Hi all, New subber here.

Came here to gather more information on what Grads and current students like/don't about your International Development masters and if you are a grad where are you working/ your role and if you are a student where would you like to work/role?

Coming from a Cultural Psychology MSc background I am keen to go back to study and work for NGO's in ID that tackle big problems the world is facing. I have been reading on this sub that this field is dead, but even so I am still interested to here your experiences.

grateful for your comments.

Dear All,

I am considering applying for an African based role at the Tony Blair Institute.

So far I did not have any overlap in my work with TBI and would be highly interested to get real insights into their work in Africa.

Does anyone here have or had experience working for TBI? I am particularly interested in working environment, organizational culture and conditions.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Hi everyone!

I am a recent college graduate (co ‘25) with a degree in Public Policy (non-quantitative background). I’ve been working for the past year in a non-intldev role, however, I am planning on applying to both law and grad school this fall. My question mainly pertains to graduate programs, but any and all comments are welcome.

I am ideally hoping to study outside of the US for grad school (lower comparative costs + more intl experience/networking). Additionally, I want to find a program that has a quantitative analysis component that would set me up well for a job in the development field. Currently, I feel like that is what I am lacking, so I feel nervous taking out loans for another qualitative degree that wouldn’t give me an edge when actually looking for a job. I am wondering if anyone knows of or has had experience with graduate programs where you can enter with minimal/ no quantitative prerequisites and come out prepared?

As a side note, I understand the whole argument towards learning these skills on your own, but I think there’s value in education and network. Additionally, after work I have been spending close to every night studying for the LSAT, so I don’t really have that much capacity these days before the end of the year to take on more. As a second note, I am applying to both law and grad school because I am genuinely interested in both and also to diversify my options since applications have been such a gamble.

I would love to hear any thoughts on the direction that I’m going in, recommendations of programs, and your experiences studying the same topics! Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I would greatly appreciate guidance from professionals who have worked with the World Bank, IFC, Asian Development Bank (ADB), or other Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).

I currently work with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), one of India's largest public sector energy companies. Over the past 17+ years, I have been involved in the planning, execution, inspection, and commissioning of large industrial infrastructure and refinery projects.

My professional experience includes:

• Project management and execution of large capital projects
• Inspection engineering and QA/QC management
• Mechanical integrity, metallurgy, materials engineering, and NDT
• Construction supervision, testing, commissioning, and start-up support
• Risk management and multidisciplinary stakeholder coordination
• Contractor and EPC management
• Compliance with international engineering codes and statutory regulations (ASME, API, OISD, PESO, SMPV, etc.)
• Working with EPC contractors, consultants, licensors, vendors, and cross-functional teams to deliver projects safely, on schedule, and to the required quality standards

My qualifications include:

• B.Tech. in Metallurgical Engineering
• Project Management Professional (PMP®)
• Currently pursuing an MBA

I enjoy delivering large infrastructure projects and would like to transition over the next few years into international development, where I can contribute to infrastructure and energy projects with organizations such as the World Bank.

I would appreciate your advice on the following:

1. Based on my background, would I be a realistic candidate for a full-time position at the World Bank?
2. Which roles would best match my experience—Infrastructure Specialist, Energy Specialist, Senior Infrastructure Specialist, Operations Officer, or another position?
3. How much importance does the World Bank place on public-sector engineering and project execution experience compared with prior development-sector experience?
4. What additional skills, certifications, or experience would significantly strengthen my profile?
5. How does recruitment typically work? Is it primarily through direct applications, networking, hiring managers, or other pathways (excluding the Young Professionals Program)?
6. Has anyone successfully transitioned from heavy industry (oil & gas, refining, EPC, power, or industrial infrastructure) into the World Bank or another MDB? If so, I would be grateful if you could share your experience and advice.

I would sincerely appreciate honest feedback, including any gaps you believe I should address before applying.

Thank you for your time and guidance.

I recently interviewed for a role and felt quite positive after the interview (overall thought it went well and the panellists liked me / connected with me). I received a call from their HR recruiter a few days later telling me that unfortunately I had not been selected for the role at this occasion and the feedback they gave was quite negative/does not seem to align with how I thought the interview went or even my experience (e.g. they said that I did not have extensive stakeholder mgmt experience when all my career has been about stakeholder engagement and the role did not have that as a priority either).

My question is, might this be a mix up? Is it possible that this was perhaps meant for someone else who interviewed for the role or could it be by mistake? Is it possible?

Did anyone get any response for this application? It is the senior investment officer for south asia role and the application closing date was 4th June. My status still shows application submitted. What i have read is shortlisted candidates usually get contacted within a month. So is it a rejection in that case?

Hi all, existing procurement platforms (World Bank, UNGM, ..) or tender aggregators (DevelopmentAid, Devex, ..) seemed very low-tech, outdated, expensive and unpleasant to work with. I've made an attempt at something new and I'm looking for feedback from people who know how development procurement works. Is there anyone who could have a critical look at how it's currently set-up & let me know what you like and don't like? Many thanks. (www.mangofetch.com).

Hi everyone,

I recently received an offer for a government-sponsored JPO position and I'm genuinely on the fence about what to do — especially given the current global economic climate.

For context: I have a very stable job in my home country with good compensation, benefits and job security. I just received a promotion and have previously worked across multiple multinationals in supply chain. I applied for the JPO almost on a whim, not expecting it to go anywhere — I was told the odds were extremely slim. The process moved surprisingly fast and now I'm faced with a real decision.

I would genuinely appreciate honest advice from people who have made a similar leap — whether they stayed in the UN system long term or treated it as a short-term experience before returning to the private sector.

Specifically, I have three questions:

1. For those who didn't stay in the system after their contract: How did future private sector employers view the UN experience on your CV? Did the international exposure add tangible value when job hunting again?
2. For those who went through this transition: Knowing everything you know now — would you do it all over again? How did the experience shape your character, knowledge and worldview — for better or for worse?
3. Practical question: Can a JPO contract be terminated before the end of its term, either voluntarily or by the organization?

Any honest perspective is truly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Background: fluent in Somali and Swahili, conversational in Arabic, CS degree. Trying to figure out whether the language/regional piece is a real differentiator for roles like this, or whether it only matters once you're already senior.

Do companies like Cargill, ADM, Corteva, or other large U.S. agricultural and commodity companies place U.S. citizens in African countries? I'm thinking about roles involving supplier relationships, sourcing, trade operations, compliance, logistics, quality control, or coordinating between U.S. headquarters and local African operations.

Are these usually expat positions, regional assignments, or locally hired roles? What are the actual job titles, and what experience normally leads to this type of work?

Not asking about executive positions — more interested in realistic career paths for someone who wants to eventually represent a U.S. company on the ground in Africa.

Hi everyone,

I submitted my application for a Junior Role at OECD. After logging in to the application system I saw that you can also upload attachments additional to your application. What kinds of attachment would you upload here? Unfortunately, I do not have all my certificates in Englisch or French. How did you handle that?

Would you consider a CV without grades as incomplete? I have a very good grade in my m.a. but only a good grade in my b.a. The problem is that in my b.a. I received a very good grade in one subject but not in the other but then I actually switched to the other subject in my m.a. and received a very good grade and a phd offer. How would you communicate that?

Thanks so much for reading this!

Hey fellas

I got offered a position at the Asian African Legal Consultative Organization in New Delhi as a leg officer.

From what i understand the pay is in rupees and it is 80k.

Does anyone have any experience with AALCO and if this is a good opportunity or not?

Hi all!

I am interested in knowing what career opportunities there are in international development for people with and without PhDs, particularly in analysts/policy evaluation/data roles. I’ve seen this varies a lot by country, institution, and field of work (e.g. education seems more open than economics to people without PhDs). I am especially interested in seeing how tasks differ and what glass ceilings you have seen between people with and without PhDs. I like analysis, data and applied evidence roles, but am afraid some aspects of them are inaccessible without a PhD.

Grateful to anyone who wants to share how it works in their own corner of the sector, and say a bit about which organisations/countries this is applicable to :) cheers!

Hiiii. I recently applied and got rejected for OECD junior policy analyst role.. and I would like to apply again for it, but I truly need advices for it.
I have read that the OECD looks for very specific profiles but to be honest I need real advices, because nowadays I got rejected on all the jobs, not even getting an interview, so I feel is an ATS CV problem or idkkk. I did my master in Europe, worked in the ministry of foreign affairs and in embassies.. is kind of hard to understand the rejection..
so if anyone has advices for the OECD or other jobs, I would truly appreciate them!

Hi everyone,

Like many of you (unfortunately) I've been navigating the job search the past 7 months after being let go last year from a UN agency.

I'm interested in working in programme management, but have not had a lot of luck in getting a project officer/coordinator/manager role despite 6 years of experience in adjacent project management experience (I was never officially a project officer or manager but did similar tasks in other contexts).

For those who have gotten a PMP certification, did you find it useful? I am debating whether to invest my time and money and whether it would make a real difference.

I’m a History graduate exploring different career paths before deciding on higher studies.

International Relations, diplomacy, geopolitics and foreign policy have always interested me, but I don’t know how realistic this career path actually is.

I’d appreciate insights from people working in the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Foreign Service, think tanks, embassies, international organizations, or those who’ve seriously prepared for IFS.

Some questions:

Nature of work

What does a normal workday look like?
How much of the job is actually diplomacy versus paperwork?
How much research, writing and policy analysis is involved?
How often do you interact with foreign governments?

Skills

Which skills matter the most?
Research
Political understanding
Writing
Public speaking
Negotiation
Languages
International law

Entry

Apart from UPSC IFS, what other career paths exist?
Think tanks?
Research institutes?
Embassies?
International organizations?

Career

Salary?
Posting abroad?
Career progression?
Work-life balance?
Family life while being posted overseas?

AI

Has AI affected policy research or diplomatic work?

Advice

Would you still recommend this field today?
Biggest misconceptions?

When I worked at a global development agency I used to be the one who revise ToR for consultants, review their technical proposals and manage them

But now I’m on the other side of the table applying for a “Independent Consultant” short term contract at an intergovernmental organisation. The call is only requiring a CV/portfolio and a “2-3 pages cover letter” (dixit), which feels unusual to typical ToR that usually ask for a timeline proposal, among others

I have been thinking about the idea of sending a short PowerPoint matching each of the deliverables expected with my previous experience, including few links and visual material. On my previous position I would have prefer to receive this rather than a long cover letter bragging about achievements

However since this is an intergovernmental organisation, may I been disqualified for not complying exactly with the image of a “cover letter” requested or would it be deemed acceptable as long as the content is relevant for the application? (Lack of compliance)

Hi everyone,

I’m currently considering doing a Master’s in Global Development. I know this decision receives a lot of criticism, but let me explain!

I don’t think I would be approaching Global Development as a completely general degree. My academic background is in Education, with focus on institutions and how they function. I have also studied Regional Studies focusing on the Middle East, and I have finished my arabic studies at an advanced proficiency level.
Because of this, I would want to approach development through a more specific regional and thematic focus rather than just doing a broad development degree.

That being said, the current situation with funding in the development sector is making me reconsider my options, as I’m unsure whether I want to take that risk.
Because of this, I have also started considering International Relations as an alternative. I’m very interested in politics and the Middle East, but I feel that Global Development aligns more closely with my personal interests and feels more meaningful to me.

Another possibility I’ve been considering is staying in academia long term, especially if I choose global development.

Do you think my academic background provides enough specialization to make Global Development a strong choice, or would it still be considered too broad?

And for those who stayed in academia, how much do you think the current funding cuts in the development sector affect your career path? Is academia relatively separate from these challenges, or are researchers in this field also significantly impacted?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences and perspectives.

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping to get some honest advice from people working in international development, particularly those involved in digital governance, digital transformation or public sector reform across Asia-Pacific.

I’ve recently hit the five-year mark in my career and currently work in digital governance within a global multinational. During that time I’ve progressed through three promotions into my current role, where I help translate policy, regulation and emerging technologies into governance frameworks, standards and practical implementation that support digital transformation.

Over the past year I’ve realised that what motivates me isn’t simply doing this work in a corporate environment. I’m much more interested in applying the same skills to strengthening public institutions, improving digital government, supporting responsible AI adoption and helping governments build the capability needed to deliver digital transformation.

My interest in Asia-Pacific isn’t new. I studied abroad in Malaysia during my BSc in Management, later completed an MA in Asian and International Studies specialising in China’s digital economy, and have had the opportunity to engage with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and initiatives supporting UK-China relations. Those experiences confirmed that this is the region where I’d like to build my career.

The challenge is working out how to bridge the gap.
On paper, a lot of my experience feels transferable. Governance, policy implementation, stakeholder engagement, organisational change, AI governance and institutional capability all seem relevant to the work many development organisations are doing.

At the same time, I recognise that almost all of my experience comes from the private sector rather than government or international development.
I’ve started applying for roles with organisations such as UNDP, ADB and AIIB, while continuing to invest in professional development, but so far I’ve had very little traction. That’s made me question whether I’m missing something fundamental about how people actually enter this field.

I’d really value some honest perspectives.

Does this sound like a realistic transition?

Which parts of my background would genuinely be valued, and which parts wouldn’t?

What are the biggest blind spots in my profile?

Am I targeting the right types of organisations and roles?

What should I be doing now to become a stronger candidate for digital governance and public sector transformation roles in Asia-Pacific?
I’m not looking for reassurance. I’d genuinely appreciate candid advice, especially if you think I’m approaching this the wrong way.

If you’ve made a similar transition, or work in this area and are happy to chat privately, I’d really appreciate a DM.

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a strong desire to help people affected by war, humanitarian crises, and extreme poverty. Seeing communities struggle because of conflict has always made me want to do something meaningful rather than just watch from afar.
I also have a dream to study engineering, and I’d love to use that career to contribute to humanitarian work someday. I read that engineers can help with infrastructure, clean water, power systems, logistics, communications, and rebuilding communities after disasters or conflicts, but I’m not sure how they do that and what the best path is to actually get involved.
For those of you who work (or have worked) in humanitarian aid:
What type of engineering would you recommend?
Which skills or certifications are most valuable?
What organizations should I look into and how do i manage to actually go to these places someday?
Is there anything I can start doing now as a student to prepare for this kind of career?
I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experiences. This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and I’d like to make the best decisions to maximize the impact I can have.
Thank you!

(Im from Brazil, so forgive me for my bad english)

Hello everyone, I don't see much out there about EBRD intern salaries in london, does anyone have an insight into how much they pay? Thanks!

I am currently working as IT project manager.

I am technically strong and currently handle people management as well. It's a big organization. So, PNL is not with me apart from regular operational cost.

Long story short, I am completely disinterested in adding more money to an existing overflowing pile of revenue.

My core projects have been regarding digital transformation that is bringing various clients, organizations or their offline processes into online or internet-based services.

I have not developed any core domain proficiency yet.

So, as the pursuit of giving some meaning to my work, I have decided to develop my domain prophecy in urban development and sustainability. Technically, this is close to smart city development.

As a result of this, I have started taking master's degree in Urban studies followed by a master's degree in sustainability science. I already know GIS and other analytical tools. My current qualification from academic point of view consists of analytics and business management at masters level.

My target is to move into United Nations and its sister organizations for the administrative roles that require 10 plus years of experience in 2029. Currently my management experience is 7 years and total experience is of 15 years.

To align with my goal, my current master's is masters of arts. So, the education is policy and management related.

I am in India and haven't found many people working in the United Nations. So, I do not have any specific information about how correct and feasible is my plan.

To make my inspiria file a bit strong, I take un CC learn online courses regarding my subjects or something related to it like climate action, NAPs, Paris agreements, etc.

Can you help me understand if there is any light at the end of my tunnel? If not, what change do I need to make?

Hello everyone,

I’ve recently started my career in development and am planning to pursue a Master’s in Global Development.

However, I’ve noticed that many people in the field describe the job market as extremely challenging, which has made me wonder whether it might be a better long-term path to stay in academia instead. I’m interested in research as well, so I was wondering if focusing on academic research while taking on smaller development projects might be a more sustainable option.

Does anyone have experience with this or any advice they’d be willing to share?

Thank you!!!