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 or Mongolia) will be given preference.

Look for opportunities in global health:  Global health offers a variety of career opportunities. The most obvious ones are geared toward doctors, nurses, and other medical staff. But individuals with an interest in doing social work, monitoring and evaluation, management, and even high level clerical work can find jobs. Jobs are available through private and teaching hospitals, as well as international organizations and non-profits that send staff overseas. Qualifications often include an advanced degree such as a Healthcare Administration MBA or a Master’s in Public Health, but are not always required. Practical experience in a healthcare setting is considered a huge asset.

Work for a private company overseas: If you’re interested in seeing other parts of the world and you’re more flexible on the mission of the organization you’re working with, consider joining a private company overseas. One way to do this is to go to work with a multinational in one of their foreign offices; the benefits of this often include very structured training programs, generous relocations, and a strong infrastructure behind you. Another option is to work for a local company. The pay and security may be less, but the need for innovative skills and the chance for upward mobility may be higher. Working with a local firm gives you a chance to develop your leadership potential, and to have a meaningful impact on the success of a business that’s creating jobs in a developing nation.

Teaching, non-profits and the Peace Corps:  Three other options to consider when you’re evaluating overseas careers include teaching English as a second language, working for a non-profit, and joining the Peace Corps. Each of these allows you to work closely with local populations, to address important needs, and to get firsthand experience. They are also the least likely to pay well, so it’s important to make an informed financial decision. But these can be a great way to spend 1 – 2 years exploring if this career path is right for you.

Start your own organization:  Sometimes the type of work you’re hoping to do is not readily available in the options presenting themselves. Or you see an inspiring program in Africa, but you’re dying to work in Haiti. Why not consider starting your own organization? Thousands of grants are available to non-profits and there’s tremendous opportunity (and risk) for for-profit companies willing to operate in developing markets. Many innovators are starting profitable companies that also serve a public need or are pursuing hybrid models. Entrepreneurship is an avenue to have both impact and autonomy in your career.

Getting started in a career in international development can seem daunting. But if you strategize, think of opportunities in different fields, work to demonstrate relevant skills and experience and network carefully you’ll be well on your way in no time.

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 won’t take email. This app is the perfect fix for that. Though each page costs a whopping 90 cents, it’s still a great and convenient deal for the few times I need it per year.

WorldCard Business Card Scanner
The easiest way I’ve found so far to enter business card information of new contacts into my contacts database. It even supports foreign languages. Very nifty!

Fujitsu ScanSnap
Goodbye paperwork! I now just scan my paperwork, even my notes into my ScanSnap scanner on my desk and voila: the shredder is the destination of 99% of my paperwork. You can set it up so it scans directly to a folder in DropBox so you won’t overwhelm your hard drive, either. Perfect app for the desktop!

1Password
After years of struggling with lists of passwords and usernames, I’ve finally found the perfect app for the purpose: 1Password creates and manages your passwords for you. I love it on my MacBook Pro, but it’s still not the ideal app to use on mobile devices.

Holy Rosary Audio app by Handech International
My wife introduced me to this very easy to use and useful application. I try to pray the rosary when I travel, and having someone pray it with me on the earphones is great. Try it!

The Better Part
I believe Father John Bartunek writes some of the most inspiring and profound reflections on the New Testament I’ve read in a long time. My family uses his iPhone app on a regular basis and from our usage, we can attest that it satisfies the spiritual needs of anyone from 8 to 70 years of age!

Skype
Well… it’s not new – I’ve been using Skype for years, but when I think of what apps were useful to me during the year, Skype is always near the top of the list. I use it to make international and domestic calls, both to Skype users and to landlines, and I do a fair bit of video conferencing as well. Cheap and reliable – perfect combination!

Sentry Total Connect Home Security System
Our newest home-tech addition is a new security system that can be controlled from the iPhone. The company who installed it, Sentry Protective is an embodiment of expertise and service. The app itself is easy to use. It gives you full control of your house, including video and lighting from your iPhone. And it’s cheaper than our old system!

And a bonus one that was just released: A friend of mine in Portugal, David Sanguinetti has just released an iTunes Game called Bubbly Invasion that looks like lots of fun for young and old – check it out at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bubbly-invasion/id576234932?mt=8

I hear rumors that maybe Christmas morning will see me with a new iPad cover with a built-in Bluetooth keyboard… I’ll be sure to tell you about it next year- in the meantime, have a Merry Christmas!

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 next to her instead of with her. My wife is my partner in living out my primary vocation. The Church teaches that she is in a sense my path to holiness, to heaven. And I am hers.

How much time is that worth?  Where does that put her on my priority list? And most importantly, what am I going to do about it? With this in mind, here is how I’m going to spend my time this Fall.

Express unconditional love to Michelle.

Commit small acts of love – Some examples might include sending an sms in the middle of the day to tell her that I love her and why. Tell her how much I love her when I say goodbye or hello. Publicly show and say how much I love her, and make sure that everyone in our lives knows it. Do something with her that she loves to do, like watching a tear jerker movie, and don’t make any jokes and don’t complain – do it just because I love her.

(I’m going to offer a brief intermission here for my female readers. My suggestion of how to show your husband that you care is slightly different: Express unconditional respect to your husband. Show him that you respect him by asking for his advice, and implement what he says. Show/verbalize respect and affirmation publicly, especially around his family and friends. Tell him how much you appreciate what he does and how much you respect him. Talk well about him behind his back.)

As you formulate your own plans, here are some general principles to keep in mind:

Be your spouse’s biggest fan and supporter. Whatever it takes, believe in them, and give them the benefit of the doubt.

Invest in your relationship through scheduled dates. Schedule times to talk. Have a meal together – just the two of you.  What do you both love to do? Set aside a date time just to focus on that activity, such as going for a walk, playing a round of golf, or taking in a concert.

Reflect on the many reasons why you love your spouse and share the reasons with them, even the smallest ones. Not all at once, just mention one reason once in a while.  For example, “Do you know what I really love about you?  I so appreciate that you’re kind to my father even though he can be difficult at times” or “It means a lot to me that you offer such great ideas on how to tackle difficult conversations at the office.  I did what you said, and it got me excellent results.”

Learn or do something new together, something you’ve never done before. Sign up for a cooking class, a dancing class, a music class, martial arts, or art classes… you get the idea.

Pray together. This can be difficult at first. But think about it: prayer is the most intimate of your activities. The language you use, the things you say in prayer are you in your purest form. Share that with your spouse. It’s the ultimate frontier to a truly unified marriage. It’s a way to learn a lot about each other and to get very close. This might take a while to get used to or to ease into. Start by sharing petitions. Pray and then both share some of your key petitions and praise: what are you thankful for, what do you cherish about the past day, what are your prayers for the next day?

Be a man or a woman of your word. Always deliver on your promises to your spouse. And if you do not – or do anything else wrong – present a heartfelt apology without delay. Not a “oh… I’m sorry” but one that shows that you’re really sorry. My dad told me right before my wedding to never go to sleep with unfinished business in your marriage. Always talk things over before you fall asleep and make peace. Resentment and anger can grow overnight – don’t give it a chance.  Make up before you go to sleep. That’s some of the best advice I’ve ever received.

Practice love as a decision. JPII once said that love only starts when it goes against your own wish or utility. Once you decide to do something purely out of love. Something you would not do other than doing it for love. Cleaning up the kitchen late at night. Not complaining about the toilet seat being up, or the toothpaste being squeezed from the middle. Getting up early and excitedly to see a sports game on TV. Swallowing (and digesting) your pride and moving on from a topic or an event.  Do it for love, sort of as a sacrifice you bring to the altar of your love for your spouse and leave it there.

Michelle and I have been married for over 20 years now and I marvel at how our love has changed and matured over time. Every season of our love has been more beautiful and rewarding than the one before that. It’s a lot of work to make a relationship work. It’s a lot of work to try becoming the perfect husband for Michelle. Every day a little more. It’s a privilege to be on her side as we go through life together.  Let me never forget to set our love as a top priority in my life, no matter how busy it gets. Love never is, it is always only becoming!

These are my best tips for making a marriage work.  What tips have been invaluable to you in making your most important relationships work?

Check out The Pope & The CEO competition – buy the book, submit a review, or share on social media – to win an hour of coaching with Andreas Widmer!

Hi everyone:

I’m excited to announce a competition here at The Pope & The CEO! Read below to learn how you can participate now for the chance to win a 1:1 coaching session with me. I’ll answer any questions about the book and help you develop a plan to implement the strategies in The Pope & The CEO in your own life.

In honor of the September one year anniversary of the release of the book, I wanted to do something to give back. I’ve been deeply gratified and blessed by the community that’s formed here at The Pope & The CEO, by all the letters and inquiries I receive, and the new friends that I’ve made on this journey.

So here’s what you need to know:

We’re very close to sharing our 10,000th copy with the world! To help the book on its way, we’re asking members of our community to take one of the following three actions:

Have you meant to read the book but haven’t found the time? Wanted to grab a copy for a friend or colleague? Now’s your chance! Purchase a copy of the book and submit a copy (or image) of the receipt to the email below. This is good only on books purchased between August 1st and August 31st 2012 (ending at 12 midnight EST).

Did you read the book already and have an opinion to share? Then we’re asking you to take five minutes and write an honest review on Amazon, B&N.com, or a blog of your choice. Submit a screenshot of the review or a link to where it is posted online to the email below.

Do you like the book and are willing to share it with your friends? Share details on the book via a Tweet or Facebook post that includes the hashtag #popeceo2012, and then email a screenshot (or copy the text of the post) to the email below.

Each person that makes a submission will receive an “entry ticket” to the competition. People can complete up to 3 actions maximum, for 3 chances to be entered into the drawing. (So, to clarify, you could purchase the book (1), read it and then post a review on Amazon (2), and then Tweet about it (3).)

All submissions can be sent to thepopeandtheceocompetition@gmail.com. All submissions should include the requested item from above, as well as your name and an email address and phone number to reach you.

Then, on September 1st (or thereabouts) we’ll use an automatic generator to choose three people for personalized, 1:1 coaching sessions with me. Those can be scheduled anytime between the date you’re notified and the end of 2012 that works for both of us, in person if you’re in the area or by phone/Skype.

Everyone who participates will receive a bonus chapter of the book, a short guide to getting started with some key philosophies from The Pope & The CEO. These guides will be sent in September, once all the entries are in.

Thanks in advance for your support, and I look forward to talking with three of you very soon!

Pax,
Andreas

To Change the World by James Davidson Hunter -I think he’s asking all the right questions. After already having the book on my radar, I met one of his collaborators at the Acton Academy and now I can’t wait to read it. His book explores one of my favorite ideas, that culture drives what happens in our world today, and that culture can be changed and influenced. I would think this book would be a good matchup with Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point.” Hunter’s website provides a helpful outline of each chapter here.

The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau – I’m an avid reader of Guillebeau’s blog and can’t resist reading his ideas in this book. He’s one of the few people I know who’s traveled more than I have – he’s up to 185 countries… that’s in a category all by itself! He’s a huge source of inspiration and knowledge for entrepreneurs. His is not the world of VC startups with stock options and exit strategies. His is the world of freedom and responsibility. The world of people who start their own microbusiness without investment, without employees, and without an exact plan. He’s a proponent of understanding your market and leveraging new media for smart outreach. It’s about people who want to live a balanced life, who want to optimize freedom and responsibility. If you aren’t following his blog already, I highly encourage you to check it out, The Art of Non-Conformity.

In Defense of The Free Market by Fr. Robert Sirico – I recommend Father Sirico’s work simply because he’s brilliant. I’ve known Father for about 8 years now and have become quite involved at his Acton Institute, as an affiliated Research Fellow of Entrepreneurship. Each year I try to attend Acton University and teach a couple of courses. It’s the best meeting I attend– if you haven’t gone, this is a ‘can’t miss event’ for anyone interested in the intellectual foundations of a free society. Father Sirico is also the author of The Call of the Entrepreneur, which has had a profound impact on me. Much of my thinking on entrepreneurship and the economy are based on his books and discussions with him. It’s simply amazing that people like him exist. He’s a true scholar priest.

Good Returns by George Schwartz – I’m very interested in the topic, given my efforts with The Carpenter’s Fund, and Schwartz is the master of this domain in the USA. From what I understand, his funds perform consistently above the rest (18% every year in the past tough three years), so I can’t resist wanting to learn from the master himself. I’m also impressed that Michael Novak is on the board of the Ave Maria Fund, so they’re certainly attracting the best thinkers on the intellectual side. I ‘m a big believer in values-based investment because values and virtue in business lead to success in the long term. Schwartz and Sir John Templeton, whom I admire greatly, have similar ideas about investing. Check out this article that was recently published in Barron’s, profiling Schwartz and his business partner.

America’s Spiritual Capital by Theodore Roosevelt Malloch – Malloch’s last book on the same topic, Spiritual Enterprise, was a must read. He’s had a great string of books on topics like Thrift and Generosity, which I also find irresistibly interesting. Check them out here. In Mike Fairbanks’ seven forms of capital (which is my preferred framework for looking at the economy and business), the highest form of capital is Culture. What Ted Malloch’s Spiritual Capital discusses may be the highest form of cultural capital. We would do well as a nation and as a business to heed Ted’s advice on how to identify and rebuild this critical ingredient in prosperity.

White Man Walking by Ward Brehm – Brehm’s story resonates with me. Once I started reading, I was unable to put it down: In the book, a local writes about the author, “…In Africa, white men don’t walk. The missionaries, the doctors, the donors, when they come, they come in vehicles. They always drive. Ward is different… [He] walked with us across some of the most difficult terrain… No white man had ever done this before… A white man is walking… to this day, people are… talking about… the white man who walked…. He is no longer viewed as a donor. He walked, and in the process, he became one of us.” That little anecdote pretty much seals it for me and is filled with meaning on so many levels. It verbalizes what’s wrong with the development industry: we try to “fix the poor over there” rather than actually working with them and integrating them into our networks of productivity and exchange. They don’t need pity, they need solidarity.

Compass by James B. Stenson – He is the #1 parenting guide I know, and I want to read his book at least once a year. If you have kids, you have to read this book (and hopefully many more by this brilliant author). He’s been a headmaster for 30 years at some of the most successful private schools. During that time he regularly interviewed the parents of those he considered the most balanced kids he had in school. After retiring, he decided to analyze what he found. This book is full of the patterns, best practices and insights he learned from these successful parents. Check out his website here. Also, here’s a great radio interview he gave about a year ago.

The Honest Truth about Dishonesty by Dan Ariely -All you have to do is watch his famous TED talk and you’ll be hooked:

Dan sets out to find the answer to a few simple but profound questions:

-Does the chance of getting caught affect how likely we are to cheat?

-How do companies pave the way for dishonesty?

-Does collaboration make us more honest or less so?

-Does religion improve our honesty?

A simple research finding should pique our interest: researchers found that compared to participants without power, powerful participants were stricter in judging others’ moral transgressions but more lenient in judging their own: “Power increases hypocrisy, meaning that the powerful show a greater discrepancy between what they practice and what they preach.” That is just irresistible to read.

Kindness by Lawrence G. Lovasik – I’m trying to apply what he has to say about kindness and spread the message. I bet you’ve never even heard his name – neither had I. He’s an American priest of the Society of the Divine Word who has written quite extensively. You can learn more about him here. My wife brought this book home one day and I browsed through it because of the interesting title. I’ve long been interested in the question of whether one needs to be a, (how shall I put it…) difficult person to succeed in business. Think of the likes of Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Donald Trump, etc – perhaps it is fair to say that they are not known for being pleasant. But I’ve worked with many successful entrepreneurs and CEOs who are kind and pleasant to around. So which is the anomaly? And if it’s possible to be kind and successful (which I believe to be the case) then what are the best practices on that path? I bet that Father Lovasik has some good pointers in this book.

At the Heart of the Gospel by Christopher West – West is a great interpreter of JPII’s Theology of the Body and this latest book is his masterpiece. It is no secret that I love JPII, but in all earnestness I believe that his Theology of the Body is the key to living out Christianity today. I consider what JPII did very much like Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, and so many other saints did for their time: to inculturate Christianity into their particular time in history. To help contemporary Christians make sense of Jesus’ teachings in light of major cultural and historical trends. What Christopher West does is help us “digest” what JPII wrote. He breaks it down into pieces and illustrates it for the reader. I’ve already started to read it and love it – one of my favorite quotes so far? “The language of Christianity is the Body.”

The Moral Molecule by Paul Zak. I met and came to very much respect Paul Zak at a Liberty Fund Colloquium on investing a couple of years ago. That’s where I was first introduced to the field of neuroscience as applied to economics and other behavior, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Paul in particular explains the most complex issues in ways and in a language that everyone (even me) can understand. What he does particularly well is convey concepts through stories. He did that well at his London TED talk last year, check it out here, and he does it well in this new book. The brilliant story begins when he was a gas station attendant as a teen, and its unexpected ending had me hooked to read the rest of the book. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed – one never is by Paul.

But if we’re honest – this is only the celebration of a single milestone, and one step on the path. Much of that achievement is based on what we paid others to do: as teachers, tutors, and coaches.

The work of a parent is much more subjective than what kids are taught in school. Our parenting provides the emotion, meaning and effort with which kids will apply the knowledge they attained.

We provide the foundational example of how to go through life, how to deal with problems, how to pursue opportunities, and how to be thankful, persistent, spiritual, religious and happy. We teach them how to live, laugh and learn.

In a very real sense, we’re our kids’ chief strategists and coaches. I don’t teach writing, but when my son comes to me and tells me that he doesn’t like writing, I become his coach. I (try to) motivate him. I put incentives in place. And if all else fails, I support his untrained will with mine and help him get through the rough spots of learning. Our strategy of coaching him through the writing process has been part of a deliberate process of parenting that we’ve cultivated.  So when he eventually graduates – My wife and I will feel like Olympic coaches. We played a part in his success.

When do we take time to celebrate those achievements? And how do we plan for these important interactions in the first place?

To use the school analogy, let’s take some time to plan our “parenting school year”: What is your strategy, what curriculum do you choose, what classes will you teach, what events will you celebrate, what tests will you have, and what tutoring will you offer?

Here are some of our plans and strategies:

-Schedule time with each child individually.

-Have a review with your spouse about each child and discuss if he or she is developing according to your expectations. Where are they at in their young life? What do they need most right now? How can either/both of you help this child get to the next level?

-Tell the child and others that you are pleased with them publicly. God, as the father of Jesus only spoke about Christ publicly twice, and both times he said that he was well pleased with him. (Mt 3:17, Lk 9:35, Mk 9:7)

-Plan time to intentionally listen to them. Ask open-ended questions and then listen. (How do you feel about xyz? What makes you feel that way? What are your concerns in this situation? Can you help me understand your thinking on xyz? Etc.)  Don’t fill the awkward silence with your voice. Let it be silent and let him or her talk. Ask clarifying questions. Don’t give advice; just show enthusiasm, compassion, and understanding for their story. Follow them in the conversation rather than controlling it yourself.  Allow the child to feel that he or she has been heard.

-Get involved online. Have a Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest account. Be present in any forum they are a part of and insist they “friend” you. You don’t have to say much… but follow these accounts and watch what’s going on. It might be bothersome at first, but having someone (quietly) watch out for you is reassuring and essential, no matter what the child says.

-Pray with your children. Ask them to share their intentions with you. Ask them to say what they’re thankful for, whom they’d like to pray for. Share your own intentions and prayers with them. Include them in your petitions. Consider going first in praying to model it for them. Have them light a candle at the start of the prayer time. Choose a special place in the house and designate / decorate it as your prayer area.

-Consciously try to be a parent rather than a pal. Your children can have lots of pals, but if you’re not taking your role as their parent seriously, no one else will ever be their parent. Lovingly tell them the truth. You will always love them, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tell them the truth about their behavior. Don’t worry about rolling eyes or resistance. That’s all in the job description of a parent; just know it and keep doing the job. You’ll do them the greatest favor possible in the long-term by being a parent rather than a pal. Until children develop their own conscience, you are the substitute and teacher.  If you don’t engage on this issue, it’ll be very difficult for them to develop their conscience on their own.

Summer is a wonderful time to consider, brainstorm, discuss, and develop our parenting plan for each child. Let’s take advantage of these happy days of relaxation, vacation and family fun to think about how we can better parent each of our children in the year ahead.