ICT4D Career Network

It’s damn hard to get a job in international development. And if you’re geeky and want to do ICT4D – use information and communication technologies for development, it’s even harder.

Yet every year several hundred people graduate from SAIS, Georgetown, AU, GWU, Michigan State, etc, with international development degrees, many of them hoping to start a career in ICT4D. An equal number of professionals decide that ICT4D is their calling too. The ICT4D space is not big enough for all of them find their dream job – or any job for that matter.

So you see the problem. Now let me quantify it. For every job advertised, ICT4D employers get 100+ resumes from job seekers with pages of experience and accomplishments. And that’s the jobs not filled long before by a referral from a friend. So the odds of getting a job by responding to job ads are infinitesimally small.

It took me a lifetime of travel and geekery to prepare for two years of hard-core job hunting and over 150 informational interviews (and several bouts of self-doubt) before I found my first ICT4D job at Geekcorps.

It’s all about who you know

How might you find a dream job, or even several to choose from? All the experts and I agree: meet the prospective employer (or their colleague) long before there is a job opening, get to know them, show them your skills, and have them be thinking of you when they need help.

See, a job ad is the last thing an overworked international development expert wants to deal with. They hate the hassle of advertising the position, culling the resumes, and doing interviews. It’s like a bad game of online dating. They would much rather hire someone they already know, or someone referred to them by a colleague, than a stranger off the street.

Still, you’re thinking, “but how do I meet potential employers?” If you don’t have an ICT4D job already, you don’t know the places to meet ICT4D professionals or have a way to show your skills and potential.

Here’s you chance to know everyone

Over the last 8+ years in the ICT4D space, I’ve collected one hell of a Rolodex. Yeah, I know people. In fact, I pride myself on using that Rolodex to help those trying to break into international development. I’ll do informational interviews with anyone interested in ICT and try to connect ICT4D hopefuls with at least 3 of my colleagues.

But now I’m willing to do more. I’ve convinced several well-connected colleagues to give you an inside view of ICT4D hiring practices. We’re willing to share our time, our experience, and our Rolodexes – everyone we’ve ever met or worked with in international development. We are giving this stunning level of access to those willing to prove they are serious about an ICT4D career and are the must-have candidate for the next dream job.

The catch

You want an amazing ICT4D dream job. You want to meet the who’s who in international development. Then sign up for the ICT4D Jobs and Career Forum and prove your commitment at $5 per month. It is there that you will get to know thought leaders in ICT4D, have them answer any of your ICT employment questions, and where they will post the best job leads.

Now don’t be thinking that the $5 per month subscription fee is costly – its not. This is an investment in your ICT4D career, and a cheap one at that. If you’re not willing to invest the equivalent of a cheap lunch per month to get ahead, then go back to wasting time sending out reams of resumes and good luck to ya.

In the forum you will be cultivating contacts with the best and brightest, people I love to work with and you’d love to work for. You’ll gain priceless networking and job search skills. And you’ll shave at least a month of effort off your job search. That first paycheck will be the 1,000% ROI on your forum dues.