Easy
I get a lot of questions on how to succeed in international development. How to make an internship turn into a job, how to use a bad job to get a good job. I give the same answer, every single time. Be easy. More than anything else – more than being skilled, more than being… Read More »
Finding Funding
One question I get asked very often by readers of this blog is how I got funding for my first overseas internship. It was an unpaid position with a multilateral organization in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and it pretty much launched my global health career. It led to the job that led to my next job and… Read More »
The bare bones of prepping for an international career
I’ve had several requests lately for career advice and assistance. That makes me think it’s a good time to repeat some basic points. Here are Alanna’s essential five things to have any hope of getting a job in international development: 1. Get an office job while you’re still in school. As I’ve written, most development… Read More »
What to do instead of starting an NGO
Here’s a nice list of things you can do instead, excerpted from About.com: 1. Seek fiscal sponsorship from an existing NGO. 2. Volunteer for a non-profit that is doing something similar to what you have in mind. 3. Start a local chapter of a national non-profit. 4. Put together an unincorporated association to fulfill your… Read More »
Four bosses I have known and loved
1) The one who spoke fluent Russian and, when we traveled for work, used to negotiate with waitresses extensively to make sure I got my eggs the way I liked them. 2) The one who cared so much about our programs that she’d start swearing and waving her arms in the middle of meetings. 3)… Read More »
This job is not always fun
There are an awful lot of good things about a career in international relief or development. You accumulate great stories for parties, you sound cool as all get-out at high school reunions, and you have a valid reason to get extra pages in your passport. Plus, you know – you do meaningful work that you… Read More »
What should I study if I want a career in international development?
You can go two ways on this (at least) and it depends on your basic skills and aptitude. The first option is acquiring some hard skills. Engineering, nursing, IT, and teaching or training are good examples. An appropriate terminal degree, combined with a minor in a foreign language (not French or Spanish unless you can… Read More »