Advice posts on international development
How you can help victims of war (wrong answers only)
In light of the current crisis, a journalist reached out for general advice for people who want to make a difference, whether it’s with refugees
“How can I avoid becoming cynical about aid work?”
The Guardian has an advice column for development workers, ‘Dear NGO agony aunts’. A recent letter: Two years into working in the aid sector, I’m
Books development economists and aid workers seldom read but should?
A car trip with a colleague yesterday spurred the question. Here is my answer, with books that (a) changed the way I think about development,
10 things to bring with you into the sky
I’ve discovered one of the subtler pleasures in life: sleeping in the same bed for more than 3 nights in a row. I’ve just gotten
Is aid depressing?
Aid is the most depressing topic in economics. I don’t know how William Easterly and Jeffrey Sachs stand it. That is Meg McArdle reacting (in
What to bring to the field
I’ve made some updates to my original list. One of these days I’ll get around to a full rewrite. In the meantime, here are some
Field work in the tropics
As I prepare for summer field work, here’s what I tell my research assistants to bring to Liberia and Uganda: One very nice set of
Getting a job in international development
Alanna Shaikh’s five tips for getting a job in international development: 1. Get an office job while you’re still in school. As I’ve written, most
Getting a job in development (MSF edition)
Continuing the theme of development job advice, I hassle two American friends at Medecins Sans Frontières. MSF doesn’t just feature doctors without borders; it’s administrators,
Getting a job in development (UN edition)
Probably the number one question I get in office hours and e-mails: “how can I get a job working in development?” Unfortunately I have news
So you want to be an impact evaluator? A cautionary tale
Time for a little general advice (if only to avoid writing the same inadequate e-mails over and over again). Several aspiring graduate students have written
Advice for working in a developing country
Tyler Cowen offers excellent advice to students visiting a developing country for the first time. I especially endorse #8 (eat the street food) and #5
So you want to go to a (post) war zone?
E-mails land in my inbox weekly from students hoping to conduct research in northern Uganda, Liberia or one of the other post-conflict areas where I
