Working for ICRC: Insider tips on landing a role

BARCELONA — The International Committee of the Red Cross is undergoing a digital transformation that requires bringing new skill sets to the team. This is creating opportunities for professionals from other sectors, such as business and information technology, to find roles with the organization, in addition to seasoned humanitarians or development professionals who can demonstrate adaptability and negotiation skills. But anyone applying to work for ICRC should have a strong understanding of the contexts where it operates and the challenges that come with this, said Audrey Forest Fonteneau, head of ICRC’s recruitment operations. She advised interested candidates to attend virtual career fairs and do their research. Devex spoke to Fonteneau and her colleague Yana Makaveeva, ICRC manager of talent acquisition, about career opportunities with the organization and how candidates can make their resume stand out. Whereas many organizations use technology to screen applications in the first instance, making it crucial to include keywords, recruiters at ICRC screen every application manually. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. What technical and soft skills are most in-demand for a career with ICRC? Fonteneau: One new skill we are looking for is digital skills because we're going through a digital transformation. In the field or at the headquarters level, we are all now looking to work with new tools and digital tools so this is one of the new technical skills [we’re looking for]. Another one ... is project management because we are more and more working in project mode. In terms of soft skills, in addition to motivation, which is always important for the ICRC and one of the top things we assess, I would say it's always flexibility and listening skills. Makaveeva: As the humanitarian landscape is changing, and now in 2020, the needs are more and more present and we have COVID [COVID-19] on top of everything else, [we are] also [looking] for people and profiles who thrive in the midst of all that constant change. So this is something that, regardless of what level in ICRC you work, you're faced with all the time. What are some of the most common mistakes that you see candidates making when it comes to CVs or job applications? Makaveeva: A lot of people don't even upload a cover letter but motivation is one of the first things we assess and is really crucial and important [for landing a job with the organization]. We are not asking for candidates to every single time rewrite their CV but adapt it to what you're applying for. “Motivation is one of the first things we assess and is really crucial and important.” --— Yana Makaveeva, talent acquisition manager, ICRC Of course, we understand that ICRC as an organization can be quite confusing with the movement, the federation, the national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, but understand the basics of what you are applying for. Then tailor your cover letter to not only address your motivation but also if you have any gaps between the skills that we're looking for and the skills that you bring, address those. If you're missing French or you have a few years less of experience, say how are you going to catch up. Your cover letter is that opportunity to really present yourself ... I think it's key [to getting] your foot in the door at the ICRC. What advice do you have for professionals who have done a lot of consulting work and worry about any gaps they have between jobs? Fonteneau: It comes back again to adapting your CV to the audience, to the job, to the skill sets we are looking for. Maybe the person could do a CV by skill or by competencies [rather than chronological order] and then put in the list of missions they have done. It's a matter of presentation but [what] we're really looking for is skills. Where are there opportunities for professionals who have relevant experience in other sectors to transition to a career with ICRC? Makaveeva: Apart from our humanitarian operations in the field, we do have a huge support system and structure that supports those operations. … And we are very, very open to getting that expertise from outside [the humanitarian sector]. Of course, it's always beneficial if you have the humanitarian development and field experience but, for example, when it comes to the digital transformation that we are going through, we rely on talent from outside. ... [Candidates should apply] where their skills match and if there is something that they're lacking then really address it and say how they're going to close that gap. It’s also about being really open to understanding the field operations and the reality of the context that ICRC operates in and not just bringing a [particular] expertise but applying it to our context. How can those candidates make up for their lack of field experience? Makaveeva: If we pick, for example, IT … in HQ, it’s IT as in any other business but when it comes to the challenges of it in the field, that’s really, really different. One of the ways they can address this is maybe taking on a short-term volunteer mission or a short mission with a smaller organization where they can gain this short-term exposure and experience, which is also important … for having that reality check of “is this for me or not?” Of course, [this type of exposure] is not equal to having years of experience in the field but it's something to show that they know what [the reality is]. What steps can country nationals take to launch their international career? Fonteneau: At the ICRC, we offer the possibility for national staff who want to expose themselves to other contexts to have exposure missions. So professionals have to first, in their own organization, try to get this type of experience. It's also a lot about showing ... your motivation to leave your own country for some other context. Then there are still some requirements, for example, the driving license and some language skills. We ask for French and English plus another language because if you only speak Spanish, for example, then it would be difficult for you to be deployed in other contexts. We have a list of basic requirements like that which guarantee that if you enter the pool of expatriates, then you will have at least two or three missions. But it's always easier to get this type of experience in the organization you're already working for than by applying to others.