Dear All,

I am considering applying for an African based role at the Tony Blair Institute.

So far I did not have any overlap in my work with TBI and would be highly interested to get real insights into their work in Africa.

Does anyone here have or had experience working for TBI? I am particularly interested in working environment, organizational culture and conditions.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Hi all, New subber here.

Came here to gather more information on what Grads and current students like/don't about your International Development masters and if you are a grad where are you working/ your role and if you are a student where would you like to work/role?

Coming from a Cultural Psychology MSc background I am keen to go back to study and work for NGO's in ID that tackle big problems the world is facing. I have been reading on this sub that this field is dead, but even so I am still interested to here your experiences.

grateful for your comments.

I recently interviewed for a role and felt quite positive after the interview (overall thought it went well and the panellists liked me / connected with me). I received a call from their HR recruiter a few days later telling me that unfortunately I had not been selected for the role at this occasion and the feedback they gave was quite negative/does not seem to align with how I thought the interview went or even my experience (e.g. they said that I did not have extensive stakeholder mgmt experience when all my career has been about stakeholder engagement and the role did not have that as a priority either).

My question is, might this be a mix up? Is it possible that this was perhaps meant for someone else who interviewed for the role or could it be by mistake? Is it possible?

Hello everyone,

I would greatly appreciate guidance from professionals who have worked with the World Bank, IFC, Asian Development Bank (ADB), or other Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).

I currently work with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), one of India's largest public sector energy companies. Over the past 17+ years, I have been involved in the planning, execution, inspection, and commissioning of large industrial infrastructure and refinery projects.

My professional experience includes:

• Project management and execution of large capital projects
• Inspection engineering and QA/QC management
• Mechanical integrity, metallurgy, materials engineering, and NDT
• Construction supervision, testing, commissioning, and start-up support
• Risk management and multidisciplinary stakeholder coordination
• Contractor and EPC management
• Compliance with international engineering codes and statutory regulations (ASME, API, OISD, PESO, SMPV, etc.)
• Working with EPC contractors, consultants, licensors, vendors, and cross-functional teams to deliver projects safely, on schedule, and to the required quality standards

My qualifications include:

• B.Tech. in Metallurgical Engineering
• Project Management Professional (PMP®)
• Currently pursuing an MBA

I enjoy delivering large infrastructure projects and would like to transition over the next few years into international development, where I can contribute to infrastructure and energy projects with organizations such as the World Bank.

I would appreciate your advice on the following:

1. Based on my background, would I be a realistic candidate for a full-time position at the World Bank?
2. Which roles would best match my experience—Infrastructure Specialist, Energy Specialist, Senior Infrastructure Specialist, Operations Officer, or another position?
3. How much importance does the World Bank place on public-sector engineering and project execution experience compared with prior development-sector experience?
4. What additional skills, certifications, or experience would significantly strengthen my profile?
5. How does recruitment typically work? Is it primarily through direct applications, networking, hiring managers, or other pathways (excluding the Young Professionals Program)?
6. Has anyone successfully transitioned from heavy industry (oil & gas, refining, EPC, power, or industrial infrastructure) into the World Bank or another MDB? If so, I would be grateful if you could share your experience and advice.

I would sincerely appreciate honest feedback, including any gaps you believe I should address before applying.

Thank you for your time and guidance.

Hi all,

I’m looking to apply to get my masters for fall 2027. Most of the programs are about two years so would graduate in 2029. I’ve been hearing everyone’s advice on this thread about the abysmal state of the ID industry and don’t plan on going to grad school unless it’s fully funded. While I was initially considering international development programs, that has very much changed and I’m pivoting to MPP with a focus on international affairs. However, I am interested to hear if that’s a stronger/safer degree for jobs or if it’s not a good alternative? Do you think there will be more opportunity with a change in administration? Any career/higher education advice is welcomed!

A little about me:

GW Undergrad: 3.8 GPA, BA political science

Professional experience:
Fulbright ETA in Southeast Asia, Congressional Fellowship, a 2 years working in SE Asia at education NGO supporting displaced and refugee students (worked abroad total of 3 years)

I also used volunteer as a teacher for U.S. residents seeking to take their citizenship test before moving abroad

The reason I decided to go back to school is I feel I have a good idea of the field I want to work in now that I have had a couple years of experience. Now that I’m in my late twenties, I want to have access to more senior positions. My goal is to work at an NGO or INGO focused on displacement/refugee resettlementf and post conflict reconstruction. While I want to work in international affairs and don’t mind traveling and having months long projects abroad, I am looking to have a more permanent residence in the US for personal reasons which is why I’m considering leaving my current job next year to go back to school.

Hi everyone!

I am a recent college graduate (co ‘25) with a degree in Public Policy (non-quantitative background). I’ve been working for the past year in a non-intldev role, however, I am planning on applying to both law and grad school this fall. My question mainly pertains to graduate programs, but any and all comments are welcome.

I am ideally hoping to study outside of the US for grad school (lower comparative costs + more intl experience/networking). Additionally, I want to find a program that has a quantitative analysis component that would set me up well for a job in the development field. Currently, I feel like that is what I am lacking, so I feel nervous taking out loans for another qualitative degree that wouldn’t give me an edge when actually looking for a job. I am wondering if anyone knows of or has had experience with graduate programs where you can enter with minimal/ no quantitative prerequisites and come out prepared?

As a side note, I understand the whole argument towards learning these skills on your own, but I think there’s value in education and network. Additionally, after work I have been spending close to every night studying for the LSAT, so I don’t really have that much capacity these days before the end of the year to take on more. As a second note, I am applying to both law and grad school because I am genuinely interested in both and also to diversify my options since applications have been such a gamble.

I would love to hear any thoughts on the direction that I’m going in, recommendations of programs, and your experiences studying the same topics! Thanks!