While we were Young Professionals, our Linkedin, Facebook, and email accounts regularly received requests for advice from aspiring YPs. The most common CV or resume and application essay mistakes we saw were CVs without clear specializations and essays that were just prose versions of CVs. First, let us focus on the CV or resume since that is the start of every job application.
Specialization (or Lack Thereof) in a CV or Resume
Unfortunately, I have seen many aspiring YP CVs that contain a jumble of different experiences and lack a coherent specialization. While most career articles advise tailoring your CV or resume to a job description, there is no “job description” per se for World Bank Young Professionals and that makes it so hard for applicants. Still, my number one tip for World Bank YPP applicants is: tailor your application to a World Bank global practice, theme or unit.
Think of the Global Practices, themes and units (GPs for short) as the different departments inside the World Bank. These global practices are the hiring departments that ultimately extend World Bank YPP job offers. If you receive a World Bank YPP offer, your contract will be with a global practice. It will not be with the central Young Professional unit.
Given that it is the global practice leads and managers who interview YPs and extend offers, your application should be tailored to their needs. You should demonstrate what expertise you have within their industry and what you can deliver for them based on your past projects. For a sample CV and essay, visit YPPmentor.com. YPPmentor.com features on-demand recorded advice from former World Bank Young Professionals (YPs). Former YPs offer advice on interviews, CV tips, reference letters, career progression, and their first hand experiences working at the World Bank.
Applying to the World Bank Young Professionals Program? YPPmentor.com contains hours of free and premium applications advice from over a dozen former World Bank Young Professionals. A sample essay, real CVs, advice on interviews, career progression and more are on YPPmentor.com. Get nearly 2.5 hours of free advice today!
