Earlier this week, at Positive Change — an international development careers conference held at London School of Economics and Political Science — guest speaker Lucy Stoner, a HR director from CARE International, revealed that she recently received 600 applicants for one job at the aid agency.
It's certainly a figure that puts international development in the running for most competitive sector — consumer goods only managed a meagre-in-comparison average of 268.4 applicants per place in the High Fliers Research's Graduate Market in 2010 survey.
Talks at the conference also explored the different corners of the sector; human rights, campaigning roles, working with disaster relief and health provision in extreme situations, and how the skills required for all these sectors vary.
So, if you want to learn more about the range of roles in the sector and what skills each of them need, we are going to continue these debates — and many others including how essential is volunteering experience — with a panel of guest speakers who appeared at the conference.
So, to find out more about your career options in international development and what it will take to bag one of those roles for yourself, join our live Q&A and post a question for our expert panel.
Introducing, the panel:
Kevin Cusack, director, World Service Enquiry. Kevin is the author of Volunteer for Development and the editor of Working in Development (printed by World Service Enquiry). At WSE he manages and provides information and advice to people who want to work or volunteer in international development.
Lucy Stoner, HR director, CARE International. Lucy's role spans both organizational strategy and development and HR management including recruitment, staff development and talent management.
Julia Lalla-Maharajh, returned volunteer, VSO. Julia spent 15 years in the private and not-for-profit sectors specialising in corporate communications. She then volunteered with VSO as an advocacy adviser on education projects in Cambodia and in Ethiopia. Julia is currently head of communications for the Medicines Transparency Alliance, which works with Department for International Development, the World Bank and the World Health Organisation.
Stephanie Johnston, education and communications manager, Article 25. Stephanie has worked on the participatory aspects of Article 25's planning services on projects in Lesotho, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea and recently Haiti.
Ben Paine, development director, Medair UK— an affiliate of the international emergency relief and rehabilitation charity bringing life-saving health care, water, sanitation, food, shelter and much more to the most vulnerable people across Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Danielle Powell, international manager for Restless Developments International. Restless Development has more than 20 years experience of international volunteering, sustainable development, advocacy and implementation of peer based development education.
Jenny Ricks, head of campaigns, ActionAid UK. Jenny has worked in international development campaigning for the past nine years on a variety of global justice issues and has extensive experience of big coalition campaigns such as Make Poverty History and trade justice.
David Lale, founder, People Unlimited — one of the first recruitment businesses operating exclusively with non profits. David also launched forum3 —a career and volunteering event for the non profit sector.
Katherine Tubb, director, 2Way Development. Katherine set up 2Way Development in 2003 and has placed more than 200 individuals to volunteer with NGOs tackling issues of poverty worldwide.
This discussion is now open for advance questions and comments.
