New Year’s resolutions aren’t for everyone. Actually, in my humble opinion, the whole concept is kind of problematic. If you really want or need to change something, why only think about it around the first of the year?
With that said, in this edition of Career Hub, I’m using the new year as an opportunity to share a few practical — and achievable — goals that you can consider to make your search less stressful and more fruitful than it may have been in 2024. Plus, featured job postings from the likes of UNOPS, Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC), and plenty of more useful information to help you along the globaldev career path.
+ Your ultimate guide to development’s top sectors: Our latest career guide is our biggest one yet and balances need-to-know essentials with new salary data insights and insider advice on working in global development’s leading sectors.
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Top jobs this week
1. Chief of Party, Angola Global Fund Malaria Prevention Programme
World Vision
Angola
2. Senior Press Officer (Editor)
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Belgium
3. Manager, Information Technology (IT)
Improving Economies for Stronger Communities (IESC)
United States
4. International Fundraising Executive
International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO)
Worldwide (Remote)
5. Programme Management Specialist
United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Nepal
6. Finance Officer
Cowater International
Philippines | Indonesia
Featured opportunity: Devex Talent Solutions, our boutique recruitment agency, is assisting Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) in its search for a strategic programs associate manager who can work remotely from anywhere in the world. Those interested should apply by Feb. 20.
New year, new approach to job hunting
“Start with that informational networking and relational networking to get a much better sense of where you might be a good fit.”
— Dan Freehling, career and leadership coachIf your job-searching efforts didn’t go as well as you liked last year, prioritizing just one of the following tips could make a difference in 2025.
Stop panic applying. If you’re not landing many interviews, you’re probably applying to too many jobs. Instead, focus on the ones you’re truly a good fit for. Lois Freeke, manager of NGO Recruitment, suggests asking yourself: “Who do you need to reach out to and have a career conversation with? Which groups and communities do you need to be in?”
Take a networking-first approach. The jobs you end up getting are usually tied to your network, one way or another. But many still prioritize applying over making contacts. Instead, you could “flip that entire process around” by “networking upfront as a way to get a better sense of where you're going to be a good fit,” says Dan Freehling, career and leadership coach.
Find a “good enough job.” This doesn’t mean you should settle. It’s more about how your identity may be tied to your job — or the job you think you want — in an unhealthy way. “When we expect work to self-actualize — to constantly motivate and fulfill us — settling for anything less can feel like a failure,” writes Simone Stolzoff in his book The Good Enough Job.
+ Poll: What’s your development career resolution for 2025? Looking to make a pivot or double down on succeeding in your current role? Or maybe it’s finally the year to take networking seriously? I’m running a LinkedIn poll about what you’re hoping to achieve in 2025 and would love to get your input.
Who do you want to work for?
Another way to revive a flagging job search is to prioritize the organization you want to work for ahead of a specific role. Veteran development recruiter and career coach Stephanie Mansueto offers advice on how to identify these employers by using this tiered approach.
Tier 1: Well-known. This is the easiest tier to assemble, as you likely know the organizations that are the leading employers in your area of expertise. You should also include entities that “you’ve had direct experience with,” Mansueto said.
Tier 2: Lesser-known but relevant. At this stage, your goal is expanding your list based on your specific experience and looking at related or partner organizations based on who you’ve previously worked for. A simple internet search is usually all it takes.
Tier 3: Completely unknown but relevant. Before wrapping up your web sleuthing, keep looking for additional organizations related to the ones you already identified, even if you “haven’t heard of them, but you’re interested in their work,” she said.
Watch: How to organize a job search that really works (Career)
Explore more: 3 ways AI can help you find your next development gig (Career)
Members-only jobs this week
1. Research, Data and Impact Analyst (Hybrid)
Global research nonprofit organization
Colombia
2. Communications and Fundraising Assistant
Charity that provides humanitarian medical care
Worldwide
3. Grants and Program Development Specialist
Global nongovernmental, humanitarian aid organization
Mali
4. Senior Protection Assistant
United Nations agency
Pakistan
5. Project Management Consultant
United Nations agency
United States
6. Communications Manager, Business Solutions
International nongovernmental organization
Peru | South Africa | India | Kenya | Colombia | United States | United Kingdom | Netherlands
+ For more opportunities, check out the weekly Devex Jobs Alert newsletter on LinkedIn as well as Devex’s Job board.
Data download: Globaldev’s most salary-transparent sectors
If compensation is your main concern this year, it’s good to know which sectors are sharing more salary ranges upfront than others. Based on findings from our recently published guide to globaldev’s top 10 sectors, here are the ones that included compensation in their Devex job postings the most over the past 12 months.
1. Global health
Jobs with salary: 42% (of 3,003 total postings).
Average minimum salary: $66,000.
Average max salary: $76,000.
View current global health jobs and their salary ranges on Devex.
2. Trade and policy
Jobs with salary: 42% (of 577 total postings).
Average minimum salary: $62,000.
Average max salary: $75,000.
View current trade and policy jobs and their salary ranges on Devex.
3. Humanitarian aid
Jobs with salary: 35% (of 959 total postings).
Average minimum salary: $63,000.
Average max salary: $78,000.
View current humanitarian aid jobs and their salary ranges on Devex.
More salary insights:
Around the watercooler
News and views from around global development worth knowing about.
Remembering America’s humanitarian-in-chief. A look at former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s post-presidential humanitarian and global health legacy.
Chemonics settles subcontractor fraud case. The largest for-profit contractor for USAID agreed to pay the U.S. government $3.1 million stemming from fraudulent billing by a Nigerian subcontractor.
Key globaldev moments to watch in 2025. Some of the key moments Devex will be following in 2025, from the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in snowy Davos to the COP30 climate conference in the Brazilian gateway to the Amazon rainforest (Pro).
+ To keep up to date with all the must-read global development coverage, be sure to sign up to the daily Devex Newswire.
Sign up to Devex Career Hub for global development’s top jobs, expert career advice, and practical tips to help you do more good for more people.
About the author
Justin Sablich
Justin is a contributing writer and editor who previously led Devex’s careers content strategy. Before joining Devex, Justin served as the managing editor of Springwise, covering sustainable and climate-tech innovation across all business sectors. He also spent over 13 years as an editor and writer for the New York Times, specializing in digital content production and strategy while producing written and multimedia content on a range of topics, including travel, sports, and technology.
