Working World-Careers in International Education, Exchange, and Development

This past week I came across two excellent resources that IHEC Blog readers should know, visit and consider purchasing. The first is Working World blog which is maintained by Sherry L. Mueller and Mark Overmann. Working World blog is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to enter (and those who want to advance their career in) the field of international education, exchange and development. Working World blog not only provides well written and insightful posts on career development and planning but it also offers excellent and timely pieces on the field itself which engages readers on a second level (meaning you don’t need to be on the market for a new job to benefit from the content on Working World blog). Please check out Working World blog here and come back on a consistent basis to read and comment.

The second resource is tied to the first resource as Sherry and Mark have written an excellent book entitled Working World-Careers in International Education, Exchange, and Development (2008) published by Georgetown University Press.

I have copied and pasted an excerpt from the description[1] of Working World below:

“Are you looking for a career with professional rewards and personal satisfaction? Perhaps you'd like to find meaningful employment in the field of international relations? Working World is the perfect resource for making sound career choices, and is particularly valuable for those interested in exploring a career in international education, exchange, and development.

Sherry Mueller, head of a large nonprofit organization with an international focus, and Mark Overmann, a young professional on his way up, serve as spirited guidance counselors and offer valuable insight on launching a career, not just landing a job. The two authors—representing contrasting personalities, levels of experience, and different generations—engage in an entertaining dialogue designed to highlight alternative approaches to the same destination: making a difference in the world.

With a rich mix of anecdotes and advice, the two authors present their individual perspectives on career development: identifying your cause, the art of networking, the value of mentors, and careers as "continuous journeys." Mueller and Overmann push job seekers to challenge assumptions about what it means to pursue a career in international relations and to recognize that the path to career success is rarely straight.

To help the job seeker chart the best course, Working World provides specific resources including annotated lists of selected organizations, websites, and further reading. Profiles of twelve professionals, from promising young associates to presidents and CEOs, illustrate the book's main topics. Each professional provides insight into his or her career choices, distills lessons learned, and offers practical advice about building a career in international affairs. All of these resources were chosen specifically to help job seekers map the next steps toward the internship, job, or other opportunity that will give shape to the career they envision.”

I encourage IHEC Blog readers to consider adding Working World to their personal library. You can read more about this very reasonably priced book as well as view sample content here.

Working World is also on Facebook here.

See a related IHEC Blog post about the Forum Pathways to the Profession Survey 2008: Report and Results here.

[1] Description obtained from Georgetown University Press page on Working World found here: http://tinyurl.com/WorkingWorldFacebook