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IIntorg Career

Selection process

4 stages, one window a year

What happens at each stage, and what it asks of you. Published detail and our own preparation advice are kept in separate boxes throughout — never merged.

  1. 01

    Find your sponsor's call

    Varies by countryOur analysis

    There is no single global window. Each sponsoring government runs its own timetable and its own portal.

    What is published

    • Calls are published by the sponsoring government's foreign ministry or development agency.
    • The list of funded posts changes every cycle and is agreed between the sponsor and the agency.

    How to prepare — our advice

    • Identify your sponsor's agency now and subscribe to its notifications — several publish once a year with four weeks' notice.
    • Read last cycle's post list even if it has closed. It tells you which functions your government actually funds.
  2. 02

    Application and screening

    Within the sponsor's windowOur analysis

    A written application assessed first against the post's requirements and then on substance.

    What is published

    • Applications are submitted through the sponsor's system, not through the agency's careers portal.
    • Screening is against the specific post description rather than a general profile.

    How to prepare — our advice

    • Write against the post description line by line. A generic development CV screens out at this stage more often than a weak one.
    • Quantify results. "Supported" is the weakest verb in an application and the most common.
  3. 03

    Competency interview

    Six to ten weeks after closingOur analysis

    A panel interview run on the competency framework, usually with the receiving office present.

    What is published

    • Questions are behavioural and mapped to a published competency set.
    • The receiving office is normally represented, so questions get specific about the duty station.

    How to prepare — our advice

    • Prepare six evidence stories that can each answer three different competencies. Rehearse them aloud and timed.
    • Research the country programme document for your duty station. Naming its priorities separates candidates immediately.
  4. 04

    Placement and clearance

    Two to five monthsOur analysis

    Medical clearance, visa and relocation, with a start date set by the receiving office.

    What is published

    • Placement depends on the receiving office's readiness as well as your own.

    How to prepare — our advice

    • Keep the period after selection clear. Clearance timelines are outside your control and rarely short.

Always verify the current requirements and dates on the organisation's own website before acting on anything here.

No preparation service can promise, guarantee or imply selection. These programmes are highly competitive and outcomes depend on the applicant pool and factors outside any candidate's control.