Applying to jobs at the World Bank: An insider's guide

Landing a job with the World Bank Group is a highly competitive feat. Out of approximately 150,000 job applications they receive each year, only around 1.3 percent, or 2,000 people, are hired. Their staff members are located across the globe, with just over half in the United States and Canada. While the majority of those are based in the Washington, D.C., head office, they have been purposely trying to decentralize in recent years, said Roberto Amorosino, a former senior human resources specialist. Less than 10 years ago, two-thirds of their staff were based in Washington, D.C. International hires for both the World Bank and International Finance Corporation are coordinated by the head office, while local hires are managed through country offices. Devex spoke with Amorosino to get his top insider tips on the application process and help you land a job with the World Bank or IFC. Online application Citizens of the bank’s 189 member countries can apply for their jobs. The bank’s Careers page hosts all of their job openings. You will need to create an online ID login and password and after your first application, your data will be saved for future ones. The application can be completed in just 15-30 minutes. However, it is important to have all parts of your application completed before you start to upload documents — such as your resume, statement of interest, and personal details. The application needs to be completed within two hours as the page may disconnect due to inactivity. The new system allows you to save drafts and continue returning to it until complete. There are six steps to the online application you should be prepared to complete. Step 1: General Instructions Step 2: Contact Details Step 3: Current and Prior Employment Step 4: Education and Languages Step 5: Statement of Interest and CV Step 6: Submit Application Once you have submitted your application, you should receive an acknowledgement of receipt. However, from then on, only successful applicants will be contacted due to the vast volume of applications the bank receive. Once it has been submitted, you cannot go back and edit it. Education Contrary to popular belief, Amorosino said that holding a master’s degree is not always an absolute must for jobs with the bank. “It’s critical to check the requirements before applying. You will see that there will be jobs where a master’s is required, there are a few opportunities or programs where a Ph.D. can give you even more space, and you can find some jobs — maybe in finance or information technology — advertised requiring a bachelor’s degree plus whatever experience is required.” Resume or CV While you can paste it as text, Amorosino recommends uploading your resume into the application system. The maximum file size is 150 KB and it must be in English. It’s important to include any field experience you have in your resume. “We value any experience in that context [the field]; that could be in society, voluntary work, anything that can help us to understand that the passion and the readiness is there, could be extremely useful,” Amorosino expressed. Statement of interest or cover letter The statement of interest should be no more than 700 words, explaining your motivation and reason for applying for the position. The text has to be copied into a text box, as opposed to uploading a file. The importance of the statement of interest is not to be underestimated. However, “there’s not a magic formula,” Amorosino highlighted. Different recruiters will look for different things in a “good” one. But he notes, you should not have a standard statement of interest, instead you need one that is “tailored to the position.” “Today, social media, blogs, events, LinkedIn, Devex: You have thousands of platforms where you can engage in the conversation, regardless of your location, and you need to make the most.” --— Roberto Amorosino, former senior human resources specialist at the World Bank Use it to talk, “not only about you, but more importantly to talk about the position,” Amorosino advised. “What you understand about the work; the challenges; highlighting the key selection criteria.” Too often they are filled with, “I, I, I” when they should be more focused on the target, position, and sometimes even the “vision” of what could be achieved. It’s also the only opportunity to “help the recruiter understand that you are ready, that you have a vision, even if you don’t have that specific experience.” He explained, “people always focus on their strong points … but maybe the viewer is trying to understand something else.” Your resume speaks for itself in terms of the experience you already have, use the statement to recognize any gaps but express what you aim to achieve with that role. Amorosino stressed, “people should know, by the time they apply, what the bank does in their field of interest and they should make reference to their knowledge when they approach the World Bank. Because this, again, can make the difference.” Social media Amorosino strongly recommended people to be active in their professional interests outside of work. This way, your passion and presence will speak for itself, rather than having to justify it in the statement of interest. “Today, social media, blogs, events, LinkedIn, Devex: You have thousands of platforms where you can engage in the conversation, regardless of your location, and you need to make the most. Otherwise you need to rely on your cover letter where you have to tell the story, and then you’re forced to talk about you, you’re forced to say, ‘I’m passionate about development’ and that shouldn’t be there. Because it should be already clear because you are engaged,” he said. Interviews It can be up to three months between submitting your application and receiving an interview offer, because of the vast number of applications received. Only the top 3-5 candidates are normally shortlisted for an interview, although it can be more depending on the hiring unit, candidates, and position. “The interviewee should always have questions, but questions should be about the job. I would never suggest to ask questions about the process, or the competition, or the salary.” --— The number of interview stages depends on the requirements and is very flexible, Amorosino explains. Many require a panel interview but for others, a one-on-one interview might be necessary. Interviews can be conducted in various forms: One-on-one, a panel, via Skype, video conference, telephone, business simulation, or psychometric test. Virtual interviews have become a lot more commonplace in recent years, it all depends on what is most appropriate. Amorosino expressed there is no longer an added advantage or disadvantage to the interview method, whether it is in-person or online. However, if you are participating in an online interview, it is important to be in the right environment to speak and be seen clearly. Amorosino also advised applicants to make sure you, “engage with everybody at the same time.” Additionally, “the interviewee should always have questions, but questions should be about the job,” he stresses. “I would never suggest to ask questions about the process, or the competition, or the salary.” Feedback is only provided to interview applicants who request it, so make sure you do so if you want this information to improve on for future applications. Receiving an offer On completion of the interview, the references you provided will be contacted and checked. The hiring manager will then review all applicant’s material and interview reports and make the final decision. Salary Never ask about salary with the bank. There are a multitude of factors that influence the salary they offer an individual. The salary range for each job is determined by the grade bracket they fall into, and this information is publicly available. You can do your own research to get a general idea of the salary you can expect. Amorosino strongly advised waiting for the formal offer to see the figure before attempting negotiation.