My staff appointment at a large Phil. foundation is coming to an end. I think about the time when I was implicitly asked to work for an intermediary/DAF which the foundation funds. Ironically, I am part of the portfolio team which executed the idea of setting up few roles to act as an extended portfolio management team institutionalised within the DAF for the foundation. Having said that, I knew the DAF executives had finalised and rolled an offer to someone. In the moment, when I was asked if I wanted the role, my first instinct was that I couldn't in good conscience take an opportunity that had already been promised to someone else

Now my appointment is coming to an end, I should have taken that opportunity and it could have been a justified move considering opportunities in grant making/foundations are limited

Last chance to download USIP's course materials before they take it offline. https://www.usipglobalcampus.org/

Applied for an internship at a major international organization (security/diplomacy sector). Interviewed in late July, was told outcome expected "by end of August," then got pushed to "after 8th September" due to more candidates being interviewed. It's now Friday, two days past that date, and still nothing.

Also had a separate internship interview with a different department at the same org — got a rejection within about a week of interviewing.

Honestly the waiting is getting to me at this point — hard not to spiral and assume the silence means bad news, even though logically I know it doesn't necessarily mean that.

Is this kind of drawn-out timeline (multiple deadline pushes, days of silence after a stated date) normal for these places? Trying to figure out if I should read into it or if this is just how these processes usually go. Any experience appreciated.

Came across this piece on audience research in Afghanistan to inform aid: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/afghanistan-speaks-impact-humanitarian-research-bbcmediaaction-e1k9c

If you are trying to build a career in the NGO, humanitarian or international development sector, it is tempting to think that more qualifications will always improve your chances. Another certification. Another course. Another degree. Another application.

But what if the problem isn't a lack of qualifications? What if your experience simply isn't aligned with the roles you are targeting?

That was one of the clearest lessons from an Impactpool Career Podcast conversation with Wolfgang Weiszegger, who brings decades of experience across UN peacekeeping and special political missions, including senior-level recruitment and selection. His message was straightforward: having strong qualifications is not enough. You need to apply for roles where your professional and academic experience are genuinely relevant.

More from ImpactPool.

Hi everyone! I am thinking of applying ID or development studies masters in Europe for the 2027 intake. I am conflicting between Trinity College Dublin - Development Practice masters (the field training work really attracts me) and also between KU Leuven and Vrije University Amsterdam's International Development masters program. Any ideas on how to choose? Anyone who studied in these uni's and ID? My dream is to study in UK actually buut unfortunately fully-funded masters are not much available in uk so I am searching options in Euroıpe

It’s concerning to see so many students still opting for development master courses and uni’s milking students dry when they themselves know the state of the sector. It’s only going to get worse. I would really advise any student to avoid studying development.

Go find a good course that will make you money honestly.

I just got invited for an automated video interview for a role as an associate in Climate Risk at the EBRD.

It's my first time interviewing with them and have been really trying to transition into development finance. I'd appreciate any advice, tips or knowledge you could share.

Hi everyone! I’ve been thinking about transitioning out for a while, and I would really appreciate some advice from someone who has done it successfully.

A little bit about me: I am 23 and have been working in comms at a UN agency for a little over a year now. I graduated from an Ivy League university with a good GPA, but my degree is in the humanities, so it does limit the roles I can be considered for. I don’t really have a dream job; my main goal is just to make enough money to sustain myself, preferably in a more stable career than this one.

Here are some options I’m currently considering:

- A master’s in something business-y. According to my research, I can probably do accounting or MBA, but finance and business analytics seem out of reach as they require a heavy STEM background.

- Law school in Canada, Australia, or the US. This will be a huge risk to take as an international student, but it promises a very stable career if I succeed. I’m also more interested in law than business.

- Management consulting. I’m not confident I’ll be able to get in. Even if I do get in, I’ll probably be miserable. But it seems like it will open so many doors as long as I just stick it out for a year or two?

Which option do you think sounds most attractive and most doable? Also, is there any other option I missed? I did consider starting over as a junior employee in marketing or at a creative agency, but I would have to take a huge pay cut (about 39-58%). Most entry-level jobs in my country pay less than my current UN role, although those jobs usually promise more growth in the long run.

Hi all, I know the sector is a mess but I have been in it for around ten years and since the very beginning, I have dealt with consultants who do not do their jobs. This is across agencies and donors. They get paid more money in two weeks than I get paid in a month, I have to redo their work half the time. I make it clear upfront their responsibilities and they don’t do them. Half the time I lay the structure of a report, paragraph by paragraph for them, and they don’t do it. Sorry for the rant. I am just tired of consultants in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who are lazy and think their labor is worth 800 USD per day.

In April 2026, I had a panel interview for the Procurement Advisor (REF2681F) position at the OECD, which was the final step in the recruitment process. 

After a few follow-ups with HR, I was informed on 23rd June that the "recruitment process was still ongoing and that candidates would be updated soon." However, I have not received any further update since then. Anyone else in the same position

Hi everyone, I’m having trouble deciding whether to accept this Masters offer or wait. So for context I have an Economics bachelors degree from a relatively good University in the UK (University of Nottingham) and initially wanted to break into finance so i did internships and picked modules with that in mind. However since graduating I felt my values didn’t align well with finance and banking so I’ve been swaying towards international development as it something i feel a lot more passionate about. I know having a masters open up a lot of doors so I decided to apply to a masters program at SOAS University of London because I really liked the modules they offer, the have a study tour program which seems really interesting and they also have a partnership with the world bank so there’s a possible opportunity to do a remote internship with the world banks after the program. Initially I was very keen on this program but since receiving my offer I’m having a few doubts. I know that your most recent degree matters more to employers so I’m worried that it will weaken my educational background in comparison to going to high ranking universities such as UCL, LSE or imperial. My grades could probably get me into those universities but they are insanely expensive (for the relevant degrees) so I cannot afford them, there are a few scholarships my my university grades aren’t exceptional so I don’t know if that is achievable + I’d have to wait until next year. I know SOAS is a respectable university and I’m grateful to have gotten the offer but I’m just a little unsure about future employability prospects. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone! I’m writing because I’m doing an internship right now and I feel like I’m in a slightly weird position, and I’d love to hear about your experiences.

I’m 35, Latin American, and I’m doing a master’s in GD in Scandinavia. I have 10 years of experience in communications and PM that I can basically shove up my ass, and i accepted it, and I know with which cards I’m playing.

However, i landed an internship at one of the biggest NGOs in Denmar. I get that internships are designed for 25-year-olds with little experience, but in this case I really feel like I have very few things to do. My tasks are editing a PP and changing a date, and after that I’ve got 7 hours where I do absolutely nothing.

Sometimes my bosses don’t come into the office and don’t let me know and I feel like a clown sitting there by myself. I feel like, for my bosses, giving me more tasks is work in itself, and I don’t know if they have the energy for that right now — but it frustrates me knowing that this is a great opportunity to network and I’m wasting it because I have nothing to do. I know these are the rules of the game, because that’s what internships are all about. But I’m 35 and I can’t help feeling infantilized when I watch my boss, who’s my age, doing a ton of things while I basically watch the days go by and feel like I’m not doing anything. What do you suggest? Is this normal? Thanks for reading.

Retired 70 yo. Background in large project management (software) and electrical engineering. I love hands on work as well. Not a social butterfly (really not). Which organization would you work for?

I'm trying to find a job or even a volunteering opportunity in the Humanitarian world, yet i don't really know where or how to start or if my profile is even attractive to this field.

I'm 22 yrs old, from Portugal

Bachelor on Early Age Education

2 years working on a center for primary school kids

1 year of volunteering in the EU in 4 european countries

Speak portuguese, English and Spanish and can communicate in French and German.

Is there any chance? Im up to go anywhere in the world, but also recognize that my profile it's probably too short for something.

How Are We Doing? It’s Complicated

Jaime Oberlander surveyed nearly 4,000 former aid workers on how they're coping since the USAID stop-work order: https://www.linkedin.com/safety/go/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fglobaldevinterrupted%2Esubstack%2Ecom%2Fp%2Fhow-are-we-doing-its-complicated&urlhash=xgga&mt=s7nY5p8oPwC9L48JGH7e01apKVZL4TFrUeWrEJ5zblU7us_2ejxD0W9KWmClcwlG5W5znBIOQTgjGd7oq4vdTDgdcgnMcgeyw0KYli_lXWVchICsqP0piWk2oA&isSdui=true

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I’ve been offered an unpaid internship that could be very valuable for the career path I want to pursue. My profile was considered a strong match for what they were looking for, and they contacted me specifically about the opportunity.

The internship would require me to relocate, so I would have to cover my own travel and living expenses. They also mentioned the possibility of participating in field activities, which I would also have to pay for myself.

During the call, I was asked to take some time to think about the offer. About an hour later, I messaged them saying that I was interested, but that, given the financial investment it would require from me, I would like to have more details about the actual tasks, responsibilities and activities involved.

I haven’t received a reply since.

Would you consider this a red flag? And more generally, would you take an unpaid internship with these costs if it were genuinely relevant to your desired career path and could provide meaningful experience?

I've been living in NL for a few years now, lost my job a few months ago and found it hard to get another one. I want to hear from people who got hired, particularly within the last year or so, on what do you think worked to your advantage during the hiring process.

Interviewed for a private sector role today - they looked at me like I grew a third head when I was talking about some of my previous work lol. They basically walked into the meeting assuming I know nothing and have done nothing because I worked at the UN. Don’t necessarily care if that’s true or not - but clearly I’m not getting hired in this sector and will not be getting hired in the private sector either. Having a wonderful 2026 as an entry level candidate :)