Employability champion Raju Sarkar discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with finding a development sector job in India after graduation.

This blog is part of a series by our Employability Champions, helping to prepare graduates for life after study. See our other piece by Vinka Maharani on navigating your career journey as an international student returning home here. 

 

Hello everyone,

I am Raju Sarkar from India, currently pursuing my MSc in Global Development (Poverty and Inequality) at The University of Manchester. As an Employability Champion, I am spearheading the Professional Development theme, aiming to open doors to careers in the development sector, including NGOs and international organizations.

My mission is to cultivate an inclusive community of professionals dedicated to making a significant impact, striving for a world that is more sustainable, equitable, and peaceful for all beings.

As we approach the end of our program, I, like many of you, am excited and nervous about the next step in our careers. Pursuing an MSc in Global Development after working for three years in the development sector in India was a tough choice for me. I had a stable career as a Training and Capacity Building Team Leader in Delhi. However, my desire to excel professionally brought me to The University of Manchester. Here, I’ve interacted with many talented students who are eager to start their careers in the development sector and make a positive impact with their newfound knowledge and skills.

As we gear up to enter the job market, we are likely to face various challenges. We’ve all worked hard for our degrees, and many of us have taken on significant education loans. Finding a job that justifies this investment can be daunting, especially when considering opportunities in India, where starting salaries may seem low.

After discussing these concerns with fellow students, I conducted research to uncover valuable insights and practical solutions for those of us looking to work in India.

 

Understanding Job Roles and Applications

 

First, exploring job portals might seem tedious and tricky to navigate, but the university offers workshops and open spaces where skills like navigating job portals, company websites, and LinkedIn for job listings are taught for free. Attending these events can help us take the first step towards our career journey. Additionally, signing up for newsletters and job listing updates on websites can save time.

Once you find the right role, understanding job requirements is crucial. Always read job descriptions carefully, compare your resume with job specifications, and seek advice from mentors or career counsellors. Often, students miss out on interviews because they don’t tailor their resumes to match the job description. The careers service at the university are the best place to get feedback on your CV and ask questions about job preparedness. You can also check your CV scores on the career services website, which provides insights for improvement.

 

Qualifications and Skills

 

Research the common qualifications and skills required for your roles of interest. Pursue additional certifications or training if needed, and highlight transferable skills on your resume. Many job roles require candidates to achieve certain additional qualifications, so emphasize your willingness to put in extra effort during interviews.

 

Salary Packages and Utilizing Career Services

 

Entry-level salaries in the development sector in India can be surprising, which may discourage some students from looking for jobs there. However, with the right skills, you can negotiate salaries with organizations. Additionally, the cost of living in Indian cities is generally lower, which helps to save money. Using salary comparison websites to research average salaries can help determine which organization is best for long-term professional growth. Networking events can also provide insights into an organization’s culture, as a high-paying job might not have the best work-life balance.

Organisations like Teach for India, Oxfam India, Goonj, Bhumi, and Piramal foundation are some reputed development sector organisations that pay high salaries with opportunities to work with high-ranking government and private sector professional. Such experience often leads to rapid career growth.

 

Additional Resources

 

Here are some additional job and consultancy links that could be useful:

ReliefWeb Jobs: For jobs and consultancies in the development sector.

Oxford Policy Management Careers: Development consultancy opportunities.

UNDP Internships: United Nations Development Programme summer internships.

Devex Jobs: Jobs in international development (some features are subscription based).

 

I hope this information proves useful as we navigate the challenging yet exciting journey of finding fulfilling careers in India. Good luck to all of us!

 

Note:  This article gives the views of the author/academic featured and does not represent the views of the Global Development Institute as a whole.

Please feel free to use this post under the following Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). Full information is available here.

Photo by Naveed Ahmed on Unsplash

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