Getting into development

Now moved to http://www.careers.lon.ac.uk/blog/development/

jefffromclapham — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:42:40 +0000

The dark powers that lie behind this blog have moved it to a different address. I think there is a big strategic game going on around it but all new articles will now be appearing here

http://www.careers.lon.ac.uk/blog/development/

All the old ones as well so do change your bookmarks. See you over at the new swanky site.

best

Jeff Riley

Creating an international development event

jefffromclapham — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 21:00:30 +0000

I was at an event last weekend and one of the participants stood up and said his job involved getting well paid for doing something that made violence fun – and he hated it. It made me realise what a privilege it is creating the ‘Getting into International Development’ event which is happening on March 10th (details at www.careers.lon.ac.uk/dev). Putting together organisations that are making a clear difference where the pain is greatest with people who are prepared to do what it takes to join them is a great game to play. So for the last few weeks my colleagues and I in The Careers Group, University of London have been planning the day and enrolling NGOs, development professionals and others from the sector. Our intention is provide information, inspiration, practical advice and tangible opportunities.

Professor Richard Sanders from the University of Northampton phoned me today and said he had found some funding which they are going to use to bring down a coach load of their students to the event – maybe other students will get inspired and persuade their colleges to do the same? This is exactly what Naomi Alesworth, a current King’s student, did when she was on the development degree at Northampton a couple of years ago. I contacted Naomi today and I was delighted when she said she was going to join one of our panels of speakers. Naomi is going to be talking about her experiences of interning with the UNDP and how she lined up her job for when she completes her Masters. I spent another part of the day talking to the World Development Movement (WDM) about the campaigning and advocacy workshop they will be running for us. The workshops are designed to give participants a tangible flavour of what it’s like to work in different parts of the sector. WDM are experts in campaigning – recent successes include the creation of a green investment bank, the shelving of a new coal power station and continuing successes against water privatisation in Africa. Join us on the day for these and many other events.

to help us deliver what

Interning with The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies

jefffromclapham — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:10:44 +0000

Florian Lipowski came to King’s College London from Germany for an MA in International Conflict Studies. When he came back for his graduation ceremony in 2011 he talked to us about how he organised his internship at the Hague Centre for Strategic Studies while completing his studies. (http://www.hcss.nl/en/about/145/Work-with-us.html). Jeff Riley, January 2011

When did you do your internship? Well I went back to Germany to complete my dissertation and it was towards the end of that, in September 2010, when I was able to start an internship in the Netherlands. Actually I am still there for another two months or so.

How did you find out about it? Well now that I know how well known it is I’m a little embarrassed that I hadn’t come across it before it came up in a general web search. They recruit interns fairly regularly and one of the intakes fitted in with my timetable for completing my masters. Since then I have also found out that lots of students across Europe do know about it and rumor has it that they get about 20 applications a day for their paid internships.

What does the organisation do? It provides support and advice in areas affecting international and national defence and security with an emphasis on long term forecasting. It works closely with the Dutch Foreign and Defence Ministries and has an income from selling its reports and analysts’ work to a range of clients. Some issues that I’m currently working on concern resource scarcity, or the Beijing consensus and its implications for liberal democracy and capitalism. Typically HCSS tries to look 15-20 years ahead but some reports will give a more immediate perspective. Recently, for example, on the increasing importance of the Chinese military and its role in the ambitions of China on the world stage. Finally I should say there are around 30 staff but with the permanent affiliations with Dutch institutions there are always more people than that around.

Was the internship hard to get? I heard that they do get more than 100 applications for each post. Interns typically are often Dutch but the most recent intake comprises a majority of other nationalities. Very few from the UK, I have to say, though over half the analysts are King’s alumni.

Is there any reason why British students couldn’t apply? None at all. For example the language in the office and the reports are all in English. My current boss is from Palestine and he has no Dutch at all. Dutch nationals have lots of English language skills – I’ve even talked to some homeless people in English!

Things like accommodation are easily sorted. I sorted my own accommodation via an expats web site. Its decent quality – all IKEA but fine, including a big flat screen tv. It costs 675 euros, utilities included, but there are cheaper places. My allowance of 700 euros from HCSS means I need to use other resources. There are cheaper options though. One girl I know is sharing a lovely typical Dutch place with a couple of others and she is paying just over 325 euros including all bills. That means you can survive and even go to a club once a week on the allowance. I wouldn’t advise trying to get another job to supplement the allowance though. It is a full time internship.

What do you do on the internship? It’s a research internship. After an initial couple of weeks finding your feet you will be assigned to a programme. I was able to change to something I was more interested in after I was assigned to something. The analysts you negotiate with about this are fine with that and, in fact you are encouraged to voice your opinion and say what you want to work on. In any case typically you would have not just your main research project but also a subsidiary one so that introduces an element of flexibility. Projects vary from for example the

‘Pillars of Power’ initiative which explores how we can best measure ‘power’ in the future. It won’t just be a case of counting military ships and hardware but include other aspects of a society. This is an ongoing project.
World Foresight Forum – A project concluding in April 2011 for which HCSS is a partner. This seeks to develop future roadmaps around global challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, demographic shifts and the global financial crisis – all things which may affect prosperity and safety.
Other topics included things like economic warfare, Beijing consensus and nuclear proliferation and tools of economic statecraft. This latter, for example is essentially a literature review with a mapping of what consensus and disagreements exist about how states will deal with each other in the future. For me this project had rather too much emphasis on analysing what other people say and not enough opportunity to express my own ideas.

What are you getting out of it? Well I’ve learned a lot about the importance of economics for example and have a good understanding the growing weight of China. You have to read so much and learn about topics that weren’t necessarily in the academic curriculum. The standard of work we have to produce is quite academic and not that different from university Masters level essays but do involve a more continental style ‘overview’ approach than arguing your own specific standpoint.

You are also working around highly qualified and high profile people. Often with PhD’s, or a number of Masters qualifications. Also people from other sectors such as engineering and telecommunications, not just international relations.

I’ve enjoyed being in The Hague as well. It isn’t the most exciting city in the world for sure but it’s a nice town and I’ve enjoyed making some new friends and colleagues.

I haven’t especially been using the internship to sound out potential jobs – I think my vocation lies elsewhere in a more practical and less desk based sphere. I know my fellow interns though have been excited about the networking opportunities the internship provides. My experience will provide evidence of things like multi tasking, teamworking, organisational skills and working to tight deadlines. It proves that you are considered worth some remuneration – 700 euros a month isn’t nothing.

Getting into International Development

jefffromclapham — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 21:45:11 +0000

Each year we organize our ‘Getting into International Development’ event. It’s held at the University of London. This year it’s taking place on March 10^th – and we’re getting excited about it for a number of reasons.

Firstly we have some fantastic workshops planned. These are going to be delivered by professionals in the sector – such as RedR, IDL and World Development Movement. They are designed to give you a tangible experience of what it’s like to work in different areas – humanitarian relief, development consultancy, advocacy and campaigning and fundraising.
Secondly we have panels of speakers to outline the different roles and routes in the sector. Again some top organizations from the sector will be represented. Many of them will be outlining great opportunities they have for entry level applicants. We’re building in plenty of time for our participants to meet speakers more informally.
Thirdly, the central part of the day will comprise an ngo and education fair where you can meet even more organizations who have opportunities available in different parts from international development sector.
Finally the whole day will be sandwiched by a keynote presentation from the Global Poverty Project and wrapped up by some practical tips from our friends at Action Against Hunger and World Service Enquiry. In between times we’re going to give you the chance to get your CV checked and get your questions about entry to the sector answered.

We aim to inspire and inform. Get your place booked at www.careers.lon.ac.uk/dev

EU Careers Month

jefffromclapham — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:05:25 +0000

A Foreign Office initiative called EU Careers Month coincides perfectly with our careers event at King’s College London called, ‘Careers in the EU institutions’. Our event will be happening on Monday 28^th February 17.30 to 19.00 hours in The Great Hall. No need to book, just turn up – though you will need to be a King’s student or alumnus.

The event will be hosted by the EU careers ambassador from King’s College, James McIlwraith. This is a grand sounding title but James has been tasked by the European personnel selection office to raise awareness of European opportunities amongst King’s students. James will be joined by the Head of the European Fast Stream, Margaret Prythergch, as well EU representatives in the UK. The event will cover careers in the EU institutions, internships, careers for linguists, the European FastStream, application tips and a chance to meet some recent recruits.

Meanwhile The Foreign Office’s EU Careers Month is to be launched on Monday 7 February. As part of their campaign they have produced a website containing all you need to know about a career in the EU. The site will contain helpful information for students, including ‘day in the life of’ films, case studies, top tips, competitions and the opportunity to ask for expert advice. Please note the link only goes live on 00:01 hours on the 7 February. www.telegraph.co.uk/eucareers

Working for Control Risks

jefffromclapham — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 11:40:34 +0000

We recently spoke to one of our alumni from King’s College London who graduated with a Masters in Imperial and Commonwealth History from King’s. Less than a month later he started work with Control Risks – one of the biggest political risk outfits with offices in 35 countries. He came back to talk to our new intake to talk about his work but prefers to remain anonymous.

What do Control Risks do? It’s a UK-based risk consultancy that covers a whole range of things for different clients. We are involved with everything from corporate investigations, political and security analysis, security consulting in-country, kidnap-and-ransom advice, and so on. In short, helping our clients succeed in complex environments.

What is your role? I’m an editor. I do everything from compiling regional summaries to simple spelling and grammar checks to more in-depth criticism of the analysts’ reports; essentially ensuring that the written reports from our in-house analysts are solidly based and well written. While our in-house analysts know their stuff they may sometimes have errors creep in,

What helped you get the job? Well, I had a reasonable amount of internship experience and previous work, with a think-tank as an editorial assistant, for example, and with publications in India. I’d also built up some regional knowledge both of India and also several other countries through working on a business magazine there. I was also interviewed twice after sending in a CV and covering letter and I also had to do a 90 minute test editing some sample reports

How does the work differ from the analysts you mentioned? I work with the analysts to produce the reports – they do the bulk of the research and writing. They build up a lot of expertise on specific countries and regions – though we do have a small number of people who focus on global issues such as piracy and financial regulation. They’ll also do client presentations and speak to journalists and so on. Interviews are intensive – you can be interviewed by five people and will often have to give a sample presentation to a client, say a mining company.

What skills do they need? Regional experience and preferably work experience in one or more of the countries you’d be analysing. Languages are obviously useful, as is any knowledge or experience working in the areas that Control Risks tends to deal with most often – oil and gas, mining, insurance and shipping, for example, as well as political knowledge. Contacts in the given countries are also a massive plus. The material we produce is specifically designed for companies, so it might be useful to be able to demonstrate that you can write in a style that’s more suited to business or journalism than just a university context.

What would an analyst’s typical day look like? Most days would start with a review of newspapers – including our database that gives us access to lots of local newspapers. Fairly early on in the day a headline for a particular update on a given topic has to be sent to the editor. This update involves writing a 500-word briefing on an aspect of the specific project the analyst is working on. This is ‘predictive’ in tone: not just what happened, but what it means for the future. We also do longer 3- analysis papers dealing with longer-term scenarios, produce bespoke reports on particular areas or projects, and respond on a daily basis to client requests. There are occasional opportunities for analysts to take research trips to their countries of focus.

How easy is it to transfer from one region of expertise to another? Not that easy, frankly. You would have to demonstrate that you have the necessary expertise which is hard to build up when you already engaged with a region.

Do the analysts get training? They start out covering a whole region, picking up things from a range of countries and receive feedback from more senior people. They get opportunities to network and attend conferences and also get overseas trips to help with their research.

Preparing for interviews

jefffromclapham — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 10:44:47 +0000

The core of many job interviews involves an analysis of whether applicants have the right skills to succeed in the role. Recruiters can explore this in many different ways. In preparation for interviews you might find the following exercise useful.

Generate a list of skills that the role needs. These can be taken from the job specification, the advert or through talking to people with experience in the role. Typically they include skills such as teamwork, leadership and problem-solving. Even if the employer isn’t clear about what skills the role needs you still need to be.
Then consider the list of skills from a number of different angles. This exercise recommends you use at least three for each skill. These are
- ‘How do you define it? This ensures you have your own ideas about the skill and don’t just parrot back any definition the employer may provide (though obviously you will make yourself familiar with any employer perspectives). Other useful variations on this angle include ‘What does it mean to you?’ or ‘what makes someone a great teamworker?’
- ‘Why is it important?’ This ensures you understand why the role requires any specific skill. It obliges you to understand the context in which the skill is being used.
- ‘What’s the evidence you have it?’ Many application forms require you to provide examples of when you have demonstrated particular skills. In the interview be prepared to talk in more detail about them – and possibly have another example to talk about.
- Here’s an example covering analytical skills to give you an idea of how you might start generating material

“How do you define analytical skills?” The ability to sift through a range of data to detect correlations (or lack of)“Why is it important?”As a consultant I will be expected to solve problems the client can’t fix themselves. To do this I expect to be able to look at material ranging from spreadsheets to memos“What’s the evidence you have it?” On my Human Resource consultancy internship last summer I conducted an analysis of why an IT firm had a high staff turnover. This involved collating material as varied as salary levels, bonuses, office layout, emails and notes from exit interviews. Our analysis surprised the employer.

Public Policy, Private Sector

jefffromclapham — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:58:48 +0000

Deloitte are running an unusual competition about Public Policy for students http://bit.ly/4KjUmt. This prompted me to visit them to talk about the role of professional services firms in the arena of Public Policy. Like many people I had considered public policy professionals to work in layers of government, think tanks or possibly in pressure groups such as employer bodies. I met with Rebecca Birkbeck a Director and Michael McCafferty, a relatively recent graduate trainee entrant in their consultancy arm which is where Deloitte’s policy consultants work.

One of the first things they told me was that their public policy competition was partly to address this lack of awareness of their work in the sector. Before Rebecca joined us Michael said that when he joined the firm in 2009 he was one of only 8 graduates that joined the Strategy consulting team; this year Deloitte hired 24 in the same department and their overall recruitment of graduates in Consulting increased from 150 in 2009 to 250. Deloitte consulting is split into five competency areas: Strategy; Operations; Human Capital; Enterprise Application; and Technology Integration. Rebecca joined us and I asked her where the public policy consultants in Deloitte sit within the consultancy arm. Consultants working on public policy sit within the public sector strategy team. Once graduates have completed their training and obtained the professional CIMA foundation qualification, they are staffed on a variety of projects in different industries – one of which may be public policy. The clients typically are public sector – Central and local government and related areas such as Quangos. Work also comes from the private sector and the third sector. These latter are increasingly important in the current economic and political climate.

Why do your consultants have to complete CIMA and does it put off policy oriented applicants? On the contrary, Rebecca told me, the opportunity to get a solid and useful professional qualification was seen by applicants as a great platform for a consultancy career. Consultants, in any case, need the kind of skills that a qualification like CIMA provides – the ability to deal with numbers, use spreadsheets, interpret graphs and sound business knowledge. Michael McCafferty agreed – he had joined Deloitte from a History and Italian course and CIMA gave him a very relevant business qualification.

What kind of Policy work do your consultants do? This was the heart of my conversation with Rebecca and Michael. Rebecca told me that Deloitte do not develop policy. “The civil servants and politicians are the experts in that”, Rebecca said. Deloitte however, provide a range of consultancy services that enable their clients to assess, for example, the potential impact of policy choices, the viability of policy proposals and offer expertise on the implementation. Typical examples of the kind of work they might get involved with would involve assessing the impact and implications of new policy initiatives, for example congestion charging or the impact of taxation on the visitor economy in UK. In times of reduced budgets they might provide an array of alternative structures for delivering services with less resources together with projections about the likely impacts on users.

For more information about Deloitte and the Public Policy Competition, you can visit www.deloitte.co.uk/graduates See our other article on Deloitte at http://bit.ly/ikzuIj

2010 in review

jefffromclapham — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 06:13:49 +0000

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A helper monkey made this abstract painting, inspired by your stats.

About 3 million people visit the Taj Mahal every year. This blog was viewed about 31,000 times in 2010. If it were the Taj Mahal, it would take about 4 days for that many people to see it.

In 2010, there were 40 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 91 posts. There were 3 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 2mb.

The busiest day of the year was August 23rd with 315 views. The most popular post that day was International Development Consultancies (again).

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were careers.lon.ac.uk, facebook.com, apps.facebook.com, kcl.ac.uk, and twitter.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for what are analytical skills, analytical skills, jan valtin, graduate recruitment programmes 2011, and richard krebs.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

International Development Consultancies (again) August 2010
1 comment

What are analytical skills? April 2008

Traineeships in the European Commission August 2010

Where do I find a list of development consultancies? July 2010
5 comments

Getting into development – Chris Blattman’s tips July 2010
3 comments

Volunteering in Africa with Tenteleni

jefffromclapham — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:43:30 +0000

I recently met with Linn and Laura, King’s College London students, involved with Tenteleni (www.tenteleni.org/) a student run charity that organises summer teaching assistant placements helping the impact of teaching in schools. Tenteleni students contribute across a range of subjects and not just English. Their enthusiasm and different perspectives can inspire teaches as well as the pupils. Projects operate in sub-Saharan Africa including Malawi and Zambia.

The work sounds like a good way to get some initial developing country experience. The assistants work in schools in the morning and in the afternoon work as teaching assistants in other places such as orphanages, hostels and other voluntary organisations.

For those who already have some experience and want to take on more responsibility there are opportunities to act as ‘project coordinators’ taking charge of a number of volunteers. Project coordinators have to deal with the budgets, organise volunteers , liase with new projects and act as project managers.

Students can also get involved with Tenteleni groups in UK universities. Committee roles as university coordinators or regional coordinators involves recruiting volunteers, running information sessions and advising volunteers on fundraising.

Linn and Laura stressed that the Tenteleni approach is to provide skills to the developing world rather than material. Volunteers will find themselves being part of the communities they work in but they do have support from Tenteleni. Recently, for example, advising volunteers when there were some riots associated with a teacher’s strike.

Most volunteers have to fundraise to find the money to cover the fee Tenteleni charge. This varies from year to year but the most recent intake paid £850 plus flights for a 8 to 12 week placement. However, the fee does cover food and accommodation. Placements take place in the summer and there is also an autumn placement available. Applications have to be in by the end of November each year. (There is an additional application round for 24th January 2011 for Project Coordinators and 18th February for volunteers)

You can find out about other ways of getting some experience in developing countries by visiting careerstagged.co.uk and searching on international development. Notable organisations include VSO, 2way development, Links4change and even Operation Raleigh (see other posts on this blog)