Africa is the world’s second-largest continent, by both population and land area. It is also home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies and to several nations highly affected by internal conflicts and natural hazards, making Africa a key focus for global development work.
In this edition of Career Hub, we looked at some of the top global development hubs hiring in Africa, as well as the do’s and don’ts to keep in mind during competency-based interviews with the United Nations. Plus, featured job postings from the likes of USAID, World Vision, and more.
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Chief of Party, Niger Resilience Food Security Activity
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Niger
Public Resource Development Director
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Teach For All
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As part of our ongoing exploration of the top global development employers in key areas around the world, we have taken a closer look at the top country in each region of Africa, and the top bilateral organization and regional players within that country — beyond the work of the United Nations and other large INGOs and MDBs with an income over $500 million.
Egypt
Egypt is the top hub in North Africa, with 944 jobs in the last 12 months. Its top organization is Coptic Orphans, which posted 73 jobs in the last 12 months and works with vulnerable children in Egypt by providing educational programs, financial assistance, and community support.
Kenya
Kenya leads as East Africa’s top global development hub with 3,246 jobs in the last 12 months. Its most prominent organization, One Acre Fund, posted 53 jobs in the same period and supports smallholder farmers by providing resources and training to improve livelihoods and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
Nigeria
Nigeria stands as the leading hub in West Africa, with 1,245 jobs posted over the past year. The top organization, the Association for Reproductive and Family Health, or ARFH, posted 23 of these jobs. The NGO focuses on enhancing health and well-being in Nigeria through improved reproductive health and family planning services.
Democratic Republic of Congo
In Central Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC, ranks as the top development hub with 1,534 jobs in the past 12 months. Concern Worldwide leads in this region, posting 20 jobs and working to address internal displacement and food insecurity through emergency response programs, targeting malnutrition and promoting gender equality.
South Africa
South Africa is Southern Africa’s top hub, with 842 jobs in the last year. The standout organization, mothers2mothers, posted 27 jobs and focuses on improving maternal and child health across Africa through its unique “Mentor Mother Model.”
Read the full article: The top global development hubs hiring in Africa (Career)
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“[Candidates should be] adjusting their responses based on whether the panel is engaging in a two-way dialogue with follow-up questions, or whether a more comprehensive answer is expected upfront.”
— Michael Emery, director of human resources, IOMYou applied to a role at a U.N. organization, they liked your application, and you passed the technical assessment. Now all you have left is the competency-based interview. Three recruitment experts spoke to Devex about what to keep in mind to ace the interview:
Don’t forget to mention the agency’s mandate. Competency-based interviews will almost always begin with establishing the candidate’s motivation in applying for the job. Candidates might discuss what excites them about the agency’s work, what drew them to the role, and what type of work makes them happy, explained Lykke Andersen, the head of talent acquisition and people programs at the U.N. Development Programme, or UNDP.
Don’t assume the panel will ask follow-up questions. If a response isn’t entirely clear, the panel may ask follow-up questions, but this varies from one panel to another. Candidates should keep their answers concise and focused, ideally around 5 minutes per question, said Andersen. But they should also “cover all elements of the question and not necessarily expect follow-up questions or additional opportunities to elaborate on that example.”
Do utilize the open floor time. At the end of the interview, candidates will usually be allowed to ask questions to the panel. In addition to collecting more information about the job, this is the chance for the candidate to engage differently with the interview panel, Andersen said. She recommended candidates prepare one or two questions ahead of time.
Read the full article: The do’s and don’ts of competency-based interviews with the UN (Career)
Download the report: Your guide to a successful UN application (Career)
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