Category: Career Advice

ict4d skills ict support

What Training Do I Need for Digital Development Careers?

Question: What ICT4D training do I need?

I’ve worked in ICT Support for 4 years and I am looking to gain more skills, education and experience. I want to move into ICT4D. What training can I take or what formal education programs can position me for a career in digital development?

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Ask a different question

You may want to start with asking where you want to be in 3-5 years. Once you’ve identified what you want to be doing, where you want to be working, and at what level, you can then start seeking out people who have the job you desire.

Then comes the hard part – asking for informational interviews with them to understand what their day is like, where they see the profession going, and crucially, how they got their position.

In an informational interview, you want to be learning from your interviewee, not selling them on hiring you. You want to learn what they believe are the prerequisites for your dream role.

Once you know prerequisites..

If you ask 20 people and all of them say you need a Masters Degree in artificial intelligence or a doctorate in public health, then you know what your next step is. However, they will most likely say that its a mix of education and experience that is best for promotion – not education or training alone.

Training courses

I am a big fan of TechChange courses for practical, hands-on learning of key concepts for digital development project management. However, if you need hard-core software development skills, you made want to join one of the many software development boot camps. Overall, I would look for well-known organizations that utilize facilitators that you can Google-trace to their classroom and alumni.

Experience

Since you already have a job, you can volunteer for new roles within your organization to get additional experience. Be the person who always says, “yes” to new projects that interest you, and work more and harder to succeed with those projects. This is the easiest way to get more experience.

Another way is to seek out organizations working in your desired areas and find out what their needs are. Then suggest a volunteer consultancy – that is a consulting engagement that is just as rigorous as a paid engagement, but trade exposure and connections for your time, instead of money.

Switching careers is hard

There is no way around the central problem in your question: you wan to switch careers from IT support to ICT4D. It is not impossible, but like any career switch, there will be work and pain involved, and it may take you a year or more to make the transition. However, if you really think it will make you happier with your work life, then its a worthy sacrifice.

It took me two years to make the transition from dotcoms to ICT4D and every minute of the pain (and several rounds of crying over rejections) was worth it for me. I love my work, every minute of it.

software developer age ict4d

Am I Too Old to Start a Digital Development Career?

Question: Am I too old to start a development career?

I have over a decade of experience in software development and data journalism. I am now 37 years old. Am I too old to start a career in international development?

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Development Needs Many Viewpoints

International development is like any industry, it constantly needs new viewpoints to see and develop innovation and move the industry forward. These viewpoints come at different stages – be they views from early career, mid-career, senior career, or even retired professionals.

At 37 years old with over a decade of software development and data journalism experience, you would have very relevant skills and abilities that many international development employers would highly value.

you are not too old

In fact, you could be at a great age to make the move into development. You probably have the enthusiasm to develop new ideas and the maturity to mold them into practical solutions. Check out our jobs newsletter – one could be just for you.

In the mean time, here are three ways to be relevant to digital development employers:

1. Build Strong Relationships

Networking within humanitarian relief organization. Establish good relationships with potential colleagues, managers, and key decision-makers. Participate in relevant conferences, events, and projects to increase your visibility and demonstrate your ability to work collaboratively. Having a broad network can lead to recommendations and support when internal positions arise.

2. Communicate Your Career Goals

Make your career aspirations known to people in the digital development field. Express your interest in informational interviews and seek advice on how to prepare for future opportunities. Regularly discuss your career development during conferences and events and seek feedback to improve your readiness for new roles.

3. Develop Relevant Skills

Identify the skills and qualifications needed for the digital development roles you are interested in and actively work on acquiring them. This can involve taking on specific projects, attending training sessions, or pursuing certifications. Demonstrating that you have the necessary skills will make you a more attractive candidate.

chatgpt interview practice

Where Can I Get Early Career Experience in Digital Development?

Question: Where do I get early career experience?

I’ve recently graduated with a Master’s Degree in Management Information Systems but I’m finding that many ICT4D jobs require several years of experience. Where do I job search if I’m just starting my career?

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The Classic Experience Conundrum

Entry-level international development jobs often require 3-5 years of experience, but it’s hard to get that experience when entry-level jobs demand work experience. This is true even with a Master’s Degrees.

So how does one get experience when every job demands existing experience? Volunteer.

Three Ways to Volunteer for Experience

For better or worse, you will need to volunteer to get your initial experience in international development. Volunteering doesn’t have to be unpaid work. In fact, most volunteers receive a small stipend, though nothing close to a real salary.

Whichever of these options you choose, be sure to work hard in your role and network like mad. The whole point of a volunteering role is to show the organization you’re working with (or their competitors!) that you’re an amazing catch they should hire today.

Here are three ways to volunteer for experience:

– Government Programs (Peace Corps)

The USA government runs the Peace Corps for US citizens, and multiple other countries have similar programs for their citizens. This can be an effective way to get 2-3 years of work experience that is essentially all-expenses-paid.

– Organization-Specific Programs

Many organizations have internships, fellowships, and volunteering opportunities where you can showcase your programmatic work skills and have real impact on constituents while you’re networking with potential peers and employers.

Here are three you can apply to today:

  • TechSoup connects civil society organizations with tech solutions and skills. Volunteers can help nonprofits use technology to enhance their impact, providing support in areas like software, hardware, and online services. TechSoup Volunteer Opportunities
  • NetHope collaborates with tech companies and humanitarian organizations to provide ICT solutions for crisis response and development. Volunteers can participate in projects that improve connectivity and access to technology in underserved communities. NetHope Volunteer Opportunities
  • Engineers Without Borders supports community-driven development programs worldwide by collaborating with local partners to design and implement sustainable engineering projects. Volunteers can work on ICT4D projects that enhance technology infrastructure in developing regions. Engineers Without Borders USA Volunteer Opportunities

– Choose Your Own Adventure

You don’t need to join an established program – you can create your own experience if you propose a project that will have real impact, and trade your time for exposure and connections. This can be one of the most effective ways to network your way into your specific dream job, though its the hardest of the three options.

Good luck!
Wayan

referral recommendation ict4d job

How Do I Ask for a Referral for a Digital Development Job?

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Question: How Do I Ask for a Referral?

I identified an interesting job at the same company where a friend of mine works. How can I get them to vouch for me so I can get the crucial first round interview?

HR is Overloaded with Applications

High quality job opportunities get dozens, if not hundreds of applications. As we’ve discussed previously, its hard to get past Human Resources screenings. They are looking for a very specific person, based on the criteria they are given by the hiring team, and you need to be that unicorn to get the job.

Referrals are Crucial to Get Interviews

The best ways to get past HR and secure the crucial first round interview is to be the internal candidate. Second best, is to have someone on the hiring team (or adjacent team) put in a good word for you. Their recommendation will pluck your resume out of the sea of applicants and usually get you an initial interview.

How to Ask for a Referral

Referrals are tricky, as the person referring you is putting their reputation on the line for you, so you may want to build your case with them, so they’ll be comfortable making the recommendation.

Tell them about your career aspirations. Show them how this role fits into your dreams and that you’ll succeed in the role. Make sure that they are happy to refer you, and be confident that you’ll be awesome in the role.

How to Accept a Rejection

Also, respect their response, even if they say no. They will have insights on what the hiring team wants, and it may not be you. Don’t take this personally, they just saved you from wasted effort if you’re not the right fit.

phd college degree ict4d

What is the Value of a PhD Advanced Degree in ICT4D?

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Question: What is the value of a PhD in ICT4D?

I have a bachelor’s, master’s, and ~10 years experience in digital marketing in health and education, all outside of development. I’m considering a Ph.D. in Information Systems to do research on topics related to ICT4D, but will it pay off in a digital development job?

Education Needs to be Paired with Experience

You may be surprised by the number of people who think that a degree in international development or technology-related field will magically open the door to a rewarding ICT4D career. Sadly, that rarely works.

You have to understand that your competition is someone who has:

  • 3-4 years experience in development jobs,
  • 2 years in the Peace Corps living in developing countries,
  • A masters degree in technology or development.

Key for an employer is the the full mix of employment, exposure, and education. We want to know you’re familiar with development’s issues, the realities of developing countries, and a solid education.

Get Experience Before a PhD

Before spending years and thousands of dollars on a PhD, which in your case will just make you even more expensive with less relevant experience, I would strongly suggest you get experience in the digital development ecosystem.

You should be able to leverage your digital marketing experience to work on social and behavior change communication (SBCC), where we try to engage and motivate people to adopt healthier habits. For example, practicing safer sex, or quitting smoking, or the like.

You can do this with many population groups (Americans need this as much as Angolans) though its best to start thinking about areas of the world you want to work in and focusing on those communities from the start.

Consider a Volunteer Consulting Engagement

Sine you already have a career that showcases your ability, you may want to consider a volunteer consulting engagement to get experience. This is just like a real consulting agreement – you should have objectives, deliverables, and timelines – only you are trading your time for experience versus cash payment.

The international development field is already very familiar with the concept – see Peace Corps – only this way you don’t need to move overseas for two years. However, you will need to work hard, probably harder than you are now, to learn as you perform.

The upside? You’ll be the internal candidate at the next opening.