In the world of philanthropy, Program Managers play a pivotal role. They are the architects of change, orchestrating programs that tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges. But what does it take to step into this role? What skills do you need, and how can you acquire them? Let's explore. I first engaged with ChatGPT to determine core skills for a Program Manager in Philanthropy. The lis
How many income streams do you have? I only realized some time after I started working on different income streams, that what I do is actually called "work portfolio". Work portfolios allow for flexibility and independence. But they are not for everyone nor for any life stage. I recently spoke to Julie Fedele who has planned and worked for several years to make her work portfolio a reality.
To which extent has your passport influenced your career trajectory? As a holder of a Swiss passport, I have been lucky throughout my career to get jobs and travel in different countries in the world without major administrative hurdles. I am fully aware of that privilege, having worked for years in the migration and refugee field where I have seen firsthand how harsh the study and work realiti
I've twice almost gone through a burnout. Both of the times after giving birth to a child, a few months back into work mode. This, despite the fact that my employer at that time was generally very supportive of mothers and motherhood in the work setting where I could reduce my FTE and get some time off. And despite the fact that we didn't have the pressure of continuously getting funds like NGO
In today's edition I am excited to share with you an interview with Emiliana Vegas , whom I know and highly value from my time at the Jacobs Foundation where she serves as a Board of Trustee member. She has just recently written a book called " Let's Change the World " where she shares her reflections and recommendations from her career in international organisations. Emiliana has been highly
I just recently read a thought-piece here on LinkedIn about the different types of major transitions a professional can go through. And that there is need for a dedicated community support for each of these types of transitions. Among them were those involving changing from 9-5 job to flexible work, changing from in-person office work to remote set-up, changing countries and language contexts, ch
I will start sharing a bit about myself to situate my reflections. Having been born in Mexico to Swiss parents has set the stage for my interest in international settings and different cultures. I knew early on that I wanted to dedicate my professional career to people that are more disadvantaged than I am, in particular refugees and children. With this North star in mind, I went on a journey tes
Philanthropy seemed always a bit of a mystery to me. Until I worked for a foundation. In my 10 years of international development cooperation work, both at big players like the UN, or smaller ones like Irish Aid, I have only tangentially come across philanthropic foundations. And I've never directly worked with them. Examples that I heard of in my early career were the McArthur Foundation in th
How can I make sure my profile stands out when applying for new jobs at foundations or big multilateral institutions like the United Nations or the World Bank? What is the "secret sauce" to get a job at those big players in the donor and impact space? 1. The UN is a whole universe for itself. It is hard to answer a question like "how is it to work for the UN", or "how can I increase my chances
