Young Professionals Program at World Bank , 2014

World-Class Training. Global Opportunities. Chance to Improve the World. Pick 3.

The Young Professionals Program

For more than 50 years, the World Bank’s Young Professionals Program has been the preeminent program preparing global development leaders. If you have a passion for international development and a drive to lead, we want to hear from you.

The Young Professionals Program (YPP) is a starting point for an exciting career in the World Bank.

It is a unique opportunity for young people who have both a passion for international development and the potential to become future global leaders. The Program is designed for highly qualified and motivated individuals skilled in areas relevant to the World Bank’s operations such as, economics, finance, education, public health, social sciences, engineering, urban planning, and natural resource management. In order to be competitive for this highly selective program, candidates need to demonstrate a commitment to development, proven academic success, professional achievement, and leadership capability. We value diversity in our workplace, and encourage qualified men and women with diverse professional, academic and cultural backgrounds to apply. Since its inception, the YP Program has hired over 1,700 people who hold or have held positions ranging from entry-level to vice presidents and managing directors. It is a unique opportunity to experience development and gain exposure to the World Bank’s operations and policies.

Please note that the Young Professionals Program does not currently recruit individuals who specialize in disciplines such as: Computer Science, HR, Accounting, Marketing, Law, and Linguistics.

Minimum Requirements

The following are minimum requirements to be eligible for the Young Professionals Program.

• Be 32 years of age or younger (i.e. born on or after October 1, 1982)
• PhD or Master’s degree and relevant work experience[?]
• Be fluent in English
• Please note that full proficiency in one or more of the Bank’s working languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish is desired but not required.
• Specialize in a field relevant to the World Bank’s operations such as economics, finance, education, public health, social sciences, engineering, urban planning, and natural resource management
• Have at least 3 years of relevant professional experience related to development or continued academic study at the doctoral level.

Additional Qualifications

In order to be competitive for the limited number of positions, a combination of the following credentials is highly desirable:

• Display a commitment and passion for international development
• Possess outstanding academic credentials
• Exhibit excellent client engagement and team leadership skills
• Have international development country experience
• Be motivated to relocate and undertake country assignments

Please note that the Young Professionals Program does not recruit individuals who specialize in disciplines such as: Computer Science, HR, Accounting, Marketing, Law and Linguistics.

Professional Experience

Young Professionals will be in a two-year program with a “stretch/learning assignment” built in, where they will gain valuable on-the-job experience. They are a member of a team, where they are expected to make significant contributions towards the unit's work program while they gain a broad overview of the World Bank's policies and work.

Young Professionals are chosen through an intensive and rigorous selection process.

Competition is keen. We receive about 8,000 applications each year for a limited number of positions. Most candidates exceed the minimum criteria. Please note that this is a 9-month process and it is expected that the selected candidates will join in September of the following year (i.e. Candidates applying on May 1 through June 30, 2014, if selected, will be expected to join in September 2015).

Candidates who are offered a position in the YPP have two (2) weeks to respond. Offers are only binding for the current recruitment year and do not extend to the following year.

Young Professionals Program

Selection Cycle

• May1 – June 30

  Applications are received and reviewed against the selection criteria

• July – November

  Candidates are selected on a rolling basis. Candidates selected are asked to submit additional documents

• December – January

  Candidates are interviewed. Candidates are selected for interviews based on detailed application

• February

  Successful candidates are submitted to the final Selection Committee by mid February.

• March

  Candidates are selected for employment as Young Professionals. Candidates are notified of their selection in mid March.

• September

  Selected Young Professionals join the World Bank.
• We are now receiving applications for the 2015 Selection Process, from May 1, until June 30, 2014.

  Before You Apply

  • You meet the minimum requirements for eligibility before completing your application to the Young Professionals Program
  • You have all the information at hand including key dates, an updated Curriculum Vitae (CV), Education Certificates/Transcripts, PhD Dissertation/Master’s Thesis topics (short summary), if applicable, and the Application Essay ready to be uploaded.

  Application Essay for the 2015 Selection Process

  The World Bank Group’s mission to help free the world of poverty has been translated into two clearly articulated goals. The first goal is a moral imperative to end extreme poverty by 2030 for the 1.2 billion people who continue to live with hunger and destitution. Along with lingering poverty, groups of people are falling behind in some developing countries that, over the past decade, enjoyed strong economic growth, resulting in widening inequality. The second goal established by the World Bank Group is therefore to promote shared prosperity.

  Describe in less than 1,000 words the (i) potential role of the World Bank in resolving some of the above challenges, and (ii) your own contribution if you were to work for the World Bank. You may focus on a region or set of countries as well as your area of expertise to describe your proposals.

  Application Checklist

  The application checklist is meant to facilitate your application experience.

  • You will be asked to register for an account and provide an email address.
  • You must complete your application in a single session and will be able to submit it only if you have uploaded all the required documents and answered all the questions (all questions marked with an asterisk(*) are required)
  • Provide the most current contact information. This information should be valid for a period of one year. In case your contact information changes during the selection process, please email us the updated data
  • Ensure that you have correctly spelled out your e-mail address, since this will be our main source of communication with you regarding your candidacy
  • Remember to enter your complete phone number (country code + city code + number)
  • Please attach the following documents (mandatory):
  • CV
  • Education Certificates/Transcripts
  • PhD Dissertation/Master’s Thesis topic (short summary), if applicable
  • Application Essay
  • Apply only once. Only your first application will be considered for the Program.
  • Once you submit your application, you will not be able to make any further changes/updates.
  • Applicants are asked not to contact the Young Professionals Program or WB staff for information on their application status.