International Development: The Road to the Top

International Development remains one of the most desirable sub-sectors of the charity world to work in, and volunteering and internship opportunities are highly sought after as a route into the NGO world.  But once you are in the NGO environment, with some experience under your belt, how do you move up the career ladder?

Simply gaining more experience in your existing role's specialism will not guarantee you keep progressing. Rob Hayter, Associate Director of TPP Not for Profit, examines how you can build the right skills and experience to move up the ladder towards becoming CEO.

Step 1: Plan your career goal

Not for profit organisations have been hard hit by the economic downturn over the last 12 to 18 months, and widespread redundancies have left many in the third sector concentrating on holding onto the job they have, rather than thinking about their next career move. But as the economy starts to recover from recession, it could be an ideal time to start planning for your ultimate career goals.  After all, once you know where you're going, it is much easier to work out how to get there.

Typically, CEOs of international development organisations will have a strong programmatic background and will often have moved up the ladder in a medium or large organisation, before finally progressing to a senior leadership role in a smaller organisation.  Is this your most likely career path? If you are not following this traditional route, or are not in a programme role, it is important to understand that you will need extra skills or experiences to help sell yourself and to give you an edge when applying for senior roles.

It is also sensible to seriously consider whether the CEO role is really for you. CEOs are the public face of a charity, and often involved in raising the organisation's profile and fundraising, as well as running the charity.  In smaller NGOs, a CEO often needs to personally oversee many different operational areas and wear many hats, while in larger organisations they can feel remote and detached from their original area of expertise.  If you feel that you would prefer to be more involved in a single area of an organisation, it may be that a position on the Senior Management Team would suit you better.

Step 2: Diversification is key

Increased competition for funds, shrunken funding pools, and tougher reporting requirements means Trustees have begun to look for CEOs with income generation and PR/communications experience. Ideally this will be enhanced by programmatic experience or specialist knowledge, but is not always essential.  This is having an effect on the traditional international development career path; forcing would-be-CEOs to diversify and develop new skills.

M&E techniques have developed hugely, but it is more and more important to be able to communicate impact to stakeholders with differing levels of understanding and knowledge. This is an essential requirement for corporate/major donor/trust and foundation funding, as donors require accountability and transparency before trusting their funds to an organisation.  Many organisations feel that a CEO with first-hand knowledge of the fundraising process will give them an edge.

Not for profit organisations are also looking to diversify into new income streams to supplement restricted statutory/institutional funds, meaning that experience from areas such as sales and marketing, microfinance, social enterprise, trading, and other fundraising streams such as major gifts and corporate partnerships is increasingly valuable for potential CEOs.

So broadly, if you are currently working in programmes, you should work on gaining experience of income generation outside of institutions, trusts and foundations.  Learning how best to communicate your organisation's achievements in the field is also an extremely useful skill for senior managers which you can start learning now.

If you work in a non-programme role, try to visit operations on the ground, meet beneficiaries and really gain an understanding of  how the whole process works. As well as building experience for your future career, it is also extremely useful to be able to present donors with real examples and case studies of the difference their organisation is making.

Breadth of experience and adaptability has always been a key requirement of a good CEO, but it is particularly important right now. With the recruitment market broadly in favour of the hirer, you really need to be able to tick all of the boxes on the person specification, and demonstrate real diversity of experience.

Step 3: Build your specialist knowledge

Although broadening your areas of expertise will give you an advantage, to truly stand out from other candidates, it is important to also demonstrate specialist knowledge of your field.  Hirers will expect you to be passionate about the issues their organisation deals with, up to date with their current projects and initiatives, and have more than just a coffee table understanding of their aims and objectives.

Is the area your current organisation works in, be it Human Rights, Global Poverty or the Environment, something that you feel strongly enough about to dedicate the rest of your career towards?  If not, it may be a good time to consider moving to an NGO with a mission more closely linked to your own values.

To progress to senior management, it is highly desirable that you have some overseas experience, whether paid or as a volunteer. You must be committed to the geographical area that the charity works in, be aware of cultural differences and be highly attracted to the travel element linked to INGO work.

How TPP can help

TPP Not for Profit specialises in recruiting for the third sector and has 15 years of experience in placing interim, contract and permanent candidates in a large variety of roles.

The TPP Senior Appointments Team are dedicated specialists in executive recruitment.  We have a track record of both national and international success in recruiting senior personnel to international development organisations, across all disciplines from fundraising to programmes.  We have an in-depth understanding of how trends in international development affect recruitment. 

You can contact TPP Senior Appointments on 020 7198 6060 or executive@tpp.co.uk and we'll be able to advise you on the best way to reach your career goals.  There's also a wealth of advice on applying and interviewing for jobs on our website: www.tpp.co.uk.