African Development Bank Young Professional Programme

About the African Development Bank Group

Established in 1964, the African Development Bank Group is the premier pan- African development institution, promoting economic growth and social progress across the continent. There are 80 member states, including 54 in Africa (Regional Member Countries). The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group comprises three entities: The African Development Bank, the African Development Fund and the Nigeria Trust Fund.

The African Development Bank (AfDB)’s main objective is to spur sustainable economic development and social progress in its regional member countries (RMCs), thus contributing to poverty reduction.

The Bank Group achieves this objective by:

• mobilizing and allocating resources for investment in RMCs; and
• providing policy advice and technical assistance to support development efforts.

Do you have passion and commitment to the development of Africa? 

The Young Professionals Program (YPP) is a three year leadership opportunity for the development of Bank’s future leaders. This opportunity attracts highly qualified and motivated professionals from AfDB member countries for a productive and rewarding career path in development. The duty station for this programme is in Abidjan, Côte D'ivoire.

The Program is for a period of three years; the first two years will be spent on mandatory rotational placements across the Bank’s various functions. The third-year rotation year will be spent in the headquaters where the Young Professional will graduate into a staff position upon excellent performance.

Closing date for applications: November 13th, 2019 (midnight GMT).

The areas of focus for this YPP are: 

Light Up and Power Africa:

Power systems development (grid base power system, power utilities), Climate change and green growth (climate finance, climate adaptation), Energy statistics, policy and regulation (energy statistics), Renewable energy (off grid energy access), Energy partnerships (energy partnerships and stakeholders engagement, energy markets).

Feed Africa:

Agriculture & agro-industry (agribusiness development, agriculture research, production and sustainability), Agricultural finance & rural development (agricultural and rural finance, rural infrastructure development). 

Integrate Africa:

Development research (macroeconomic policy, debt sustainability and forecasting, microeconomic, institutional and development impact), Governance and public financial management (program development, policy management), Statistics (economic and social statistics, statistical capacity building).

Industrialize Africa:

Private sector development (strategy and new product, portfolio asset management, special operations), Financial sector development (financial institutions, financial inclusion), Infrastructure, cities & urban development (transport and logistics, ICT), Industrial and trade development.

Improve the lives of the people of Africa:

Water, human and social development (education, human capital and employment, sanitation and public health.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply for this YPP, you should:

• Be a citizen of a member country of the Bank.
• Be 32 years of age or younger by 1st May 2020.
• Possess a Master’s degree or equivalent in any discipline that is relevant to the business of the Bank, with outstanding academic credentials.
• Have at least 3 years work experience in the areas related to the high priority areas (Hi-5s) as mentioned above.
• Interested candidates with coding, e-development, animation and platforms designs and maintenance are required this year.
• Demonstrable hands-on experience on the African continent and/or in other continent’s developing countries is a necessary requirement.
• Have passion for Africa’s Development
• Able to leverage knowledge, share and coach others. Work effectively in teams with displayed high adaptability to a diverse environment.
• Strong analytical skills, an entrepreneurial drive, results- orientation and problem-solving capability.
• High business acumen and innovative mindset.
• Be proficient in the Bank’s working languages, either English and/or French.
• Have skills that enable you to work in a digital environment and embrace technology as it evolves.
• Be willing to live in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire the Bank’s Headquarters, and any other country in Africa where the Bank may require your services. (The Bank is headquartered in Abidjan, has 5 Business Regional Resource Offices, 30 Country offices, 5 Program Offices and a Liaison Office in Japan).

How to Apply

Please note that application for admission to the AfDB YPP is an online process. 

Application Checklist

The application checklist is meant to facilitate your application experience.

• Provide an email address; and an alternative one. Make sure you fill in the correct e-mail address since this will be the main means of communication
• Answer all the questions
• Provide the most current contact information. Ensure that you email us with updated data, should your contacts change during the recruitment process
• Complete phone number (country code + city code + number)
• Upload the following required documents (mandatory):

           -  Maximum two page Curriculum Vitae in Microsoft Word version.

           -  Copies of Academic Certificates/Transcripts.

           -  PhD Dissertation/Master’s Thesis topic (short summary), if applicable.

Application Deadline

Kindly submit your online application before midnight (GMT) on the expiry date, November 13, 2019.

Due to the high volume of responses normally received, only electronic confirmations of receipt will be issued. 

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Benefits

They Young Professional’s progress is reviewed every 6 months. 

• During the programme, each Young Professional has the opportunity to join the learning academy which serves to deepen technical knowledge and leadership skills through on the job training that would be beneficial for future roles in the Bank. 
• On-boarding and orientation programs ensure faster integration into the Bank’s culture and offers a robust support mechanism from mentors, coaches and buddy groups which will be personalized to each individuals needs. 

Grade and Salary Data

2020 Selection Process

Application Essay Guidelines:

Instructions:

Describe in fewer than 1,000 words your own contribution to the Bank’s mission and the potential role of African Development Bank in resolving some of their  challenges. You may focus on a region or set of countries as well as your area of expertise to describe your proposal.

The African Development Bank has a Ten-Year Strategy (2013 – 2022) which has been focused on the High 5 priority areas in focus during this program. Because you will be joining an already started project, Impactpool recommends the following:

Recommendations:

• Get familiar with how their systematic approach, their methods, their models, and make sure you comprehend the ins and outs of at least one project relevant to the field that you are applying to, and how they report that to their stakeholders.
• Deep understanding of the Organisational Structure and current projects of the African Development Bank related to your field - Projects and Operations and Data Portal - (Ongoing projects in Africa by region)
• Thorough Knowledge of the Annual Report of the previous year - Annual Report 2018
• Display a deep understanding of the reach of the Africa Development Bank (search for all the relevant material online, videos, official website, scholar essays, partnerships, contracts, projects, news, webinars, conferences, organigrams, etc.) Loans and Grants - Events Calendar - Speeches
• 2019 - 2021 Work Programme and Budget - This Programme and Budget Document outlines the strategic priorities, operational work programme and estimated resource requirements of the African Development Bank Group for the period 2019 – 2021.

Use a T-table to identify key skills and results to highlight

When using CARL/CARI it can be a challenge to know what to focus on in your own experience and what is most important for the YPP job family. The T-table method is a method for you as an applicant to identify key elements in the job description and then utilize them to determine how you phrase your application to get the essence of what the organisation is looking for.

Below is a sample T-table, the idea with the t-table, in general, is to link the job description with your experience.

The purpose of the method is to ensure that you in your application highlight everything the YPP application requires. The theory of the T-table is that the order in which items are listed in the Job advertisement also have importance. The job function mentioned first, is more important than the job function mentioned last. This helps you identify the areas that you should highlight.

“What is the difference between a skill and competency?”

Skills and competencies are two terms frequently used by HR practitioners, and they create the foundation for best practice and effective HR management (recruitment, learning, performance). To illustrate the difference between these two terms briefly and clearly, we have selected an IT- related example: to write a computer programme requires both skills and competencies; one needs logical, analytical, and interpretive abilities, as well as the ability to use a programming language. Knowledge of a specific programming language (e.g., Java, C++) is the skill. However to effectively execute the task one needs logical, analytical and interpretive abilities, and these are considered competencies.

Competency-Based Interview Guidelines: 

What is a Competency Based  Interview?

Competency Based Interview is a structured interview process usually during the oral interviews were information about past behavior are analysed.  Because past performance is a predictor of future behavior, a Competency Based Interview attempts to uncover your past performance by asking open-ended questions.  Questions are designed to help the interviewer(s) learn about your past experience in a key skill area that is critical to success in the position for which you are interviewing.

We recommend that you prepare to discuss several examples for each competency that is included on the program/job description. If you can identify 20-30 situations that you have handled in the past, those will come more easily when you are asked particular questions during the interview. 

What sets you apart is to strongly highlight and demonstrate a good command/mastery of the technical competencies needed for the area that you are applying for, however you can start practicing with the following general questions:

• Tell us about yourself.
• Your greatest achievement in your career and you biggest failure if any?
• Tell us about your experience in the banking industry.
• Why do you want to pursue a career in the banking industry?
• The banking industry can be stressful. Tell us about a time when you worked in a high-pressure situation.
• Tell us how you keep your job knowledge current with ongoing changes in the banking industry.
• From your knowledge of the sector, what are its challenges and opportunities?
• What do you know about African Development Bank?
• In your opinion, what are the benefits of banking with African Development Bank?
• What interests you about this position?

• What are your top three strengths?
• How will you use them to make an impact at African Development Bank?

• Tell us about your education. How has it prepared you for this opportunity with African Development Bank?
• In the banking industry, customer service is essential. Give us an example of a time when you provided excellent customer service.

• How would you deal with an irate customer?
• Tell us about a time when you demonstrated you were trustworthy.
• How do you respond to problems that require a quick solution?
• What is the project life cycle of funding X project?
• Your leadership and managerial experience?
• Your intercultural awareness and skills?
• What are SMART indicators?
• Elaborate on risk management processes.
• How do you define success? What do you want to accomplish at African Development Bank? / Where do you see yourself in five years?

The panel may spend time probing these competencies. They will be trying to find out how YOU handled particular situations. While you may be tempted to answer some questions saying “First WE did this, then WE did that,” you should make it clear what actions YOU took as well as what the team did.

Probes:

After you respond to a question, the panel may probe further into your actions or results. If some of their follow-up questions come across as confrontational, simply focus on the core element they are asking about and respond as best you can. 

They may ask additional questions about the situations you describe, such as:

• What challenges did you face? How did you overcome those?
• What lessons did you learn from that experience?
• What would you do differently if you could turn back the clock and start over?
• How would you apply those learnings to dealing with anticipated challenges in the considered role?

As you think through various examples, you might be able to build these points into the stories that you prepare to tell.

How to pitch yourself?

Make sure your cover letter is carefully and clearly laid out: logically ordered, easy to read and not crammed – here is where the use of a T-table and using a structure/method such as IPAR, STAR, CARI and CARL play a pivotal role; remember that the purpose of your cover letter is to get the recruiter’s attention. So ask yourself: Is my cover letter selling me in as a good candidate? All these methods (IPAR, STAR, CARI, and CARL) including the T-table method is explained in detail later in this guide.

Impactpool strongly recommends the IPAR Method:

I = Introduction (sales pitch)

Similar to all other methods use I and select an example based on real experiences from your past career. In IPAR you start with an Introduction Give a sales introduction consisting of a single sentence summarising your achievement: “In early 2014 I myself created a project in Liberia focusing on clean water, after 9 months I had been able to raise $ 9M and employed 6 project staff“. From my experience sitting in hundreds of interview panels, I can see that the sales pitch, creates greater interest in the eyes of the panel.

P = Problem

Describe the problem (similar to the situation or task) in a few sentences, but giving sufficient details so that the interviewer can get a full understanding of the challenges involved. If you can also show that you identified the problem and initiated the action this will stand in your favor.

A = Action

Describe the Actions you took, use action verbs. Describe the process you followed and the steps you completed. Similar to STAR, CARL, CARI never use WE, talk about yourself, use I.

R = Result

Again here is where you must be focused and prepared to be to the point. In this part of the question, you should provide the results you achieved, link it back to your start off the pitch. Use action verbs. If available show statistics, figures which confirm the magnitude of your achievements, don’t forget to mention positive feedback and be humble talk about what you learned and how this learning will help you in the job you are being interviewed for.

An example of a candidate with well-rounded competencies for the Young Professional Program would be someone that has a good alignment with the competencies, see the example of their application in your work experience as follows:

• Independently engages in tasks requiring interpretation of complex and often vague sets of information.
• Considers the implications of proposed courses of action.
• Conveys critical nuances and qualifiers to facilitate a complete understanding of the material.
• Stays open-minded and encourages others to bring new perspectives.
• Allocates and controls resources within own area of responsibility/ scope of assignment.
• Encourages people with opposing viewpoints to express their concerns.
• Anticipates clients' upcoming needs and concerns.
• Remains objective when facing criticism.
• Uses compelling argumentation to convey conclusions and ideas.
• Negotiates based on first-hand observations and information collected from both sides avoiding using hearsay or personal opinions.
• Anticipates outcomes based on an understanding of organisational decision making bodies and power relationships.
• Continually acquires and applies new knowledge and learning to improve job performance.
• Helps others understand the strategic goals of the Organisation and how their work relates to these.
• Identifies and creates opportunities to initiate new connections that will facilitate the achievement of strategic goals within own area.
• Demonstrate awareness of the impact of own work on aspects of organisational strategy, and the impact of organisational strategy on own work.

Example: Applying for the:  Integrate Africa

This is one of the focus areas for this YPP as it is part of the highest priorities for the African Development Bank which entails building regional infrastructure but most focused on the movement of people and trade (regional market). Being familiar with African markets, the Regional Economic Communities and African infrastructure history and present is essential as a basic foundation.

It is highly recommended  to read the Regional Integration Policy and Strategy or the Regional Integration Strategic Framework - These documents about Member States that cluster on the basis of agreed policies, legal/regulatory frameworks and institutional arrangements to pursue and implement, within defined territory/territories, common, joint, coordinated or harmonized policies, projects and programs in a simultaneous, sequential, or phased manner. These documents highlight the key success factors, challenges and opportunities that would help you understand the plans that the African Development Bank has planned to achieve within a certain time period. Use this knowledge in your pitch, interview and cover letter showing understanding, interest and ways you could contribute to achieve these goals as a team. 

The responsibilities for this position include: 

• Development research such as macroeconomic policy, debt sustainability and forecasting, microeconomic, institutional and development impact, 
• Governance and public financial management such as program development, policy management and
• Statistics such as economic and social statistics

Preparation Tips – BEFORE the interview

The best way to stay relaxed and calm during an interview is to be prepared:

• Prepare for the job/program for which you are interviewing. Review the program requirements or job description (including the role of AfDB in that area, duties and responsibilities) and selection criteria.
• Research yourself. Know why you want the job. Review your CV and application. Consider your fit with the program requirements/job description. Identify transferable skills, key accomplishments, work style, and personal and professional strengths. Remind yourself of specific experiences that exemplify these skills and strengths.
• Practice responding to questions - Here is an Interview Questions Database to practice based on the required competencies 
• Prepare a list of 4-5 good questions you have about the position.
• Get a good night’s rest!
• Allow plenty of time to get to the interview and plan to arrive a bit early.

Suggested questions to ask the panel:    

1. What are the biggest challenges facing the company/department right now?
2. What do you see as the most challenging aspect of this job?
3. What does success look like in this position, and how do you measure it?
4.  Is there anything about my background or resume that you think needs more clarification?

Tips – DURING the interview

• Notice how the panel is treating the interview (e.g how formal vs. interactive) and respond accordingly. Help the panel manage the flow of conversation.
• Listen carefully; feel free to ask for clarification before answering a question.  Don’t be apologetic if you don’t hear a statement, just ask the person to repeat.
• Take a moment to formulate your answers before you speak.
• Project energy and enthusiasm in a way that is authentic to you.
• Connect with each person (e.g., by making eye contact).
• Be honest, while focusing on communicating your professional achievements.
• Don’t use the same example for every question.
• Be polite to EVERYONE you meet at the interview.
• Be aware of the panel’s body language and non-verbal cues.
• THANK the panel for their time.

Alternative options for Young Professionals in African Development Bank

Frequently Asked Questions

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