finding jobs in development 2 november 2011 gina yannitell reinhardt
TRANSCRIPT
Finding Jobs in Development
2 November 2011Gina Yannitell Reinhardt
Getting a Job in Development
Jobs to Target
• Where they are• What they are• What they seek
How to Get Them
• Skills and Experience
• Presenting the best candidate possible• Resume, cover
letter, interview, etc.
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How is Development Funded?
Government Funds
For-Profit Funds
Non-Profit Funds
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Government Development Funding
Government
International Non-profit Contractor
Sub-contractor (local non-profit)
Sub-contractor (local for-profit)
International For-profit
Contractor
Sub-contractor (regional
non-profit)
Sub-contractor (regional for-profit)
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How do you get in?• Government level– Citizenship of the Government– Civil service– Foreign service
• Intergovernmental agencies– Fellowships/Internships/Young Scholars Programs
• OECD• OAS• UN• UNDP• EU• World Bank www.ginareinhardt.com
How do you get in to US Federal Development Work?
• USAID• Presidential Management Fellow, Foreign Service• Global Health Fellows Program• World Learning Democracy Fellows Program• Foreign Service Limited Appointments (FSLs)
• Other Development Agencies (usajobs.gov)• State Department, Agriculture, Commerce,
Environmental Protection Agency, Labor, Drug Enforcement Agency
• Intelligence/Security Agencies• CIA, FBI, NSA, Defense, Border Security, Homeland
Security Administrationwww.ginareinhardt.com
How do you get into the 2nd level: Contractors of Development?
– Citizenship of the Country where the contractor is implementing funds
– Fellowships/Internships/Young Scholars Programs• Catholic Relief Services, Global Services Corps, Ford
Foundation
– Pay for the privilege• Foundation for Sustainable Development• “Volunteer” or “exposure” programs
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• Work in the US first, then get transferred• Catholic Relief Services• ChildFund International• Chemonics• Research Triangle International• University Research Company – Center for Human Services• Save the Children• Adventist Development and Relief Agency• Management Services for Health• John Snow, Inc.• FHI360
How do you get into the 2nd level: Contractors of Development?
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How do you get into the 3rd level: Local Providers of Development?
– Citizenship of the Country where the sub-contractor is implementing funds
– Be willing to go to a country where brain drain is common, or the workforce is under-trained and under-educated• Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, South Asia• Not Latin America, Eastern Europe, Central Asia
– Make job-forging connections through internships or fellowships during the summer
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Those are the jobs you can get. How can you get them?
These agencies are seeking:
• Budgets• Contracts• Finance• Grant-writing• Familiarity with USAID or other
Donor Grant system• Delegation• Team Management• Overseas Experience• Foreign language skills
Tangible Skills
• Excellent Memo Writing• Consolidating a mass of
complex information, synthesizing it into clear policy/ management decisions that fit on 1-2 pages
• How do development (economic, political) theories apply to the real world?
• Excellent Report Writing
Tangible Skills
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These agencies are seeking:
• Ability to think on your feet
• Ability to articulate a range of solutions quickly
• Excellent communication skills
• Sharp analytical and problem-solving skills
• Interpersonal skills• Flexibility
Intangible Skills
• Creativity• Common Sense• Effective consumption of
the quantitative information that is essential to development work
• Ability to speak the same language as other practitioners
Intangible Skills
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That’s what they want.
How do you get it?
How to Use Your Education to Your Advantage
Choose Courses Wisely
Choose Projects & Assignments
Wisely
Capitalize on your Summer
Cour
ses • Budgeting
• Contracts• Grants• Finance• Development• Program
Evaluation
Proj
ects • USAID Grant• Nonprofit
program evaluation
• Capstone• Budget for a
Relief Agency• Contract for a
Development Project
Sum
mer • Go Abroad
• Skills• Project or
Program Management
• Build Contacts• Learn a
Language
Using Your Education to Your Advantage
That’s what they want.
How do you show them that’s what you have?
Candidacy
Resume Cover Letter
Personal Interactions
Resume
• Personal information– Name, DOB, citizenship, security clearance, phone
number, professional email, website• Skills or Profile– Change this according to the job– Use keywords from the job posting or agency mission
• Education or Experience– Depends on which is more pertinent to the job
• Experience or Education
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Cover Letter
• The purpose is to translate your resume into the job they seek to fill.
• Explain what your resume doesn’t – use keywords from the job posting.
• Do not repeat your resume.• Point out how your experiences (capstone,
internships, jobs, research) have positioned you to fit into their position, their organization.
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Personal Interactions
• Attend seminars, conferences, lectures.• Contact people working in agencies in which you might want to
work.– How did they get there?– Where do they see themselves in 5 years? 10?– Who do they know that you might want to meet?
• Build up a network of contacts.• Dress well, stand up straight, be considerate.• Follow up on chance meetings with emails and thank-you notes.• Follow up on planned meetings with emails and thank-you
notes.
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Interviews
• Ask relevant, intelligent questions– What are the opportunities for advancement?– How will you be mentored, and will you be able to mentor
others eventually?• Remember, you will not always begin with the job you
want– 3-month contracts lead into permanent positions– You may start working with people less-qualified than you in
some ways (education), but more so in others (experience)• The point is to get a job that will enable you to do the
work you care about, then eventually gain the experience you desire.
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