3 burning questions answered about job hunting post-aid freeze

There is no getting around the fact that this is a very challenging time for the international development job market, as the fallout from the U.S. aid freeze continues to cause disruptions. But as career experts continue to tell us, when some doors close, others can and do open. “Overall, it's a tough time,” Jack Jarrett, a veteran global development HR consultant, said. “But … there’s a real sense of resilience and creativity starting to show up, too.” “I've seen some organizations pivoting quickly, shifting towards private foundations [and] diversifying their funding streams,” he added. “And that's opening up new opportunities, especially for people with fundraising, partnership and strategy experience.” To help development professionals learn about the roles and social impact sectors worth exploring during these uncertain times, and hear practical advice for plotting their next steps, Devex hosted a digital event featuring insights from Jarrett and development careers expert Emily Gannam. Here are a few key takeaways from the event, based on questions from the Devex Careers community. Are there any bright spots in the development job market? While there are fewer opportunities broadly across the development sector, some sectors may prove more resilient than others to the effects of funding cuts. “Even though the market is tough at the moment, there are a few areas … like climate adaption and resilience [that are] pretty big right now, especially tied to sustainability, disaster risk reduction and green financing,” Jarrett said. The funding crisis has also been a moment for some in the environmental space to realize just “how wide the world of climate truly is,” Gannam said, referring to additional opportunities being discovered outside of the traditional development sector. “The climate world — climate finance, climate adaptation [and] resilience, means many different things in many different places, and there are a lot of organizations that are private sector, nonprofit, [and] government [to consider],” she said. For job seekers across sectors, digital skills are more important than ever to cultivate in the current market, according to Jarrett. “Things like data analysis, digital health, and especially AI literacy, are starting to show up more and more in those job descriptions,” he said. Is there any way to stand out as a candidate? The instinct for many who are job hunting in a competitive market is to apply to as many jobs as possible as fast as possible. But “the spray-and-pray approach, as some say, for jobs, has never been effective,” Gannam said. “You have to be incredibly specific around … the types of places you want to work.” Part of figuring this out is talking to those who are currently doing the work you’re interested in. This nontransactional approach to networking not only helps you develop a “narrower target” for what you ultimately apply for but builds the kinds of professional relationships that do give candidates a competitive edge, Gannam said. In terms of standing out in the shorter term, “one thing I advise to do, and I'm finding is really helpful for candidates, is to have a skills grid in addition to a cover letter and a CV, [that] … on the left side, it highlights all the relevant skills that the role requires. And on the right-hand side, you highlight exactly how you meet each of those criteria for the role,” Jarrett said. This “makes it very, very clear for a recruiter to see” that you are qualified, he added, but “it also makes you focus your application, because you can see very clearly [what you] got to do to catch the person's eye.” Is it still possible to break into the sector in this challenging climate? “It is still possible to break into the global development sector, but it's important to be strategic and flexible, [as] those entry level roles are competitive with the current funding challenges — there’s a lot less of them around,” Jarrett said. Being flexible about where in the social impact space you start working in and the exact nature of your first role could help you avoid a long post-graduation job hunt while ultimately putting you in a stronger position. “My advice would be, don’t just look for a perfect job title. Look for ways to build the right skills and networks,” Jarrett said. “For some that might mean starting in a related area, and what I mean by that is looking at [areas] of corporate social responsibility or ESG, or working for a social enterprise or a consultancy that partners with development organizations. Those experiences are incredibly valuable and highly transferable.” Likewise, organizations that provide strong learning and development opportunities for entry-level staff that lie within the broader social impact space are worth prioritizing. “Think about the problems [you] care to contribute to, and then who are the organizations doing that, and then within that, who are the organizations that are really building up their young staff, and they're letting them grow, fly a little, build, [and] lead? That's incredibly important for any stage of your career, but I think especially when you're just starting,” Gannam said. Ready to stand out from the crowd and get noticed by the recruiters who matter most? Update your Devex profile and start connecting with top global development recruiters now.