At my birthday dinner last month with my family, I received a buzz on my phone.
This was rare for a Saturday evening, so I took a break from dinner to check my phone to see what it was.
Turns out…
I was offered a consultancy for a UN agency.
That was a nice way to cap off my birthday celebrations.
As part of my work for this new consultancy, I reviewed 60 applications received for 6-8 open opportunities last week.
Here’s what I learned.
A student in my flagship program, Break Into Development, recently completed the full program.
In Break Into Development, I don’t talk about “networking”.
That’s always felt like a foreign concept to me.
I’m definitely among the introverts in the sector – and always found it hard to fulfill what everyone describes as “networking”: like there is a magic sequence of words that will land you a dream job in global development.
Now, knowing people is IMMENSELY useful in growing you global development impact career.
It can lead to opportunities, new insights, and fresh ideas.
But make no mistake, even if I have received a few assignments because I know people…
If I wasn’t the most qualified person applying – I would NOT get hired.
In fact, the times in my experience that I most relied on contacts for a job – I was out-competed by others. When I focused on “networking” too much, I missed something important about the job, the ToR, and in demonstrating to the hiring managers what I could bring to the work.
The true value of “networking” in global development becomes easier to see when you shift those terms and reframe your approach.
“Authentic relationship building”—that is key.
There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.
We often “feel” like certain trends happen to us.
But when we look at the hard data – do they actually play out?
Let’s find out.
When I started in international development, it was common for people from the so-called “Global North” to win most of the mid- to senior-level positions.
There are many good and less-good explanations for this.
Often, education was stronger. Countries funding positions played a role in which nationals won jobs. Blatant discrimination existed.
But things are changing.
Getting called for an interview is exciting.
Finally, your hard work pays off—and you get the chance to take your shot.
But there are a million questions…
What is a competency-based interview?
How do you record yourself? (UNDP is asking candidates to record themselves answering questions now to pre-screen reaching the interview panel stage. Are you ready?)
What do you research because they only gave you 2 days to prepare?!
Don’t get lost or waste time.
Watch this video where I breakdown the 3 key strategies to prepare for your time in the spotlight with that dream international organization interview.
Want personalized coaching? Send me a message to get started.
The UN internship. That coveted breakthrough. International job exposure at last. The passageway to work (finally, paid) after school. And to a never-ending carousel of success in life.
There may be no other internship experience in the world on which so much hangs.
But is it all these things?