Career Guide

Development & Relief

Development is a complex field involving governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations, and intergovernmental agencies. Organizations address short term challenges – such as disaster relief – and work towards long-term goals – such as poverty reduction and infrastructure building. The field is undergoing a significant shift in emphasis from direct delivery of services to capacity building and collaboration with local partners. There is a growing demand for professionals to respond to these challenges in a variety of roles, including: administrators, fundraisers, program managers, business development experts, teachers, researchers, policy analysts, project managers, program monitors, and others.

Pro Tip:

Fieldwork in a developing country is important. Gain experience by teaching your native language, participating in international service trips, joining a national service corps, and interning in the field office of a development organization.

Skill Sets & Experience

  • Experience working on social issues

  • Overseas experience, particularly in the developing world

  • Foreign language proficiency

  • Cross-cultural communication skills

  • Regional expertise

  • Functional expertise in areas such as: food security, public health, grant writing, nutrition, logistics, or small business development

  • Program management

  • Quantitative analysis