There are plenty of opportunities with the World Bank in Africa

When looking for a job, there is something to be said for aiming high. Positions that seem unattainable and institutions that appear out of reach may actually be within the grasp of a determined, resourceful and well-informed individual.

Not everyone realises, for example, that the World Bank may have its headquarters in Washington DC but has a strong presence in Africa as well and is constantly looking for local talent. “We have a target to increase representation from Sub-Saharan Africa, and this is monitored every year,” says Herbert Boh, spokesman for the World Bank. “We are doing well, and we wish to continue to expand.”

At present the WB is looking for people for several of its African offices, from Addis Abeba to Abidjan and from Bangui to Dar Es Salaam. It is worth checking the website often, as all vacancies are advertised as soon as they become available and are filled as soon as adequately qualified applicants accept an offer.

“We have our own Talent Search unit. We have specialized recruiters and people managing staffing programmes,” says Boh. “But we use many methods for recruitment, from our own website “MyJobWorld” to social media, from referral systems to advertisements in professional technical magazines, from direct recruitment to staffing programmes. We use external agencies, selected via a procurement process, only for managerial positions and for contingent workforce.”

The International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, offers many opportunities in Africa. It is mainly looking for investment officers and analysts but also consultants in countries from Burkina Faso to Senegal, from Kenya to Nigeria and from Egypt to South Africa.

One way to get through the WB door is the Young Professionals Programme, open to people of 32 or younger with a Master’s Degree and at least three years’ relevant professional experience or academic study at doctoral level. The thirty people who are chosen every year – out of some 10,000 applicants - will take two one-year rotational assignments to gain on-the-ground experience. The WB is looking not just for academic excellence and technical expertise but also team-building skills. Application time is now – May and June – with interviews to follow in December and January. The final selection is in March and the training programme starts in September 2013.

Another way in is through the Professionals Programme run by the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency or MIGA, which promotes foreign direct investment into developing countries. It is open to applicants under 35 with an advanced degree and at least five years’ working experience in a relevant field, such as underwriting, financial accounting or risk management. It offers two-year positions, all based in Washington, but “women and individuals from developing countries, particularly from sub-Saharan Africa, are encouraged to apply.”