When it comes to succeeding in global development roles, some recruiters have said that a candidate’s soft skills — those personal attributes that go beyond technical abilities — can be the deciding factor. But it’s not always easy to identify which of these abilities are most important.
To help job seekers identify some of the key attributes that development agencies look for in candidates, we’ve compiled this list based on the many conversations we’ve had with recruiters and working professionals from some of the sector’s top organizations.
“Soft skills [can] be difficult to assess, [but we are looking] for that agility and flexibility — especially if one wants to embrace an international career, since we have a rotation policy at UNICEF whereby international staff are expected to move around.” — Anne Favreau, chief of human resources partner team, UNICEF