How to get a Development Related Job

And

Grad School Suggestions

Overseas Internships

1.                Christian Reformed World Relief Committee—development organization of the Christian Reformed Church, works overseas and in the US, usually hires several interns each spring.

www.crwrc.org

2.                Mennonite Central Committee—development organization of the Mennonite Churches, works overseas and in the US, has over 650 volunteers at any one time.

www.mcc.org

3.                Target Earth--the mission of Target Earth is Serving the Earth, Serving the Poor.  They focus on those regions of the world (US and overseas) that are most devastated by the mix of poverty and the destruction of the earth.

www.targetearth.org

4.                Food for the Hungry--Food for the Hungry is an international organization that exists to fulfill a God-given mandate to help people overcome both physical and spiritual hungers, works in 25 countries, most staff need to raise their own support

www.fh.org

5.                Peace Corps

www.peacecorps.gov

6.                www.igc.org and www.idealist.org

home pages for many social justice organizations which list jobs and volunteer possibilities in the US and abroad

Other options include:

1.                check out your home church’s denomination, many have at least a small denominational development organization—Lutherans, Episcopals….

2.                choose a country or region and find people who may be able to recommend the organizations which are doing the best work there and try and find a job with them

3.                choose a specialty (gender, environment,….) and find out which organizations are doing the best work in that area.

4.                choose a third world issue (debt, maquilas….) and look for an advocacy internship in the US

In all of these options, don’t underestimate the power of a good recommendation, phone call or email from someone who knows you and knows someone in the organization.

Positions in the US

1.                   Bread for the World—a US citizen’s movement seeking justice for the world’s hungry people by lobbying US decision makers

www.bread.org

2.                   International Justice Mission—a Washington DC based Christian organization seeking to document and monitor conditions of abuse and oppression, educate the church and public about the abuses, and mobilize intervention on behalf of the victims.

www.ijm.org

3.                   Americorps

www.americorps.org

Other options include

1.                   intern with your state representatives or senators

2.                   visit the local United Way and ask about NGOs in your area and what they are doing

3.                   choose a city and find out which organizations are doing the sort of work you are interested in—United Way is a good place to start

4.                   Choose a topic—environment, AIDs, …. and find out which organizations are doing the best work in that area

5.                   Use your contacts to find out who is doing good work and get your foot in the door: professors, universities in the area, friends and family, ….

Graduate Programs in Development

Really there are too many to mention—each with its own specialty and focus. Some general recommendations:

1.                   Get some experience first—helps you know what you want and don’t want to study

2.                   Visit the school if you can before you decide—meet some students and professors, see how it feels

3.                   Ask people who are doing what you would like to do—development workers, human rights workers….. what graduate programs they would recommend

4.                   Choose a program (especially if it is a PhD) by the fact that it has at least a couple of professors who are studying what you are interested in and who would be good to work with (supportive, concerned….)