The Young Professionals Program (YPP) is a starting point for an exciting career at the World Bank Group.
It is a unique opportunity for younger talent who have both a passion for international development and the leadership potential to grow in fascinating top technical and managerial roles in the World Bank Group (WBG). The program is designed for highly qualified and motivated individuals skilled in areas relevant to WBG technical/operations such as economics, finance, education, public health, social sciences, engineering, urban planning, agriculture, natural resources and others.
To be competitive for this highly selective program, candidates need to demonstrate a commitment to development, proven academic success, professional achievement, and leadership capability.
We value diversity in our workplace and encourage qualified men and women with diverse professional, academic, and cultural backgrounds to apply. Since its inception, the YP program has hired over 1,700 people who hold or have held positions ranging from entry-level to vice presidents and managing directors. It is a unique opportunity to experience development and gain exposure to the World Bank’s operations and policies.
Every year, around 40 applicants are accepted into the program. Young Professionals are offered a five-year renewable term contract, spend 24 months in a structured development program, and enjoy a variety of benefits and opportunities.
Overview:
The Young Professionals Program (YPP) is a starting point for an exciting career at the World Bank Group.
It is a unique opportunity for younger talent who have both a passion for international development and the leadership potential to grow in fascinating top technical and managerial roles in the World Bank Group (WBG). The program is designed for highly qualified and motivated individuals skilled in areas relevant to WBG technical/operations such as economics, finance, education, public health, social sciences, engineering, urban planning, agriculture, natural resources and others.
To be competitive for this highly selective program, candidates need to demonstrate a commitment to development, proven academic success, professional achievement, and leadership capability.
We value diversity in our workplace and encourage qualified men and women with diverse professional, academic, and cultural backgrounds to apply. Since its inception, the YP program has hired over 1,700 people who hold or have held positions ranging from entry-level to vice presidents and managing directors. It is a unique opportunity to experience development and gain exposure to the World Bank’s operations and policies.
Every year, around 40 applicants are accepted into the program. Young Professionals are offered a five-year renewable term contract, spend 24 months in a structured development program, and enjoy a variety of benefits and opportunities.
?Eligibility
Minimum Requirements
The following are the minimum requirements to be eligible for the Young Professionals Program.
- Citizenship of a member country of the World Bank Group
- Be born on or after October 1, 1985
- A PhD or Master’s degree and relevant work experience
- Fluency in English
- Full proficiency in one or more of the WBG’s working languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish is desired but not required
- Specialization in a field relevant to the WBG Technical/Operations such as economics, finance, education, public health, social sciences, engineering, urban planning, agriculture, natural resources, and others
- At least three years of relevant professional experience related to development or continued academic study at the doctoral level
Additional Qualifications
To be competitive for the limited number of positions, a combination of the following credentials is highly desirable:
- Display a commitment and passion for international development
- Possess outstanding academic credentials
- Exhibit excellent client engagement and team leadership skills
- Have international development country experience
- Be motivated to relocate and undertake country assignments
?Application Process:
The application for the 2018 Selection Process for the Young Professionals Program at the World Bank will be opened from June 14 - July 28, 2017.
Before You Apply, please ensure that:
- You meet the minimum requirements for eligibility for the Young Professionals Program and,
- You have all the information at hand including key dates, an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV), Education Certificates/Transcripts, PhD Dissertation/Master's Thesis topics (short summary), if applicable, and the Application Essay ready to be uploaded
Application Essay for the 2018 Selection Process
“Ending extreme poverty by 2030 and boosting shared prosperity in a sustainable manner are the driving missions for the World Bank Group. While the goals are simple to grasp, the efforts it will take to meet them are not. Just as there are many interconnected and overlapping causes behind extreme poverty, the solutions required are just as complex and unique to each country’s individual circumstances. The fundamentals, however, remain true: countries must grow their economies inclusively, so that everyone benefits; they must invest in their people; and they must ensure that those who have left poverty do not fall back into it.
Yet, the world today is much different than it was even just a few years ago. The global community is facing challenges that are diverse in nature—economic, humanitarian, environmental—but that share key features. First, they threaten the hard-won development gains of recent decades; and second, they will not be contained within any one country’s borders. Millions of people have been forcibly displaced by conflict and live in ever-more fragile areas; the risks of pandemics can devastate the health of individuals, but also undermine countries’ economies; and the threats of climate change are becoming ever more apparent.
Everyone will be affected. Yet the poorest and most vulnerable will be affected most. To address these challenges, the World Bank Group is working to become a more agile partner in addressing the world’s most pressing problems. It aims to leverage and apply its unique capabilities to provide the innovative financing and creative solutions that support countries in dealing with these challenges at the local, regional, and global levels. As the world works to confront these challenges,
the World Bank Group will continue to play an essential role in supporting global development and working to safeguard the progress toward the 2030 sustainable development agenda.” (Extract from the 2016 WBG Annual Report)
Describe in fewer than 1,000 words your own contribution and the potential role of World Bank in resolving some of the above challenges. Focus on your area of expertise to describe your proposal.
Application Checklist:
This checklist is meant to facilitate your application experience.
- Use Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, or Internet Explorer 10 or higher as your browser
- You will be asked to register for an account and provide an email address. Ensure it is spelled correctly and will be working for the next year or so, since this will be our main channel of communication with you
- You must complete your application in a single session and will be able to submit it only if you have uploaded all the required documents and answered all the questions (all questions marked with an asterisk—*—are required). Do not use any special characters in the application (e.g accents, cedille etc) as it may prevent your application from moving forward
- Provide the most current contact information, including your complete phone number (country code + city code + number). The information should be valid for one year. If your contact information changes during the selection process, (including personal address), it is your responsibility to email us the updated information
- Please attach the following documents (mandatory):
o CV
o Education certificates/transcripts
o PhD dissertation/Master’s thesis topic (short summary), if applicable
o Application essay
Files should not exceed 5 MB each and should be in the following formats: .doc, .docx, or .pdf
Once you submit your application, you will not be able to make any changes/updates.
Applicants will be informed of their status as the process moves along.
Picture credit: World Bank