3 ways to future-proof your global development career

For seasoned professionals, the fear of work opportunities drying up in their 50s and beyond is common. While global development is not immune to issues that impact hiring decisions in other sectors, there are ways to overcome common challenges that may face late-career professionals, including laying the groundwork early for a potential transition later. “I think career transition is a lot like an Escher painting. It's not like you convert from a fish into a bird … It doesn't happen overnight. It's something that happens gradually,” Jeannette Tramhel, a veteran development consultant, said during a recent Devex digital event where she shared lessons learned from her own journey, which led to landing a “dream job” after what she thought was her retirement from the sector. Tramhel was joined by Caroline Korda Poole, a certified career coach and the founder of Centered Career, to offer advice on navigating development’s employment landscape as a late-career professional. Here are a few tips on things you can do now to help find the right role later. Make the most of your current role Tramhel stressed the importance of leveraging your current role by strengthening connections with internal and external stakeholders and gaining skills and experiences that could benefit you in the future. “When I was at the OAS [Organization of American States], I was in a position where I could leverage my position with full endorsement from my director … so, I did a lot of outreach during that time. I really stretched the scope [and was able] to shape the scope and boundaries of my opportunities,” she said, adding that this is a good time to “make those connections to enable a transition.” Even if you’re currently working in a challenging environment and unhappy with certain aspects of the job, Tramhel advised against “burning bridges” or taking a “quiet-quitting approach.” Rather, “use the opportunities that you have to develop your skills and knowledge,” she said. Doing so also builds your reputation, improving your chances of being considered for a future opportunity, Tramhel said. Network for yourself and others Echoing what other career experts have told Devex about effective networking, Tramhel stressed the importance of networking “not only for yourself but for others.” In other words, consider ways you can use your interactions to help others achieve their goals, not just your own. This has a way of coming back around to benefit you in the long run. “Oftentimes, it is [the] people we wouldn't expect to help us who help us,” Korda Poole said. “It's always important to nurture and be kind and caring in every interaction, if possible. You just never know where that phone calls gonna come from,” she added. Tramhel concurred, encouraging professionals to “put yourself out there” and “put kindness out into the world.” Keep up with the times To maintain relevance further into your career, Korda Poole advised that in addition to gaining skills on the job, you should consider seeking out other opportunities to keep your skills current, such as attending training courses. As desired skills evolve over time, so does the “lingo,” which is also important to keep up with. “The terminology is always changing, so stay sharp with that. Go to conferences, read a lot, [and] really make sure that you're keeping your skills current so that you've got a depth of experience, but you're still on the cutting edge,” Korda Poole said. In addition to how to prepare for a late-career transition, Tramhel and Korda Poole also discussed how to navigate ageism, what to include in your CV, and more.