International Development job description

Description - Skills - Education - Trends

International development workers work in a diverse sector providing help to developing countries and communities around the world. The approach used is to find long-term solutions to different problems and work with communities in order to meet these objectives. This role covers many fields including, environmental issues, education, health, agriculture, human rights and many more
There are many different roles within international development including: administration, fundraising, teaching, health, engineering and project management. Expertise in these fields plus an understanding of the issues connected to international development is essential to finding work in this sector
Many people find paid work in this area by volunteering for different NGOs and developing specialist skills. Organisations such as VSO are very good at matching NGOs needs with the skills of the volunteer
Other skills necessary are excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to work in an often challenging environment with enthusiasm and a good understanding of the organisation’s objectives.

Description

International Development sector is a wide business area that is difficult to describe due to its broad approach. It includes different subsectors such as healthcare, education, economics, foreign aid, environment, poverty reduction, human rights, among others. People working on this area have a job in overseas government departments, international consultancy, NGO´s, and commercial operations.

People working on International Development usually perform many of the following tasks:
• Helping people in need.
• Creating reports.
• Teaming up with other professionals.
• Advising people.
• Doing administrative duties.

Skills

• Having leadership skills.
• Being flexible and proactive.
• Having interpersonal skills.
• Having knowledge about the importance of volunteers in companies.
• Being able to work with a team.
• Being patient.
• Having problem solving abilities.
• Being able to motivate others.
• Having IT skills.
• Being able to work with limited resources.

Education

International Development is a wide area, so academic qualifications vary according to specific job placements. Among relevant degrees for this sector are public health, water engineering, agricultural economics, logistics, nutrition, governance, environmental technology, among many others.

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