Global development is a big tent, despite the kinds of monolithic roles and organizations that may first come to mind for many when considering the sector.
“Development is not just, you know, the United Nations, or implementing agencies. It can also be universities, it can be think tanks, it can be advocacy agencies,” said career coach Caroline Korda Poole, highlighting just a few of the many different forms development work can take.
Within this big tent are also a broad range of skills and experiences that development organizations seek in employees. While “every sector has its own different way of getting the job done … the underlying skills [of many professions] can be transferable to almost any role,” said Kathryn Harper, a professional development writing expert.