Interactive: Is country director experience necessary to win a country director job?

CANBERRA — The role of a country director is highly sought after in the development space. After reporting on the challenges facing female country directors, Devex was contacted by a number of women who shared obstacles they faced getting a foot in the door — and by others inspired to take a leap and throw their hat into the ring. Many asked whether it is necessary to have already worked in a country director capacity — with women saying they were commonly seeing only those with experience getting the job. To assist in answering the question, Devex has analyzed the top-listed 1,000 country director profiles among nonprofit organizations on LinkedIn to determine what experience better enables success — and developed an interactive to delve into the insights further. Do you need country director experience? Of the 1,000 LinkedIn profiles analyzed, 705 contained enough detail to determine employment history. For 59 percent of those, country director experience of some kind was something they brought to the job. Acting and deputy country director roles were considered as part of this analysis, with these serving as opportunities for candidates to demonstrate their capability before officially moving into the top job. This also means that 41 percent did not have country director experience. While such experience does seem preferable, it is certainly not mandatory. The gender breakdown Is the experience required different between men and women? This was another question we sought to answer. Gender could not be determined for only 66 profiles. For the rest, the numbers were in favor of men — 63 percent of country director profiles were male compared to 37 percent women. If country director experience is preferred for the role, this immediately poses a challenge for women. Indeed, 64 percent of male country directors are likely to have previous country director experience. But not so for women: Among current country directors, only half served in the position previously. Regionally, there is no area where women are more likely to be country director. Among developing regions, Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest percentage of female country directors (47 percent) followed by Southern Africa (40 percent). Western Europe had the lowest percentage of female country directors — just 25 percent of profiles from the region. Understanding country director experience The level of experience in country director roles varies dramatically. Some have 30 years or more experience in the role, working for a variety of organizations and in different regions. This level of experience is commonly seen in male profiles and was rare in the profiles analyzed, suggesting country director professionals are now a thing of the past. It is more common that directors now have experience of up to two years within a previous role — and not necessarily the role directly prior to their current position. Deputy and acting roles of up to two years also appear to be an important step up into the country director role. Past positions within development, private sector experience, or other technical experience appears to have enhanced their ability to succeed in the job. Non-country director experience For women especially, the resumes of those without country director experience easily demonstrated that their past work history brings everything they need to a country director role. This includes in-country experience, people skills, financial management, development expertise, and work across different sectors. Private sector CEOs, high-level government development positions, high-level roles with the United Nations, medical and research expertise, or even practical experience as teachers were among the past work history contained in these profiles. There were also others who have worked up the ranks in their office, with the on-the-ground experience necessary to succeed in the job. For men without country director experience, work history was equally impressive. They were more likely to have previously been in high-profile, private sector position, but the male profiles analyzed were also more likely to see them giving themselves the country director role as part of the creation of a new NGO. Improving your chances The analysis conducted by Devex was certainly not exhaustive. But it highlights the changing trends in the experience needed for country director roles. While past experience certainly helps, it is not necessary. Where opportunities arise to take on acting or deputy roles, however, jump at these — they do help. Demonstrating through your work history that you have the skills required is also important. And being able to clearly articulate this in your resume will help to succeed. The gender balance in country director roles skews toward men. In order to achieve a better gender balance, women should apply for these positions and demonstrate the confidence in what they have achieved from their past experience. It is also important to learn from others — analyzing profiles on LinkedIn and other CV services to see what experience other country directors have had. Seek them out for feedback. And above all, don’t question whether you are right for the role. If all else fails, you can always create your own NGO and give yourself the country director title. How can we bridge the gap between commitment and action to advance women’s leadership in development? #GlobalDevWomen Leadership Weeks explores tips for professionals and organizations on how to reach gender parity through advice articles, op-eds from industry leaders, online events, and a virtual career fair for mid-senior level women professionals.