Asian Development Bank – Young Professionals Program (ADB YPP 2023-2024)

What are the fields of study required for the ADB YPP?

The Bank seeks to recruit Young Professionals with at least 2-year experience in the following areas:

• Macro or development economics;
• Agriculture and natural resources;
• Climate change;
• Commercial/investment banking or corporate investment;
• Education;
• Energy;
• The environment;
• The financial sector;
• Public health;
• Public-private partnerships;
• Rural development;
• Transport;
• Urban planning;
• Water operations.

What is the duration of the ADB YPP?

Selected Young professionals (YPs) are offered a fixed-term appointment of 3 years.

What is the weekly workload of the ADB YPP?

The program is full-time. Therefore, selected candidates work between 35 and 40 hours per week. Work on weekends may be required.

Where are the locations of the ADB YPP?

YPs will be initially placed in one of the departments in the Headquarters (Manila, Philippines) where they can gain foundational experience of ADB’s operations, then assigned to another department/office as a rotational assignment for 12 months. The rotational assignment will be carried out in a field related to the initial placement whereby YPs are expected to broaden their experience and deepen their knowledge on the subject matter.

 Subsequent employment:

Towards the end of the program, YPs are encouraged to seek internal opportunities should they wish to remain in the Bank.

What is the education requirement of the ADB YPP?

A university degree in Economics, Finance, Business Administration, Engineering, Environment, Law, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or other areas relevant to ADB’s work.

Possessing advanced degrees may be an advantage in the selection process.

What is the language requirement of the ADB YPP?

Excellent oral and written skills in English.

 Age Limit:

Not more than 32 years old upon joining ADB.

What is the ADB YPP nationality requirement?

Applicants must be citizens of an ADB member country.

What are the competencies required for the ADB YPP?

Able to work with others of different nationalities and cultural backgrounds

 Other requirements:

Have at least 3 years of professional experience relevant to ADB.

The ADB YPP interview process generally includes two stages: a) Personality Assessment Interview (online); b) On-Site Interview (ADB’s HQ). The following sections will elucidate the differences between these two stages.

 1. Personality online assessment interview

The personality assessment ADB YPP interview is conducted online (by video conference) and functions as a pre-selection phase for long-listing candidates. This phase aims to identify the presence of soft skills and general aspects of the candidates’ personality. Below, are provided examples of personality interview questions to help you understand further:

 Personality interview questions*

• If your manager asked you to complete a task you thought impossible at first, how would you go about it?
• Tell me about a time you had to fill in for someone. Were you successful? How did the experience make you feel?
• Tell me about a time you missed (or almost missed) a deadline. How did you react when you realized you were falling behind? What did that experience teach you?
• Do you prefer working in a team or on your own? Why?`
• If you could change one thing about your personality at the snap of your fingers what would it be and why?
• Tell me about a time your manager wasn’t satisfied with the results of your work. How did you discuss the issues and what did you do differently the next time?
• What are you passionate about?
• What types of activities or hobbies do you enjoy outside of work?

*(Extracted from: https://resources.workable.com/personality-interview-questions)

 2. On-Site Interview (ADB’s Head Quarters).

 After the Online ADB YPP interview, the Shor-Listed candidates are invited to the ADB Head Quarter (Manila, Philippines), with all related costs sponsored, to a panel interview. For the On-Site Interview, ADB uses the traditional and technical interview model with the purpose of testing the candidates’ technical knowledge and their domain about the organization’s operations and objectives. 

Candidates are usually asked two types of questions:

• Introductory and traditional questions (questions regarding the main motivation that led the candidate to apply for the ADB YPP or questions about their experience and employment history.
• Technical questions regarding their working area or development and Asia oriented

Below, we present some examples of questions that may be asked on this type of interview:

• Where do you see Asia’s financial service industry going?
• Why do you think you are a perfect fit for this job?
• What should be done to foster economic growth on the Asia & Pacific region?
• Describe a time you worked in a team, the challenges you faced and your contributions
• How would you develop the Bond market in Asia?

To help you feel more secure and greatly improve your performance during the interview stage, OpenIGO Network has developed a mock interview, as per the ADB model, with a specialized professional who has extensive experience. Click on the link below to find out more about our ADB YPP Mock Interview service:

Mock Interview

What are the documents to submit for the ADB YPP?

The application process requires you to submit:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)/Resume;
• Cover Letter;
• Academic transcripts
• Copy of thesis/dissertation short summary (if applicable)

What is the evaluation criteria for the program?

Recruiters will seek to identify whether applicants’ academic and professional experience is relevant to the Bank’s activities, as well as evaluate their job expectations and level of knowledge about the institution’s work.

 Other information:

As a Young Professional, you will work on programs that cover the continent and be at the forefront of exciting Bank initiatives that are shaping Asia’s future. The program will prepare you to be a development professional with a notable impact. The Asian Development Bank is an equal opportunity employer. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

For further information on the young professionals program:email contact form.