Submitting an essay is a common requirement in various types of selection processes, including job selections. An increasing number of organizations understand that the information contained in a curriculum vitae and a cover letter is insufficient to evaluate a prospective candidate before holding an interview. The essay, therefore, helps in this sense – enabling a better assessment of several aspects of the candidates, such as their technical knowledge regarding the organization they wish to be a part of, as well as their communication skills and competencies.

The World Bank Group YPP selection process is among the recruitment initiatives that require an essay at the moment of application, and this document is considered highly relevant in a candidate’s evaluation. Initially – and mistakenly – one may assume that this is a simple task. However, writing an effective World Bank YPP Essay is not only a major challenge but one of the most crucial aspects of your application that will be evaluated by recruiters!

For this reason, in this article, we will provide you with useful information and tips regarding the content and general structure of the World Bank YPP essay for the new edition of the World Bank Group YPP selection process.

This text is just a small part of the information covered in our eBook The World Bank Group YPP: The Essential Guide. Composed of 12 chapters and including 8 essay samples from successful candidates of previous editions of the WBG YPP, the eBook contains more than 190 pages covering all information needed to improve your chances of being successful in the World Bank YPP!

Chapter 9: “Writing an effective essay” presents a detailed explanation of the construction of arguments, vocabulary, and the correct use of language for the Bank’s essay. With this in mind, the topics below will show a compact version of the original material.

In addition, OpenIGO also offers a thorough Application Review service made by experts in the WBG YPP that can highly improve your chances of succeeding in this competitive selection process!

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1) The World Bank Group YPP Essay (WBG YPP Essay)

For the 2024-2025 edition of the World Bank Group YPP, you are required to answer the following:

• 1) In 250 words or less, outline your qualifications for the work program you selected (be as specific as possible);
• 2) In 400 words or less, tell us about your motivation for applying to the YPP, your commitment to the WBG’s mission and how your professional conduct embodies our shared values;
• 3) In 400 words or less, tell us how your skills, expertise and experience would contribute to the WBG’s mission of creating a world free of poverty on a livable planet? Please consult the Bank’s scorecard to understand how the WBG tracks results.

The WBG YPP essay seeks to assess the following aspects of candidates:

• Technical knowledge: the candidate should discuss how s/he would contribute to resolving the challenges of international development once he joined the World Bank Group. Expert assessors from the same area as the candidate will evaluate if the solutions presented are appropriate and match the Bank’s operational model. They will assess if the candidate has the technical knowledge required by the Bank and if s/he fully grasps the fundamental concepts of their specialized area.
• Knowledge about the organization: by asking the candidate what inspired them to work for the organization and the new WBG YPP model, the Banks expects candidates to demonstrate knowledge about the organization, such as its mission, its operational logic, its activities, and its main objectives (refer to chapter 2 of the WBG YPP ebook).
• Cultural Fit: Demonstrating that you know the organization well is not enough. The candidate must show that there is cohesion between his/her own values, principles, objectives, perspectives, and those of the organization. In the World Bank Groups’ case, an understanding of international development policies and strategies is an important element for a good cultural fit (refer to chapter 11 of the WBG YPP ebook). Certain words and expressions used in the text can also help the organization perceive the candidate’s personal characteristics.
• Communicative capacity: the essay enables an evaluation of the candidate’s capacity for writing, as well as their ability to structure ideas and defend arguments coherently.
• Competencies: Candidates should constantly remind themselves that this is a competency-based selection process which, therefore, looks for specific knowledge, abilities, attitudes, and values in candidates. As previously mentioned, the evaluation of competencies does not only take place in the interview but throughout the selection process as a whole. Therefore, it is important for the candidate to show in the essay that s/he has the competencies that the Bank is seeking, which are: client orientation, professional expertise and team leadership (refer to chapter 1 of the WBG YPP ebook).

Do you want to know how to write an effective dissertation abstract for the WBG YPP? Check out our article on the topic right now:

How to write an effective dissertation abstract for the WBG YPP

2) Structuring the World Bank YPP Essay

An essay is like a puzzle: the parts should fit together carefully, providing a clear sense as a whole. Therefore, one of the main aspects of the essay is its structure – carefully “fitting together” different ideas. Different ways of structuring the essay may be selected, as there is no single approach. The fundamental aspect for an effective structure is that there is a logical sequence to the parts.

The most common way of achieving this is by using a traditional three-part structure: introduction, development, and conclusion. By adopting this format, the candidate minimizes the possibility of the essay not being appropriately structured. However, should the traditional structure be used in an essay model for the World Bank Group YPP? We believe it should not.

Although the traditional structure is adequate and effective for various texts, candidates may – and rightfully so – think that this model is too generic to be used in the essay requested in the World Bank Group YPP. Therefore, an effective suggestion is presented here: adapt the Star Technique.

The STAR Technique is a model to structure responses to a Behavioral Event Interview (BEI). However, considering that all the rounds which make up the World Bank Group YPP selection process also seek to evaluate competencies, it is believed that this model is an excellent way to structure the essay required in this selection.

It is true that what is suggested here is an adaptation of this model, since a BEI asks questions about the candidate’s past, setting off from the premise that their past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior; while what is requested in the WBG YPP essay is future behavior, that is, what the candidate would do if s/he were a Bank staff member. However, this does not prevent the logic of structuring responses suggested by the Star Technique from being used at this stage.

 To better understand this suggestion and how to craft a powerful essay, check out our eBook:

WBG YPP Ebook – Get your free sample now!

3) Writing the World Bank YPP Essays: tips and recommendations

Preparing to write the essay

The preparation for writing the essay should begin as soon as possible and continue until it is actually written. This includes reading the Bank’s knowledge products, practicing the essay, making a decision about what will be written, and maintaining an appropriate emotional state during preparation.

Language

As mentioned above, correct written communication is an important issue that the recruiters will evaluate. Consequently, the candidate should show a good command of English grammar rules. This includes the structure of words, phrases, clauses, sentences, and the structure of the whole text. A broad vocabulary should be used, which is appropriate for the World Bank, the competencies the program seeks, and the technical area.

Content

Bearing in mind the numerous possibilities when writing a text, it is common for selection process participants not to know how to define what is and is not relevant for inclusion in the essay. Therefore, the following recommendations will help you to choose the best way to prepare the text and define the essential points to cover:

1) Keep the focus on the topic;

2) Concentrate on your specialist area;

3) Highlight your competencies and relevant achievements;

4) Use trustworthy sources of information and data;

5) Do not needlessly repeat content.

Revising the essay

It is common knowledge that the first version of a text is not perfect. The rewriting process is as important as writing the text itself.

1) First, you should revise the structure of the text. The structure revision should be carried out in order to guarantee that all the elements of the text follow a logical sequence.

2) Revise sentences and words. It is important to verify that the phrases are clear enough to be understood by people who are not from your field of expertise. Also carefully read through the essay looking for grammar mistakes, repeated or unnecessary words, vague expressions and phrases in the passive voice, to change them to the active voice.

3) Ask a third party to review the text: Sometimes, even when the candidate revises their own text a number of times, mistakes can go unnoticed due to lack of attention, tiredness, and excessive intimacy with the text, among other factors. If possible, it is important to ask for another critical viewpoint from a professional that you trust. This will help you to acquire a different outlook on what works and what needs to be improved in the text.

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4) World Bank YPP Essay Sample

Get our comprehensive eBook – The World Bank Group YPP – The Essential Guide – now to have access to 8 successful essays from past editions of the WBG YPP selection process.

Besides the World Bank itself, we are the ones who best understand the WBG YPP: we have already helped many candidates succeed in this competitive selection process. We can’t wait to be a part of your WBG YPP journey as well:

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5) Final reminders

Some general observations about formatting issues and sending the essay, which should always be remembered, are provided below:

• Must be written in English (no other language is accepted);
• You must make sure that the text has the maximum of words allowed for each question. This word limit requires candidates to have the skill of summarizing.
• Great care must be taken not to include any plagiarism in the essay, even if it is a short section. In other words, you must be certain that your essay is 100% original;
• The questions should be answered in the first person. Therefore, avoid saying what you and your team could do and concentrate on your own contributions;
• Work in your comfort zone, showing your specific knowledge. Therefore, focus on a particular global practice (GP) area.

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