Job disparities in global health
As a young professional in the field of global health and development, I have become disappointed by the sheer lack of entry-level and remote opportunities in these fields. Despite tailoring one’s resume/CV, cover letter, and networking efforts, navigating the job search as a young professional in this sector presents insurmountable challenges.
What is happening?
A chronic lack of entry-level jobs in global health and development for young professionals with 2–3 years of experience is a concern, particularly for professionals with Master’s degrees and internship experience, including domestic and international exposure. The scarcity of paid opportunities promotes a cycle of privilege, perpetuating disparities in the global health workforce.
Notably, the United Nations, an organization that pledges to “Maintain International Peace and Security, Protect Human Rights, Deliver Humanitarian Aid, Support Sustainable Development and Climate Action,” does not provide compensation to its interns. This is a serious issue in a field that is expected to champion equity and fairness.
Why are young professionals struggling to find jobs?
The existing job market and system are biased toward those who can afford to work for free, which creates obstacles for younger individuals who lack 5 years of work experience.
The scarcity of remote opportunities also tilts the balance towards individuals based in the Global North, or those with wealthy backgrounds. From my research, for the most part, only tech and consulting jobs offer fully remote positions, and many tend not to sponsor visas, which benefits individuals already located in the Global North (Washington, D.C., Geneva, Brussels, London, to name a few) or those who are privileged enough to have strong passports and are able to afford relocating to these places.
I understand the implications of the historical modus operandi of many INGOs and IOs, whose staff often work from the “headquarters” of their organizations, usually located in the global north. When these professionals are far away from the context they are working on, it leads to a severe disconnect from the reality in a specific country or region, which is precisely one of the long-standing critiques of global health and development operations.
However, it is important to acknowledge that there are capable, prepared professionals in every region of the world, and restricting the talent pool (contingent on the type of work, not every global health work can be tailored to this) may do a disservice to the project or initiative.
The burden of job seeking for professionals in social impact
The lack of entry-level, full-time jobs poses a severe problem for young professionals in the field, as we struggle to find opportunities, which can be demotivating and lead to burnout. My conversations with peers are all the same: “I’m struggling to find jobs that I would be a good fit for and that can actually cover my living expenses in X or Y city.”
If a young professional finds a short-term assignment as a consultant at an organization, it might not always signify job security, affecting these professionals' mental health, as they have to go back go job searching quickly.
At the same time, this lack of jobs has a wider impact on the field of global health: if only a certain group of people can access these entry-level jobs, then the perspectives and experiences of other groups may be —and are often— left out. Needless to say, this is detrimental to the goal of achieving equity in global health.
The way forward
The solution is to create more entry-level positions or provide fair stipends for interns. This should be accompanied by increased collaboration among professionals in the field to find solutions within their organizations.
On that note, I want to emphasize the importance of addressing job scarcity and ensuring that global health careers are accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or financial situation.
Bottom line
In conclusion, this is not an appeal for sympathy, but a call to action. Global health organizations must heed these concerns and act upon them rather than merely pay lip service to equity and diversity. Young professionals are eager to work and tackle global health and development challenges. It's up to us to create a more equitable and fair system for the future of this field.
Thank you for reading. Check out my website for more!
