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    Questions for global development workers to ask in job interviews

    You're interviewing for an international development job, and the recruiter gives you the opportunity to ask a few questions. So, what should you ask?

    By Ingrid Ahlgren
    You’re interviewing for an international development job, and the recruiter gives you the opportunity to ask a few questions. So, what should you ask? As a rule of thumb, always prepare possible questions ahead of time, and try to tailor them to the specific organization. Use the questions to showcase your knowledge of the donor, consultancy or nonprofit you’re seeking to work with, and your interest in finding out more. Close this question-and-answer period by assuring the recruiter that now more than ever, you can see yourself contributing to the organization’s mission. You’ll probably only have time to ask two or three questions, but here are 20 questions worth considering: About the position - What are the daily and weekly responsibilities for this position? - Is this a new position? If not, how long has it existed, and what is the last person who held the job doing now? - Can you describe a few projects that someone in this position has worked on in the past? - How will I be evaluated, and how frequently will this take place? - How often will I be expected to travel, and how long will most trips be? - For the most part, will I be working independently or as a part of a team? About career opportunities - How much autonomy would I have in this position? What types of decisions could I make without approvals? - Are there opportunities for advancement or (for independent consultants) follow-up projects? How long does this usually take, and how does someone move up at the organization? - Does the organization offer any kinds of training programs or other educational opportunities for its staff? About the organization - What is the organization’s plan for the next five or ten years, and how does this division (or project) fit into the overall strategy? - What challenges or difficulties is the organization facing, and which of these problems can I help solve first? - While researching the organization, I found out that it recently [fill in the blank]. Could you tell me a little bit more about this? - What are the organization’s views on diversity? - How does the NGO monitor and evaluate its programs to measure results and assess impact? - How would you describe the organization’s structure? - What is your impression of the organization’s culture? - What would you change about the organization? Miscellaneous - How long have you worked here, and what makes you stay? - What is your time line for making a decision for this position? - Are there any other questions you have for me? Looking to make a career move? Visit our career center for expert advice on how to navigate your job search - all you need is a Devex Career Account to get started.

    You’re interviewing for an international development job, and the recruiter gives you the opportunity to ask a few questions. So, what should you ask?

    As a rule of thumb, always prepare possible questions ahead of time, and try to tailor them to the specific organization. Use the questions to showcase your knowledge of the donor, consultancy or nonprofit you’re seeking to work with, and your interest in finding out more. Close this question-and-answer period by assuring the recruiter that now more than ever, you can see yourself contributing to the organization’s mission.

    You’ll probably only have time to ask two or three questions, but here are 20 questions worth considering:

    This article is exclusively for Career Account members.

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    About the author

    • Ingrid Ahlgren

      Ingrid Ahlgren

      Ingrid is an independent writer and editor who has contributed to Devex and many other publications. She worked as a staff writer for Vault.com from 2007 to 2009, helping to write guidebooks, including the "Vault Guide to the Top Government and Nonprofit Employers." She was also a researcher for National Geographic Traveler magazine in Washington, D.C. Ingrid holds a master's in journalism from the University of Missouri. As the daughter of a U.S. diplomat, she grew up all over the world.

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