This article was originally published in the May Edition of Monday Developments, a monthly publication of Interaction. Read the original post here.
Public interest in international issues has increased in the last decade. Publicity given to the protests during international trade summits and economic forums has highlighted the interconnectivity of the world and how decisions made in Washington, DC affect rural farmers around the world. In addition, many celebrities have partnered with international NGOs and various UN agencies to bring issues such as malaria prevention, the economic development of women and access to clean water to the forefront.
In this media-driven age, these celebrities can significantly increase attention to substantive global issues and their involvement can encourage more young people to enter the international development workforce. Other new recruits include children of immigrant parents from the developing world who have visited their parents’ homeland, been affected by the poverty and despair they have witnessed firsthand and felt compelled to help the situation.
Whatever the motivation to enter this field, from the outside, a career in international development seems like a fun and exciting job, because it often involves traveling to exotic, far-away places. But breaking into the field is not easy. It requires a lot of training, diverse skills, and experience, along with a bit of luck to get a foot in the door. If you believe this profession is your life’s mission, you must be innovative and tenacious if you want to succeed. In addition, skill development must be a career-long commitment.
There are essentially three stages in an international development career:
Public interest in international issues has increased in the last decade. Publicity given to the protests during international trade summits and economic forums has highlighted the interconnectivity of the world and how decisions made in Washington, DC affect rural farmers around the world. In addition, many celebrities have partnered with international NGOs and various UN agencies to bring issues such as malaria prevention, the economic development of women and access to clean water to the forefront.
In this media-driven age, these celebrities can significantly increase attention to substantive global issues and their involvement can encourage more young people to enter the international development workforce. Other new recruits include children of immigrant parents from the developing world who have visited their parents’ homeland, been affected by the poverty and despair they have witnessed firsthand and felt compelled to help the situation.
Whatever the motivation to enter this field, from the outside, a career in international development seems like a fun and exciting job, because it often involves traveling to exotic, far-away places. But breaking into the field is not easy. It requires a lot of training, diverse skills, and experience, along with a bit of luck to get a foot in the door. If you believe this profession is your life’s mission, you must be innovative and tenacious if you want to succeed. In addition, skill development must be a career-long commitment.
There are essentially three stages in an international development career:
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