I talked about this last month, but now that we’re really up and rolling, it’s time for my proper sales pitch. If you are looking for a job in international development, I can help. I’d been advising people on careers in this field for years. Now I am taking that to the next level.
I started the International Development Careers List. For $2 a month, I’ll give your personalized advice in response to your questions. So you get access to my answers to you, and everyone else’s questions and answers. Recent topics have included “Where do I work to get the best salary?”, “Can I start an international development career at age 40?”, and “Is it really all about who you know?”
In addition to the Q&A, I also post new job vacancies, often before they’re out on the general websites. And I tap my network of international development colleagues and friends to offer advice on any topic I can’t cover on my own. I’ve hired a lot of people for a lot of international development jobs, and I’ve applied for and gotten a lot of international development jobs, so I know what it’s like on both sides of that fence. I can help you get what you’re looking for.
And – added bonus – I maintain a dynamic ebook with every single newsletter in it, updated as I publish. I send it to every new subscriber, so you get access to everything we have talked about to date as well as all the new content as it publishes.
The details
The newsletter is an informal email that comes via letter.ly. Your name and address won’t be visible to anyone but me. I guarantee to publish at least once a week, but in practice I tend to send out 2-4 newsletters a week. So far, I have been able to answer every question I have received within a week, but that could slow down as the number of subscribers increases. I take the identifying information out of all questions, so you stay anonymous even after I publish your Q&A.
The subscription cost is $2/month, and I won’t be offended if you sign up to get your own question answered and then drop off the list. You pay via Amazon payments, but if you want to use PayPal instead, email me (alanna.shaikhATgmail.com) and we’ll work something out.
Some Happy Quotes from Early Adopters
“The best $2 you can spend on your international development career!” – Wayan Vota
“I’m loving your newsletter thus far. I’ve been reading your blog (and a whole lot of others on your blogroll) for awhile but haven’t wanted to bug you with my own questions just yet. Your writing is fantastic and I love the insight you bring to working in this field.”
“Thanks so much! This is very helpful.”
“I’ve already read through the collection of past newsletters. GREAT STUFF.”
“As someone who is beginning a career in development/aid, Alanna’s newsletter has provided for me a resource that answers the many questions I have. From practical advice on how to blog, how to choose a grad school, and a listing of job opportunities, the newsletter is an absolute for anyone who is new to aid/development.” – Tom Murphy
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Chosen because it’s of a shop in Vietnam, where I have always wanted to work.
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Carry Somers , Nathan Nelson, Kathleen McDonald, Fatou Toure, Pernille Bærendtsen and others. Pernille Bærendtsen said: RT @alanna_shaikh: Official announcement: The International Development Careers List http://bloodandmilk.org/?p=1643 […]
Hello,
This is a great idea and I am quite interested in signing up. I just wanted to ask though first whether it would be useful to someone who is looking for international development opportunities that are based in the UK? Will you list mainly opportunities for people with extensive experience in the field or will you also cover entry level positions that are suitable for recent graduates?
Thanks
Anelda: Fair disclosure – so far the list has much more career advice than job vacancies. I would not recommend joining just for the job listings. Both the listings and the advice is mostly geared toward entry level, but the questions and answers are generated by readers so that focus could change depending on what gets asked. So far, I would say most of the advice is useful to people in the UK.
That is great, thanks for your reply. Will sign up, I am sure the advice alone will make it worthwhile!
Congrats & good luck! Just wanted to share this resource which is what I’ve shared with folks interested in international development jobs advice:
http://www.pointloma.edu/Assets/PLNU/Armenian+Center/Internship+docs/persuing+a+job.pdf
I’m a happy subscriber– it provides good context that fills out the blog here (and those on the blogroll).
[…] Alanna also offers considerable assistance to international development job seekers. […]
Just signed up. One question, though: how to sign off once your marvelous advice pays off?
D – I have already had five people drop off the list once they got their question answered – doesn’t letterly have an unsubscribe option? If it gives you trouble, though, I can cancel your subscription through my control panel – just drop me an email.
this is an excellent post and service — I will forward this post to all of my students who are in my international development course. Thanks for your work and help to those in the field!
[…] I don’t usually link to adverts, but if you’re interested in a career (for want of a better word) in development, you might want to check out Alanna Shaikh’s $2 a month newsletter. […]