Exploring careers in International Development, Charities & NGOs

Third year Education, Society and Culture student Farzana Chowdhury recalls her experiences of attending a past event in the International Development, Charities & NGOs Sector Insight Programme.

Farzana Chowdhury, third year student, studying Education, Society and Culture, attended the UCL Careers International Development Roles Information Panel event to gather insider information about what it’s like working in the industry. Farzana captured specific advice on what to do to prepare for a career in International Development, revealed pitfalls to avoid, and picked up ideas on how to break into the sector from UCL alumni working in it currently. The panellists were:

Emanuele Militello - Save the Children International

Fabiana Maglio - Senior Specialist in Education and International Development

Laetitia Antonowicz - Laetitia Antonowicz Consulting Ltd

Continue reading to find out what these speakers had to share about the unique career routes they took to work in the International Development sector, their diverse experiences, skill sets and how they apply them in their field, plus top take aways and advice for breaking into the sector.

Motivations

I was interested in attending the event, as my career plan is to do a master’s after finishing my degree, then teach overseas, and eventually work for a charity or non-governmental organisation (NGO) in the International Development sector, focusing on girls’ education. I wanted to expand my knowledge of the sector through the speakers’ experiences of it and learn about some of the many organisations in international development as well as the routes to working for them.

Big Takeaways

After hearing each speaker’s academic and career journeys that led them to their current roles and what they do day-to-day, they also shared advice for all attendees considering a career in the sector. The event then concluded with an opportunity to network with them. Between Emanuele, Fabiana and Laetitia, they have worked in a range of projects, programmes and roles, in many countries and contexts, covering diverse issues and fields.

The main takeaway for me was that teaching is a more common route for entering the sector than I expected, and teaching experience is valuable in International Development. Fabiana and Laetitia shared their experiences of working as teachers and studying for their master's at the Institute of Education (IOE) at UCL. Emanuele also highlighted teaching as a great pathway to getting into the sector. Reflecting on this, I imagine some of the transferable skills could include problem-solving and adaptability because the field is constantly adapting to new changes. Additionally, they each emphasised the challenges of working in International Development but noted how it is made easier via a horizontal transfer. In other words, bringing in skills other people do not have, by working in other sectors. I expect challenges such as inequality, conflict and funding to be faced in both International Development and teaching roles. As someone with this career path in mind, hearing about the speakers’ experiences brought me confidence that I could find a successful career path in this sector too.

In addition to my big take away and the confidence boost it delivered to know that I didn’t need to be studying International Development or something related to get into the sector, I realised that it could be a benefit to diversify my experiences before entering the sector rather than jumping straight in after studying. Other important takeaways that might also help others included:

Sector Trends

Firstly, they introduced the trends of the sector, considering the current context, past and future, emphasising to look out for them. These insights could be useful research and talking points for anyone interested in networking in the sector or soon to be interviewing for a role in the sector:

Decentralisation to localisation - shifting of power and expertise overseas from the Global North to the Global South, so traditional opportunities may not be available

Changes in funding development - before organisations relied on government donors, though now there is more funding from the private sector

Difficulties with climate change - a key global challenge, with climate intervention and carbon conscientiousness gaining traction

Innovation and technology - as the world faces interconnected challenges, there is a demand for innovative solutions, to help shape the future of the sector.

Beneficial Skills

Then the speakers drew attention to the soft skills beneficial for the sector and emphasised marketing yourself on a combination of them:

Entry-level skills - bid writing, research skills, decision-making, Microsoft office, particularly Excel

A niche area of technical expertise - project design, implementation, programme proposals, monitoring evaluation techniques and analysing data sets

Project management - how to plan, budget and implement projects, and manage people, time, deadlines, funding and conflict, with a facility to oversee a wide range of projects

Fundraising - making a compelling case for the philanthropy/private sector to give you money, which every organisation looks for

Good leadership - having introspection/self-awareness, as at any organisation or level, you are viewed for the way you interact with people and the world

Strong communication - adjusting messages to different stakeholders, who you can build an interpersonal relationship with, and to the context, being culturally sensitive

Cross-cultural skills - working in multicultural environments and teams, as the world is interconnected

Fluency in other languages - helps you standout and there are more opportunities

If you’re wondering where or how you can acquire or build on these skills during your time at UCL to enhance your employability, check out UCL Careers Skills Hub.

Experiences

The speakers also emphasised the importance of relevant extracurriculars, like volunteering (see below for more examples), to strengthen your personal unique selling point (USP) that will get you noticed in a sector with hundreds of applicants for entry-level jobs. Also, because the level of education is already high, with applicants having multiple qualifications, additional experiences could therefore be even more valuable than these additional qualifications. Experiences where you can apply your skills and gain new ones that could be valuable to an organisation, can also be a great way of demonstrating your commitment to and interest in the sector to employers. Here are some examples of experiences you could pursue to set you apart from the crowd:

• Take part in projects from your degree or oversee projects with Charities or NGOs
• Leadership positions within societies at UCL
• Local and international volunteering, to demonstrate you have a proactive stance in the community
• Get involved with issues in the UK that are valuable and important in other contexts e.g. climate change and working for an organisation relevant to the one you want to work for, overseas.

However, the speakers emphasised that for some organisations like international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), resources are scarce thus opportunities are few and may even be unpaid. Therefore, they underlined that interning directly in the sector is not necessary and there are other opportunities that can help build your experiences, which you can then transfer:

• Contact your local MP (Member of Parliament)
• Contact your local council and the NGOs registered with them.

Networking

I learned that it's common for organisations seek to hire individuals who know the people working within it. Therefore, knowing a network of people is important, which can also help build on your skills and experiences:

• Reach out to people working in a specific role or organisation you have an affinity with, to hear their career path, how their job works and what the organisation is looking for
• Create your own opportunities; by contacting organisations you are interested in and negotiate an internship not advertised, which may then be created for you
• Cold calling, though it is more difficult the bigger the organisation is

However, the speakers drew attention to not:

• Send your curriculum vitae (CV) to employers, as it will get lost in their emails and because companies have a formal recruitment process
• Be afraid to reach out, as the worst scenario is receiving a ‘no’ - you will be surprised by how many people want to give advice and how useful it can be.

Interviews

After networking and receiving an interview for a role, the speakers provided advice for the interview stage:

• Research an organisation's competency framework if they have one, which most NGOs do and tweak your answers to the competencies (skills) that an interviewer is looking for
• Practice interview skills and questions to show how you have applied your skills, for example from projects as part of your degree and why they are relevant to the role
• By using the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) technique in your answers
• Having the capacity to build a rapport with a panel of interviewers and demonstrate you can relate to them, as they want to hire someone who can fit in their team.

Competitiveness of the Sector

However, in the event, the speakers highlighted the difficulty of getting a job in the sector because of many factors, such as:

• Localisation
• Climate change
• Conflicts
• Changes in funding developments.

They also emphasised that there are many entry-points into the sector and being self-motivated, dedicated, and willing to put in effort in taking part in opportunities, will result in a rewarding role. The speakers further drew attention to the future prospects of the field as promising, with there being a variety of jobs.

Benefits of Attending UCL Careers Events

Attending this UCL Careers event has given me greater confidence to go into the sector, despite it being competitive. The speakers provided us with resources to explore the sector and highlighted current opportunities, which I have since researched. Prior to the event, I also had a limited awareness of the types of organisations within international development, and the event has broadened my knowledge of this.

At the end of the event, I also had the opportunity to network with the speakers and ask personalised questions, enabling me to practise their advice!

Summary

Overall, after attending the event, I have a clearer understanding of the international development sector and have been exposed to the different routes in and opportunities. I am also more confident to teach and then work in the sector, after hearing from alumni who have done this successfully. Thank you so much to Emanuele Militello, Fabiana Maglio and Laetitia Antonowicz, who have shared their inspiring journeys to myself and other UCL attendees, who I am sure have benefited greatly too.

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