which was not related to international development. I like the field and i want to advance in it but also my project is ending next year so I'm already thinking of what to do next. I'm perplexed of whether i should start looking for a new opportunity abroad ( which is a bit hard ) or look for a masters in ID ? For the masters does anyone have any recommendations ( in europe) ? Thank you.

Hello everyone,

I have been invited to a panel interview with the OECD Centre for Responsible Business Conduct and would appreciate any advice on how I should prepare, as well as what questions I might get.

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I applied for a mid-range advisory role (not a policy analyst). I’ve been invited to completed a recorded interview using Modern Hire, followed by a timed written assessment in a password protected word document.

Any thoughts/tips on how to approach preparing for this/what might be included?

Am I right to assume either part could include questions in French?

TIA!

Hey everyone,

For reference, I’m a 22 year old European man.

I’ve just finished up my international development degree in college. I imagine my question is the same as every other recent graduate at this point: What now?

In terms of practical experience I’ve completed a 6 month internship with a human rights and democracy organisation in northern India (and a brief stint in Nepal). I did my dissertation on transnational repression which I received a first for, if that makes a difference. I have a basic level of French (conversational, and certainly enough to get by living in a francophone country but not a professional level).

I suppose my question is if you were in my position what would you do? I’m open to travelling and doing pretty much anything for work. Just want some guidance :) I’ve been reading other posts and gained bits and pieces but I guess I’m looking for more direct feedback considering I’m not from the USA and a bit greener than most other people in the sub.

Thanks a million!

Hi there,

So I recently finished up my bachelors degree in geography, where I was trained in GIS and studied abroad in a school for international training (SIT) program that went to Ecuador and Malawi interviewing farmers (unfortunately I did not create publishable research or a sharable deliverable that came out of that experience). However, going to school at the height of the pandemic, and taking a minute to figure out what career paths were inspiring to me, I feel like I do not have internship experiences at relevant institutions, or experience conducting research or managing projects in the international development space that a lot of my peers aspiring to go into the sector accumulated during their undergrad. I am set to serve in the Peace Corps working in climate smart agriculture which is exciting, but I am nervous to keep pursuing international development because a lot of the experiences that might get a young professional's foot in the door seem like things that I should have been pursing during undergrad and now feel inaccessible or "lame" for me as a post-grad to be chasing. Does anyone have any advice for how to accumulate research or project experience (preferably in an agriculture related field) that wouldn't entail taking out thousands of dollars in debt for a masters?

P.S. A lot of career advise pages mention these "small NGOs" that are more accessible to young professionals than international organizations with huge name recognition. Does anyone know any sources that compile these types of organizations.

Thanks anyone for your advise, thank you!

Any thoughts of is it worth to consult with a ID career coach?

ImpactPool suggests 550 USD for a consultation pack or 220 USD for a single consultation, which is a lot. How good is the value for money? Maybe there are other alternative services. Or is it better to spend time reading books like this one?

A little bit of context:So I graduated with an MA in ID in 2021 from a reputed university in the UK. At the time, I had one year of experience in Media and a couple of internships. But I had a tough time finding a job in ID in the UK due to the after effects of the pandemic and the recession. It took me about a 8-9 months to finally land a job in my home country in South Asia. It was not the best of options but it was an entry-level role in Projects at a small NGO who worked with the government on education policy. Unfortunately after working for a year and a half I've had to leave the job due to unmanageable work hours and recurring health issues from all the work travel.

Now I've been applying for jobs for close to 2 months since I left my job and have had 2 screening calls and nothing else. I've been applying to local NGOs, INGOs, UN P-1 roles (Maybe around 20-30 applications so far). I happened to share my CV w a mentor of mine who suggested I apply for the position of Communication Manager at his ex-colleagues' organisation. I had a screening call, and then an interview w a couple of people from his team and I've been offered the role.

However, I am not sure about this role for mainly 2 reasons: -Its a very small NGO working in Education. My long-term goal is to work at an INGO and preferably move abroad since my family and partner live abroad. So I'm worried that since I will be working on a small-scale project, I might not be the best prospect for international roles. I'm scared I'll be stuck in similar roles in my country. -The location is in a very remote area and usually I wouldn't have cared but something about this particular place seems so desolate.

I'm conflicted because it is a Managerial position, it pays decently and it seems like they are really looking for someone who can take on a leadership position but I'm just worried I'll feel stuck. I'm also worried that I'm not waiting for better options. I mean it's only been 2 months of applications but it's also true that I haven't had much responses.

So yeah I just feel very uncertain and anxious about this decision, since I feel like I've made many wrong moves in my career so far. I don't want to repeat it. I just wanted to know what's your take it. Is it reasonable for me to think that this role would be limiting for future prospects or am I overthinking it?

I recently got rejection from OECD but was included in their roster ('A' group).

Should I mention in my other applications that I was rostered? Or should I avoid that? Or does that not mean anything?

I am building a library at a primary school in rural northern Uganda.

The school is hoping to have a section of it dedicated to HIV/AIDS prevention, young women's health, gender based violence, etc.

However, resources seem to be a bit shrouded...

Does anyone have a suggestion in where to begin my search?

Hi! I’ve been working in global health/international development for the past ~3 years. Current role is remote as I got this position during COVID WFH mandate but the govt agency that I work for is no longer posting remote jobs. Is anyone aware of any companies that are offering remote positions?

Hi not sure if this is the right place for this, just wondering if anyone else has applied for the WTO YPP and been invited for the online assessment.

I have no idea what format the examination is or what the content will be.. did anyone manage to get that info somewhere? or if you have done the YPP in the past could you please share your experience.

Thanks!

Hi, does anyone know of any non-competitive international development institutions (or equivalent)? I've worked in the environmental, sustainability and ESG sector for public, private and international institutions over several years. As I get older, I have more and more difficulty navigating all of the office politics ("poli-tricks") that come with these roles (especially as a female visible minority from a "third-world" country). Is there any institution that is genuinely comitted to making a difference on the global scale, and if so, how can I work toward a position in such an institution? I currently live in Canada.

I am in the process for a role(Senior Associate, Delivery Unit) at the global fund and have been invited to complete the self recorded one way video interview. I have two questions:

1. What types of questions should I expect?
2. How can I appear more comfortable/ natural when responding?