The need for development graduates around the world creates a unique challenge for professionals like you. Graduates who have studied theories of economic development and methods of agriculture, manufacturing and governance lack the experience to know where to work after graduation. The few international experiences of students in the United Kingdom only provide a limited view of the world. In order to succeed in a development graduate job, you will need to test your personal and professional boundaries.
An overlooked area of development is working with governments and private agencies to deal with development in your own backyard. Communities throughout the United Kingdom deal with issues of job training, unemployment and poverty in a way that is compatible to your educational experiences. A position as a development assistant with a local firm for a few years can help you become conversant in professional language while learning about the global job market for development graduates.
Your interest in development will naturally take your thoughts overseas. There are billions around the world in need of assistance ranging from basic knowledge about irrigation to a comprehensive understanding of government budgeting. The most critical aspect about finding development graduate jobs in Africa, Asia and other parts of the world is working with a trusted organization. Your best bet for gaining insight into the daily work of development assistants overseas is the Internet. A search of the organization’s name will give you positive and negative testimonials about security details, salary and the type of work done through the company.
It is important to stay informed on development issues throughout your career to stay ahead of an increasing number of graduates interested in development jobs. Weekend seminars at your local university can help you stay focussed on the larger debates within development including funding sources, pedagogy and language skills. There are a number of academic and commercial journals that speak about development issues on a monthly basis. Your use of websites to find development opportunities and organizations rising to meet the demand for economic assistance will help round out your informal education. Your network of former employers, friends and colleagues is critical to keeping one part of your mind focussed on development news. A good rule of thumb when searching for development graduate jobs is to exhaust your resources before you proceed to the next opportunity.
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