Ask Devex: Career transitions

Special guest speaker Tunde Hegedus joined Devex’s Kate Warren for this month’s Ask Devex online event to help answer our members’ career questions. Hegedus is a business development specialist with Tetra Tech and supports recruitment for one of the organization’s international development services units. Within many development organizations, recruitment actually falls under a business development function, explains Warren. Based in San Francisco, Hegedus recruits for project bids, as well as active international projects and United States based positions. She brought her insider perspective into what organizations look for when hiring. Much of the discussion this month involved career transitions — whether that is moving from a career in policy to working with nongovernmental organizations, switching to headquarters after years in the field, or leveraging your experience in the tech sector to break into global development. Every career transition is difficult, says Hegedus, regardless of which sector you are coming from and what expertise you bring. But starting the conversation with organizations of interest and allowing them to get to know you beyond what’s on your CV can make the transition easier, she says. “Establishing a personal connection with people who are already part of these organizations is a number one priority for somebody who is trying to make a transition and break into the sector,” says Hegedus. Try to be open to short-term consultancy work or other short-term opportunities that will allow you to work with organizations of interest, advises Hegedus. “This is going to help you get to know a lot of people in that organization,” she says “and demonstrate what type of expertise and what kind of talent you bring to the team.” Watch the full recording to hear more of Hegedus and Warren’s advice on issues such as how entry-level candidates can get noticed, whether volunteer experience really matters, and what recruiters look for in an online profile. Devex members with a Career Account can join us April 4 for next month’s Ask Devex. For more advice on transitioning into the global development sector, check out Career Navigator campaign, which launches on March 19. This three-week online event will also cover CVs, interviewing, and common career challenges, plus hiring insights from Tetra Tech.