Faith & Prosperity Nexus Blog
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How to Launch a Career in International Development
The following guest post was contributed by Liz Alton. It provides important advice for young professionals seeking careers in development. Every year, hundreds of young professionals hit the job market looking for jobs that provide more meaning, impact and intangible rewards than a typical 9 – 5. Helping people in developing countries by working in areas such as foreign aid, the diplomatic service, and global health are fascinating, but it can be hard to find good information about ways to break in. Here are five strategies to consider when you’re thinking about working in the international development field. Consider a contract on a USAID Project: The United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, is the government agency that awards contracts for implementing the US’ foreign aid projects. This includes everything from maternal health initiatives to helping foreign governments bolster key sectors of their economy. Industry sites such as DEVEX.org and the Aspen Institute’s ANDE network are a great place to start. Minimum qualifications usually include an International Business MBA or other master’s degree and a few years of relevant work experience. Individuals with language skills, previous experience living abroad and the willingness to relocate to interesting places (e.g. Bermuda… Read more
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My Favorite Things of 2012
“These are a few of my favorite things…” This is probably the most interpreted (and one of my favorite) jazz tunes in history. I won’t give you my musical rendition, but I will tell you about some of my favorite apps and products of 2012: WAZE Probably the most perfect iPhone app. They call it a community-based traffic and navigation app and it does not fail to deliver. Especially for city traffic, this app has saved me countless hours this year. Thanks to Jo Tango who introduced me to it. DropBox DropBox is the perfect companion to my iPad when I travel. It’s the end of bringing along the usb stick, the end of not having the right file with you when you’re at away from your desk. Just load your files up to DropBox and access them fro anywhere – and share specific folders with others. Can you say super-productivity? Doc Scan – Iphone Scan and Fax App by IFunplay Great way to scan a document and fax it from your iPhone. I haven’t had a fax since forever… but hate it when I have to run to a UPS store to send something to an insurance company that… Read more
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Balanced Life Series – Marriage
The lazy days of summer are gone – with the cooler weather our regular schedule returns: work, study, shop, fitness, school, a new sitcom season, holiday shopping, and parent-teacher evenings… the schedule bursts. The Economist magazine just published a chart of how the average American adult spends their time: sleep, work, TV and eating alone fill 16 and more hours. Everything else competes for our attention in the remaining time whether emergencies, urgencies or priorities. So how am I going to spend that precious time of mine? Before we jump into activities and meetings that could eat up all of our time, let’s start by making a list of who and what is really important to us. Who are the three most important people in your life? What are the three most important achievements you need to reach this fall? Don’t spend your time before you have the answers to these two questions. For me, the most important person in my life is my wife Michelle. She’s smart, funny, and beautiful. She lightens up my day. She’s my best friend and my soul mate. Yet I easily fall into the temptation of taking her for granted, of living my life… Read more
