Many international development professionals start their career in generalist roles. In fact, most entry-level positions fall under this category — it’s hard to be considered a specialist in anything when you don’t yet have much experience. You can work your entire career as a generalist, but international development projects are also more frequently looking for specialists in a specific area of expertise. Especially mid-career, it can be difficult for a generalist to find opportunities for advancement without having a core specialty.
But how do you develop a core expertise as a generalist and get yourself on the path to becoming a specialist in global development? This is the question one Devex member recently tweeted me.
While making the transition isn’t easy, and there is no one clear path for everyone, here are four things you can do to go from generalist to specialist.
About the author
Kate Warren@KateDWarren
Kate Warren is the Executive Vice President and Executive Editor of Devex, where she leads a global team of journalists, event producers, and communications and marketing professionals to drive conversations around the most pressing and urgent issues of our time, including climate, global health, food security, philanthropy, humanitarian crises, and foreign aid funding. Through live journalism — via in-person and virtual events — along with insider news, analysis, podcasts, content series, and special reports, Kate and her team ensure the most important ideas, voices, and debates reach an influencer audience to drive impact and make progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
