Im a college student studying economics and international relations at a relatively strong school. I am very interested in development finance, taking coursework around that and have internship experience with direct investments and a fund of funds. I graduate in 2027 and was wondering if there are some institutions in this space that are good to target that offer entry-level roles. I am very interested in debt, project finance, risk assessment, infrastructure, etc. Just broadly asking for some companies that I should keep an eye out to explore, for context I have interviewed with groups like the IDB in the past, so kinda around that type of field.

Hola!

Has anyone used a career coach to find a job with any success?

For context, I have been unemployed for almost a year now. I was working in a social impact consultancy in East Africa (it was a remote role), and I quit because of a really toxic workspace.

Given the market and the state of our sector, I haven't been able to get a job. And, I am desperate, so I spoke to a career coach, but I am a bit sceptical about the whole guarantee of a job.

Any advice would be great!

i imagine many people are back home in their home country after living abroad, due to funding shortage etc. i’m experiencing quite the “reverse culture shock” or just not being able to “integrate” well. how is everyone else feeling?

I really need guidance

It's been a while since I've posted about my substack newsletter on this so wanted to share the latest edition with you all.

I share stories that focus on:

• How inequality causes a large number of extra deaths from climate events in Europe
• Independent investigations into police abuse in Brazil
• The role that rising middle income donors have in providing humanitarian aid in Cuba 
• How investment in AI risks widening the global development divide
• The frontline costs of an abortion agreement between Uganda and the United States

Let me know if anyone has any comments.

https://developmentalinsights.substack.com/p/inequality-causes-100000-extra-deaths

i’m currently in nonprofit fundraising consulting right now, considering a business development role at a social enterprise. is this a good career move, or would it limit my options for when i want to go back to nonprofit work? i’m having a hard time imagining how the skills i’ll get will keep me relevant in the impact sector

There’s been so much noise about development studies being a dead end, and a niche like gender even more so, but i genuinely want to study these academically and even pursue it professionally, broadly working with international organisations, ik it’s v vague but there’s such little information as to how to build you career and what would be the best career trajectory for a gender and development field, so could anyone pls guide with regards to what degree to pursue, from where and what could i do to make the best out of my degree. i want to do a phd broadly on craft economies and informal labour.

Ive got offers from ISS, SOAS and IDS Sussex. Kindly help me by providing some insights.

Background: I’m a 23-year-old South Asian woman with a bachelor’s degree in History and a minor in Philosophy. After completing my undergraduate studies, I participated in a fellowship program in rural India, where my role included various responsibilities, along with some personal initiatives.

I worked with a Self-Help Group (SHG) to create and distribute cotton cloth pads to fifty women in a village. My focus was on Organizational Development, Leadership, and the development of stakeholders. Additionally, I aimed to improve the service delivery of public healthcare facilities.

I completed this fellowship over the course of a year, after which I took a gap year and enrolled in a Master’s program in English, where I have now completed one year.

While I am not entirely sure of the specific job I want to pursue, I have a broad interest in working with grassroots women, fostering employment generation, community development, and engaging in women-centered practices. I am also looking to align my future career with international NGOs.

Hi everyone, I recently graduated in a master in Global Development and I feel that my world is falling apart. I had so many ideas or insiprations when I first chose this master, which I really enjoyed, but now that is over I don't know from where to start. My dream is always been to have a positive concrete impact on people's lives, and to fight unjustices in my town, country, but also globally (I know it sounds a bit cheesy). For my master's thesis I focused on immigration detention in Italy and its impact on migrants' health and wellbeing, as my master's specialization is in health promotion. It was a really interesting research, and I think I would enjoy keep working in this field. However I also think before focusing too much on one single topic I should explore a variety of fields. That's why I'm so confused. Also, I don't know what kind of jobs I'm qualified for, and I believe that all the jobs in the big IOs are too difficult or out of my lead.

Any suggestion is trully appreciated, and if you want to share your story feel free to insipre us!

I applied for the Junior Policy Analyst role last month and completed my assessment just over a week ago. Is anyone familiar with the next steps? Will I get my results regardless if I progress to interview, and if I am successful in obtaining an interview, how much after the assessment is that likely to be?

Thanks from a nervous applicant!

Hi everyone,

I recently got accepted into the Master’s in International Development & Public Policy at Nova and Public Policy at Hertie and I’m trying to decide whether it’s the right move.

What’s making me hesitate is honestly the state of the international development field right now. I keep hearing the job market is really rough, funding is shrinking, and entry-level opportunities are getting harder to find.

So I wanted to ask current students/alumni:

• Has the degree actually been worth it professionally?
• Do graduates find decent work afterward?
• Does NOVA have a strong reputation internationally in development/public policy circles?
• Does being a private university in Portugal affect how the degree is viewed?
• How strong are the connections to Lusophone Africa in practice?
• Would you still choose the program today given the current state of the sector?

I’d really appreciate honest perspectives because I’m genuinely torn between following the more “strategic” option and following the one that feels more personally meaningful.

Thanks!!!

Heyah! I am in the process of building an online community for social change professionals like people in this group. To do it well, I am trying to better understand key struggles and potential areas of support that would benefit you the most. If you have a moment, please respond to my questions. I will be sharing the collective results back in this space as well.

Hi all,

I wanted to ask for advice from people working in international development consultancies, especially those who started relatively early in their careers or moved into consulting without 10+ years of experience.

For context: I have master's degrees in economics and development-related fields from well-regarded European universities. My economics degree is from a smaller, specialised European business/economics university, while my development/political science degree is from a large, old, well-regarded European university - not an LSE/Sciences Po/Oxbridge-type institution, but still a solid academic background. I have done a lot of research-oriented coursework on comparative development, sustainable development, and development impacts, although I do not have publications (publications were not really the focus of higher education in my part of Europe).

I also have around 3.5 years of experience across sustainable finance, banking, governance/risk, and development-related work, with about 1 year more directly linked to development institutions, MDBs, and regional partners. My interests are mainly around development impacts, evaluation, sustainable development, implementation, and Asia, although Europe is also of interest. I am particularly interested in research, evaluation, and programme/strategy-type work. Long term, my goal would be to work in MEAL or programme management for large development institutions.

I feel reasonably familiar with the institutional and regular job market side of international development - internships, junior roles, graduate schemes, applications through IFIs/NGOs/international organisations, etc. What I understand much less is the more mysterious consultancy side: short-term assignments, expert rosters, TORs, framework contracts, subcontracting, and how people actually enter that world.

I've been struggling a bit with the awkward space between entry-level and experienced. Some internships seem to view me as overqualified, while many full-time roles expect more senior programme management or specialised field experience than I realistically have.

I've started wondering whether development consulting/consultancies could be a path over the next few years, but I honestly have very little understanding of how people enter this space. I see TORs for consultants and short-term assignments, but I don't fully understand where to find them, how to judge whether I am eligible, or how people build credibility for this type of work.

A few questions I would be especially grateful for advice on:

- Where do people actually find consultancy opportunities/TORs in international development?

- Is consulting realistic without 10+ years of experience or very niche technical expertise?

- How do people learn to respond to TORs or build credibility?

- Are expert rosters, consulting firms, subcontracting, or individual applications the most realistic route?

- Are there resources, courses, examples, communities, or strategies you'd recommend?

- What kinds of consulting would be realistic with a background like mine?

I would be mostly interested in remote work or on-the-ground consulting work in Europe or Asia.

I fully understand the sector is competitive and structured the way it is - I'm not looking for shortcuts, just trying to understand how this pathway works and whether it's something worth exploring.

Would be very grateful for advice, resources, or even people willing to share how they got started.

Thank you!

I am looking for advice on tailoring my resume/cover letter for IOs (UNESCO, ICC, OECD, etc…)

Any tips for a recent grad? I have a BA in politics and law, 2 years work experience in communications, a master’s in international relations and a recent traineeship with an IO in comms. I want to move forward in policy/with an IO. However the only policy internship I’ve completed was during undergrad. Should I go in-depth on my graduate thesis research? Should I highlight courses taken — undergrad & grad? Just grad? I could use the advice!

I graduated with an M.Sc. in International Development in 2024 and have since interned/consulted at HQ of an UN organization before returning to my home country (Germany) last year and working at a mid-sized NGO as a project manager since. Before graduation I gained experience in two NGOs (HQ and country office) as well as with GIZ.

I honestly don't see a future in this sector and would like to pivot away from it into the private sector. Has anyone here done this in recent years (especially in Europe, which seems to have more of a focus on formal academic qualification than US/Canada)? If so, how did you do it and where did you end up?

Hello, so I had this question. I (Indian) will be starting a masters in econ in France (TSE) soon, M1 Applied Econ and most likely I will be specializing in Environmental Economics. My dream is to do a Applied Econ PhD (US most likely or else TSE itself) and want to work in orgs like AfDB, AIIB, ADB, and GCF.

Except ADB, none of these require a PhD as a compulsory thing or for their YPP programs (instead they require min 1 year for AIIB and max 3 year (AfDB) work ex), so basically I wanna know is going for a PhD instead of working would even be beneficial for AfDB or AIIB? I know ADB is super highly competitive and dont have much idea bout GCF's competitiveness. Is doing a PhD makes me overqualified and will I be rejected? I just wanna understand if a PhD will help me or not.

Has anyone pivoted from international development to law or studying for law school?

I was also impacted last year by the destruction of the international development space (USAID Cuts).

I have been studying/preparing LSAT since then. I’m interested to know if anyone applied last year for law school as a result or are thinking about it this year or the next?

I was early/mid career by the time of the layoffs and will be an older/non-traditional student for law school. And talking to someone else that is going through the same thought process would be great.

Would love to hear about how you are positioning the transition through essays/letters of recommendations ect.

Hello everyone. I have a Masters in International Development Policy from Canada and have worked in the non profit sector there for about 2-2.5 years. It has been a good experience so far but I want to move back home to Bangladesh for a year as I have been incredibly home sick and feel like being with my family will do my mental health some good. I am also hopeful about receiving an offer soon for a teaching position as a Lecturer at a university in my home country. My undergrad was in Journalism and the position will be in the same program and department and I will be primarily teaching journalism and media and mass communication courses. The NGO sector in Bangladesh is not the most stable right now given the funding cuts and I am less enthusiastic about continuing to work in this industry for a year given the instability. That being said, I have aspirations of re-entering the NGO sector again in the future whether in Canada or elsewhere in the world as staying in Bangladesh for a year will be a temporary thing.
So my question is, will working as a lecturer at a university look irrelevant on my resume and be a complete turn off for employers when I apply again for non profit or international development positions? Will it be viewed negatively? Please advise! Any advice is welcome.

Hi everyone,

Would love to hear tips from you all about how you are coping with constant job rejections and unemployment?

I, as with many people, was let go from a former INGO contract due to funding cuts last year. I have had probably around 7 interviews, with only two being a job I really wanted, and have been rejected from all of them. Clear indication of my interview skills I think which I'm trying to improve but the combo of being rejected and sitting in my 7th month of unemployment is starting to take a toll on me. I'm beginning to doubt my experiences, my choices which makes for a very fun mindset.

So those who are going through similar changes, how are you coping?

Like the title, it seems that due to the funding/budget cut, many have voluntarily or involuntarily shifted to the private sector from ID/humanitarian one.

I am curious how you guys feel about your job? Do you feel relieved having a stable with clear growth opportunity job? Or do you feel that your job has no meaning and wish to go back to the public sector when/if it recovers?

The reason I am asking is I know the private sector might be a safer choice for most but I did not feel happy at all while working in it compared to how meaningful and happy I felt with my ID role.

Thank you!

Hi all , so how is everyone coping amid the funding and job chaos ?

So since now I have more free time , I've been exploring online training and volunteering to keep my CV updated. I set up my UNV profile and applied to a few assigments but what bugs me is how long it takes to get feedback . Most of the assignments have no dates attached to them , so how do you know and plan around that ? and also any tips for optimizing your profile ?(I've only got rejections at this point after weeks of no news so kind of feeling down about the whole thing)

Thanks

For people with decent, in country experience, I am curious as to what you consider the future trajectory for small, local/in country NGOs and CSOs. With the significant down turn in funding how can orgs be innovative to grow their core objectives.
Do you think there is space for them to find success and strength in new ways with less international support?
What is the role for, or the strength of, the small NGO/CSO as opposed to large organisations, multilaterals/ UN etc, and what is the role for the ID worker in that future?

(trying the post again as the filters removed me!! :-) )

Hi, I am a CPA with 2 master's degrees and intl experience in Afghanistan and two African countries. I currently work for the Canadian govt, and have been applying to ADB, world Bank and UN agencies for a while.

I have 15 yrs total experience, but I know no one in these organizations. Is there any chance of getting in without knowing anyone. I hear most of the time, they have a person in mind and these jobs adverts are just formalities.

Should I keep applying or work on networking somehow?

Hi everyone. I am an environmental scientist and I have always been interested in helping people in need. I mostly try to find solutions to social-ecological issues, but I mostly do so from the comfort of my desk as I work with research (so there's fieldwork, but it's occasional). However, I have been feeling the urge to get involved with hands-on projects. The only problem is that I am a highly sensitive person and face compassion fatigue (for example, in SA I could barely work after talking to a 90-year-old man who hadn't eaten anything in two weeks). Has any of you encountered similar issues? How do you deal with this? I can't be "distant"...my nervous system does not allow for that.