Last week was intense. In a good way.

I went to the “Career Development Roundtable”, which is an annual gathering of HR professionals from the UN and other organizations in or around the impact sector.

There were a lot of great presentations and conversations that took place, and I want to share two takeaways that I thought would be of particular interest to you:

#1 - MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES COMING

The message was loud and clear: finding talent to fill the gaps left by an increasing rate of people retiring from impact organizations, as well as normal attrition, is a serious concern for many organizations. There was talk about a “wave of retirements”, needing a “strong pipeline” for incoming talent, and how to “attract and attach” (i.e., retain) talent. 

In essence, there is no sign of career opportunities within the UN and other organizations in this sector decreasing. Quite the opposite. 

What does this mean for you? I would encourage you to conduct a little mini-audit of your experience and credentials to date, and ensure that what you’re doing now, and what you’ll pursue next, is setting you up to take on upcoming opportunities of interest.

#2 - SAY YES TO ALL KINDS OF GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES 

On the second day of the conference, there was a panel of senior experts (pictured above) sharing their views and some of their professional paths. A common theme in their stories emerged.

The message was that successful careers both start and end up in many different places, but the path of serving in increasingly senior roles is characterized by taking on different roles that provide different perspectives, and also taking on various projects, often those that no one else wants.

In essence: Say yes. Do many different things, and take on opportunities when they present themselves.

What does this mean for you? I would encourage you to look for opportunities that stretch you professionally, especially in your current context. It is often these “stretch assignments” that accelerate professional growth and propel us to a next level career move.
 

This last takeaway reminded me of something I heard about Nobel Prize winners some time back; that they often take an interdisciplinary approach to their highly specialized work. It’s the intersection of what they know and new perspectives that makes them able to break new ground. I think the same principle applies to all of us. If this intrigues you, check out this article on theconversation.com.