How to transition to development consulting

Stories abound about corporate professionals transitioning to global development work. A key to their success: transferable skills. So, how do you highlight your transferable skills well and make that transition? This question was front-and-center at our one-hour webinar “How to succeed as a development consultant indicates,” which featured three expert recruiters from DAI: Daniel Head, senior international recruiter at the consultancy’s economic growth division, as well as Recruitment Manager Katie Levy and Associate Recruiter Sophie Montmey of DAI Europe. DAI, of course, is one of the top implementing partners for the U.S. Agency for International Development and U.K. Department for International Development. Following the webinar, DAI’s expert recruiters addressed more questions from the webinar audience on how seasoned professionals from the private sector can start a career in international development. Here are some of their responses: ­How does one use one’s transferable skills to get into international development? Always tailor your CV to respond to a particular scope of work/position/assignment. Highlight relevant language skills, geographic experience, and experience with donor agencies, private sector companies, multilateral institutions, or government agencies. Explore sites such as Devex and LinkedIn to see what the upcoming opportunities are and to see what you would be a good fit for. How does someone with an established career (e.g., a senior government lawyer) transition into doing short-term contract work in international development? Keep track of the different opportunities that USAID and other donor agencies are tracking and see if there are any that fit your technical background. Most implementing firms will post advertisements looking for potential candidates to fill positions required on these potential opportunities, so if you see one that fits your technical background, the first step would be to apply. Make use of your networks, use sites like LinkedIn to see if you know anybody who would be affiliated with any of this work. Reach out to them to see if they could connect you to whoever is recruiting for these bids or even for active projects (active projects are often in need of short-term consultants). How does someone who’s worked on USAID grants as a paid consultant for a nongovernmental organization gain more experience as a consultant with USAID or another bilateral donor? Development projects are always in search of experienced grants managers who have knowledge of USAID policies and procedures. Be sure to highlight this experience in your CV and reach out to your network of development professionals to explore potential opportunities on upcoming proposals and live projects. Would it be hard for a person with experience in, say, the Caribbean to be considered for assignments in North America, Europe, or South-Central America? If this person has a technical background that fits into a particular scope of work along with relevant international development experience in the field, it would be possible to be considered for assignments in other parts of the world. Having relevant language abilities is also helpful. How does an individual who started her career in development, transitioned into the private sector, and now wanting to get back into development position herself to re-enter the development field? Many development projects include private sector development as a key technical area. Somebody who can combine their private sector background with an understanding of how development works in the field would be an asset for firms looking for this type of profile. When writing your CV, be sure to tailor it to the position you are interested in – highlight relevant experience including any language skills or relevant geographic experience. Highlight experience with particular donor agencies and/or private sector organizations. What advice would you give to a someone with a legal background and monitoring and evaluation coursework who’d like to start up in development? Look into potential opportunities in global health and tailor your CV so that in responds to the positions you are applying for. Highlight relevant experience including any language skills or relevant geographic experience. How does one make the transition from corporate (marketing/communications) to international development? International development firms love people with more corporate marketing/communications background, and the skills are very transferable. You can find jobs advertised online, and it would be good to play up your knowledge of the donor world and any overseas experience you have. Knowledge of reaching people in other cultures would obviously be key. Someone works in the U.S. private sector but hails from the developing world and still does volunteer work there – an interesting profile for implementing firms looking for consultants? Definitely. Many development projects include private sector development as a key technical area. Somebody who can combine their private sector background with an understanding of how development works in the field would be an asset for firms looking for this type of profile. Read more: - Consulting opportunities with DAI: FAQs (followup Q&A) - Contract negotiation FAQs for development consultants (followup Q&A) - How to Succeed as a Development Consultant(full webinar recording) - Individual consulting: Where the jobs are(webinar excerpt) - Individual consultant CVs: Tips and tricks (webinar excerpt) - How to get a senior consulting post - Global development consulting: How to gain the right experience - CV writing for foreign aid consultants: Your FAQs On consulting: - Individual Consulting: A Primer - A Survival Guide to Consulting - UN to Introduce Online Application Tool for Consultants - A Global Consultant’s Daily Routine - Independent Consulting = Freedom + Flexibility - Administrative Expenses for Contractors - Basic Skills of Independent Consultants - Coping with Frequent Travel - How to Get Away from the Home Office Other career coverage: - Salary Negotiation Strategies for Aid Workers and Consultants: A Primer - Career Transitions: How to Figure Out if an Aid Job is Right for You - Secrets to a Successful Phone Interview for Development Aid Job Seekers - Resume Formats for International Development Professionals Read more international development career advice.