Writing an international development CV

There are many exciting career pathways within international development. From project managers to policy advisers, operations, scientists and security professionals, all play a vital role in helping organisations to deliver their services across the world, often in complex challenging situations or inhospitable locations.

Think ‘outside in’

When it comes to your international development CV, try to put yourself in the position of the recruiter or employer. If you can think like they do, understand how they are reading CVs and making decisions, you are beginning to understand the secret of creating a powerful CV. Recruiters are time stretched, need to see clear evidence of relevant achievements and understand how your experience is relevant to the role they are recruiting for.

Targeting and positioning your international development CV

When the reader opens your CV the first thing they want to see is the relevance to the role they are recruiting for.  You can create a tag line in big, bold letters next to your name and contact details like ‘Project Coordinator’ or ‘Country Manager’. You can also position yourself similarly in the first line of your professional profile. This ensures the reader will immediately understand the relevance of your CV and then read on with interest.

Include the countries you’ve worked in

You should include the names of countries you’ve work in and show that you understand the particular economic, political or other important circumstance relevant to working there. Whether you have been working at a strategic level or more operationally, show what the scale of operations or programmes look like so the reader can understand the complexity of the situation and your role in developing a solution.

Achievements, facts and figures

Including facts and figures in your international development CV is vital. Firstly, to show the scale and scope of the project or programme you have worked on. You should give budgets you’ve managed too. Allow the reader to picture and visualise what the initiative looked like. Most importantly, provide facts and figures on the outcomes. How many people benefited from services? What impact did this have in reducing disease, poverty or crime?

Languages and country of residence

You should include a languages section in your CV if you speak more than one. It is also good to include your country of residence if the role you are applying for is abroad so the employer can understand the logistics and considerations of travel, permits and relocation.

Relevant voluntary roles

Voluntary roles should be included in your international development CV, especially if they are relevant to the role you are applying for. This can help to demonstrate your skills, understanding and motivation for the role you are applying for.

This article is written by Neville Rose, Director of CV Writers. Please do connect with me via LinkedIn.

Check out our CV writing service with details of our packages that include LinkedIn profiles, cover letters and more. You can get things started with a Free CV review. I am also a qualified career counsellor and provide Career Counselling services for people looking to change career paths.