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This week, Rena Kokalari, senior director of people and culture at the International Rescue Committee, tells Devex how to land a job at IRC, the soft skills they’re looking for, and the “north star” of their recruitment process.
Recruitment at IRC is guided by the organization’s annual emergency watchlist, a list of 20 countries at the greatest risk of new humanitarian emergencies. “For the past 10 years, it has had 85% to 95% accuracy in terms of predicting places of continuing deterioration and conflict,” Kokalari says. She explains that this feeds into the team’s recruitment strategy by identifying “where we are going to need to be next.”
In this edition of Career Hub, I’m exploring a common misconception surrounding networking and how to make it less of a chore, as well as the dos and don'ts of AI in job applications. Plus, featured job postings from the likes of Solidarity Center, UNOPS, and more.
+ Join us on May 2: Our next event for Devex Career Account members features insights from career coach Jennifer Bangoura about cultivating resilience for career growth. Not yet a member? You can try it out with a free 15-day trial to access all career advice events and articles, our complete job board, and much more.
Top jobs this week
1. Director of Grants and Contracts
Pact
Kenya
2. Chief of Party, USDA program
TechnoServe
Worldwide (Remote)
3. Senior Award Specialist
Solidarity Center
United States
4. Program Management Specialist
UNOPS
Denmark (Remote)
IRC recruiter shares insider tips for job seekers
As one of the biggest humanitarian organizations globally, the International Rescue Committee is always recruiting, says Rena Kokalari, the organization’s senior director of people and culture. Sitting down with Devex, Kokalari shares advice for navigating the organization’s hiring process:
IRC's four Rs. "One of the things that we developed many years ago, and we actually engaged hundreds of staff in developing it, is what we call IRC’s success model,” she says. “This is essentially a distillation of the core things, whether you are a caseworker or a vice president, necessary for any position," she adds. The four things they look for are receptivity, resourcefulness, resilience, and results orientation.
Talk about your drive. People who find purpose in their work have higher levels of resilience, are more productive, and are more committed to their organization. This means that recruiters want to know about your connection to the mission. “Why is it important to you to work at IRC? Make that potentially personal connection and [explain] why the mission drives you," Kolkari advises.
Apply if you think you can do the job, not if you tick all the boxes. "Research shows us that people from underrepresented groups tend to not apply for a job unless they have 100% of the requirements," she says. So, IRC encourages everyone who thinks that they could thrive in a role to apply.
Read: IRC recruiter shares insider tips for job seekers (Career)
Explore more: What Mercy Corps is looking for in top job candidates (Career)
Dos and don'ts of using AI in job applications
Job seekers are turning to artificial intelligence to help save time and streamline their efforts. But when and how should you use AI in job applications? Stephanie Mansueto, a career coach and a principal recruiter with Abt Global Inc., gives us some insight:
Drafting CVs and cover letters. AI is great for the initial stages of creating a cover letter, resume, or CV, says Mansueto. Some of the tools on her list include Rezi and Cover Letter Copilot. However, Mansueto reminds applicants that the quality of the output depends on the information you provide. The “tool is not going to know the relevant information from your experience unless you have a well-written resume or CV and you're putting in detailed information into the prompt,” says Mansueto.
Tracking job applications and scheduling follow-ups. Mansueto says Teal and Careerflow.ai can be helpful for keeping track of job applications and scheduling follow-ups, especially when applying to multiple positions.
Interview prep. Mansueto recommends Prepper by Adzuna, which in addition to offering practice questions, also provides feedback on your responses. “That can be particularly helpful for global development professionals. Culturally, how you're interviewing in one country is very different from another,” she says.
Read: Dos and don’ts of using AI in job applications (Career)
+ For additional insights to help with your job search journey, download our exclusive job hunt checklist, featuring seven questions every job seeker should ask themselves.
Members-only jobs this week
1. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Technical Officer
Humanitarian NGO
Colombia
2. Project Assistant
Regional intergovernmental organization
Austria
3. Forestry Officer
United Nations agency
Zimbabwe
4. Legal Officer
International tribunal
Netherlands
The misconception of networking as self-serving
A lot of junior professionals shy away from networking because they think it is “insincere” or “manipulative”, international career coach Simone Anzböck told Devex during this week’s career event. But Anzböck says research finds this belief fades away as people move through their careers. Senior professionals feel happier networking because they feel they have something to offer.
"I think it's a misconception that only because you may be a junior professional and maybe don't have as much experience, that you can't offer something," she says.
Watch: 5 tips for people who hate networking (career) | Find Simone on LinkedIn.
Around the watercooler
News and views from around global development worth knowing about.
• No events about you without you. Gunjan Veda, the U.S. executive director of the Movement for Community-led Development, tells local leaders that without including local organizations, any talk on localization will be "old wine in a new bottle.”
• Tearfund job cuts. One of the U.K.’s biggest development charities, Tearfund, has already cut 74 roles within the past year and is said to be looking at cutting another 40.
• World Bank education investment revisited. Focusing investment solely on state education isn’t working, writes Corina Gardner in an opinion piece for Devex. Investing in the affordable nonstate sector will help achieve global education goals, she says.
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About the author
Katrina J. Lane
Katrina Lane is an Editorial Strategist and Reporter at Devex. She writes on ecologies and social inclusion, and also supports the creation of partnership content at Devex. She holds a degree in Psychology from Warwick University, offering a unique perspective on the cognitive frameworks and social factors that influence responses to global issues.
