Working at the World Bank Group is a dream for millions of professionals dedicated to international development. There are endless reasons for this, such as: a good salary and benefits; the prestige of being part of an organization that is so important for international development; being part of a multicultural, and extremely competent team; developing professionally, with new challenges every day, having an influential job, and helping countries to rise out of poverty.
Before applying for a vacancy at an organization, it is important to understand which staff profile it employs and looks for in its selection processes. This will help you to understand if your professional profile is relevant to the organization and to craft strong application documents so as to increase your chances of success.
Therefore, an overview of the World Bank Group staff profile will be presented here. In addition, to help you feel more secure and have a better understanding of the World Bank Group staff profile, the OpenIGO network has prepared a comprehensive eBook – The World Bank Group Jobs and Careers – and guidance services to help you land the job of your dreams.
1. Educational level
If you intend to apply to the World Bank, your level of education will be a factor that is taken into account on selection. A Bachelor’s degree is required for the administrative and support vacancies. For its core activities, which involve consultancy work and technical analysis, the Bank expects its staff to have more advanced knowledge. As a consequence, Master’s or doctorate qualification are a minimum requirement to apply for these vacancies.
2. Areas of study
The World Bank’s work portfolio is quite extensive, including various areas, such as agriculture and food, climate change, competitiveness, digital development, disaster risk management, education, energy, the environment, extractive industries, financial inclusion, conflicts and violence, gender, governance, health, inequality and shared prosperity, infrastructure, jobs and development, macroeconomics and fiscal management, nutrition, poverty, public-private partnerships, regional integration, development and social protection, trade, transport, urban development and water. When studying one of these areas, you should try to connect your knowledge with the topic of international development and the eradication of poverty, since these are the World Bank’s main objectives.
3. Work experience
Generally speaking, candidates who are successful in the various WBG selection processes already have some prior work experience. If your dream is working for the WBG, then you should look to gain work experience in the different development topics. These experiences may be at other international organizations, non-governmental organizations, the government or private sector. It may be as a consultant, volunteer, intern, researcher or Staff Member.
Another aspect to consider, is the importance of gaining work experience in developing or under-developed countries, since the Bank’s work focuses on these locations. This is not a requirement, but will make a significant difference. Therefore, if you live in a developed country, do not miss the opportunity for an exchange or internship in a developing country.
4. Competences
It is not just educational qualifications and professional experience that are important in World Bank selections. The organization rigorously assesses candidates’ competences at all times during the selection process, such as critical thinking, analytical and quantitative understanding, written and oral communication, diplomacy, team work, empathy, and ethics, among so many others. Therefore, you should look to develop the competences desired, since they will be evaluated and tested during the various World Bank selection processes, and they have significant weight in the recruiters’ evaluation.
In pursuit of its mission, OpenIGO has prepared a comprehensive eBook the World Bank Group Jobs and Careers, as well as support and guidance services, with the aim of highly increasing your chances of success in these competitive selection processes. These services include revising your WBG application documents (curriculum vitae/resume and cover letter) and a mock interview, as per the WBG model. We also offer a range of packages that combine our eBooks with different services.
WBG JOBS – PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
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