You know, another minute to join and then we will kickstart the session. Just one more minute and then we can just kickstart the session. Thank you, thanks for the thumbs up. Thanks for all the beautiful emojis. Fantastic, fabulous. OK. I think I'm just gonna run through the intro and agenda for the day and then I would hand over to the speakers. So welcome everyone. Thank you very much for joining us this morning. Um, it is morning in Washington DC, but welcome, good morning, good afternoon, good evening to all our participants wherever you are. I know we have people joining. Globally, uh, from around the world. So good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Greetings from Washington DC where it is 7:04 a.m. currently. Um, this is an informational session, so welcome, uh, for our flagship program, the Young Professional Program. Today, we'll be hearing from a few colleagues in HR, YP Program lead, and Corn YP. Speaking about the experiences so far, including sharing tips on how to scale through the hiring process. Remember, they've gone through it before, so you would want to ask questions and listen to what the experiences have been like. You also hear about the work program, um, uh, their work program. They'll be sharing about their work program, their passion for development, and how they are making an impact in the world today. Uh, my name is Mabel Udor, and I'm the talent attraction manager here at the World Bank, and I'll be moderating the session today. Uh, we have received just a few housekeeping. We have received over 900, I think about 980 insightful questions from all of you today, and we will try our best to answer the most voted questions as we go along. Obviously, there is no way we can answer 980 questions. Uh, but we will try our best to go through the most voted questions. We have a team of dedicated HR colleagues online who will be typing in answers to some of your questions, so keep them coming. Please do ask the questions, use the chat on the right-hand side of the screen. Do not put the questions on the right-hand side. I can see someone is already typing in something on the right, please do not, so that the questions do not disappear because we would like to go. Through those questions, please use the chat button to type in your questions, and our colleagues online will be there to respond to it. Before we begin, um, I'll just like to run through a quick agenda of the day very quickly. We will have a quick presentation on who we are, what we do, our values, and ways you can join the band. This will be followed by a detailed informational session on the YPP itself and all you need. Need to know about the application process, timeline, and then a chat with our YPs. We'll round up the session with a Q&A session. Without much ado, I would like to hand over to my colleague who will introduce himself and then proceed with the presentation. And for the rest of our colleagues online, before you start your session, please do a quick introduction about yourself before you start. Um, Domenico, thank you so much, Mabel, and good morning, everyone. Good afternoon. Good evening. Uh, we are so excited to be with all of you today. We see that we almost hit 1000 people that have joined us. Thank you so much for the interest. We're very excited to be able to share more information about the, the young professionals program. So, as Mabel mentioned, I will share some information about who we are as an organization. So if we move now to the, to the next slide. Um So, as, as of today, there are more than 700 million people around the world that are living in extreme poverty and, and, well, it's clear that this is a big number that highlights the, the urgent need and the importance for global action and, and support and the mission of the World Bank Group is uh Um, is to reduce these numbers. So as, as you can imagine, this is something that we cannot do alone, so we partner with multiple organizations such as multilateral institutions, civil society organizations, the private sector, foundations, and, and think tanks. And maybe just to give you some um like a summary of, of the, of the size of, of our project. So just in the fiscal, in the last fiscal year. The World Bank committed over $91 billion in, in financial support to countries that, that it's supporting thousands of projects and, and across all the, all our member countries. So, um, each of these projects and, and we will share more information about that, it's tailored to these unique challenges that, that countries have. So, uh, now if we move to, to the next one. Um, and, and this was a note that was shared by our president, so, um, that I think that summarizes well what we do. So just to give you an idea of the impact of, of the World Bank Group, we supported the education. Uh, well, first, we help feeding 156 million people and this is ensuring food security across many, many countries, uh, across the world. So, also in terms of education, we have improved schooling for more than 280 million. We have provided healthy water. Uh, to millions of people that, as you know, it's a basic factor in improving health and, and preventing diseases. We enable access to sustainable transportation to millions of people that also is facilitating the mobility and economic opportunities across different communities. So, this is just a sample of what we, we do and, and the impact that we are doing globally. Now we move to the next slide. Well, the World Bank is a truly a global organization. We have more than 18,000 staff members representing more than 100 nationalities, and we are spread across 130 offices. So the World Bank Group includes 5 key institutions and each of these institutions has a different role. But we work together to, to achieve, to, to support countries to achieve their development um goals. So, I will start with the World Bank. So the, that it's, that it's formed by two institutions, it's the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, IBRD. And the International Development Association, which is IDA, and these are the two arms of the World Bank that provide loans and grants to governments of low and middle-income countries. Then we have IFC. IFC focuses more on the private sector in, in developing countries, and it provides also investment, uh, advisory services to help develop markets, but also in creating opportunities in, in different countries. Then we have MIGA, the Multilateral Investment guarantee Agency, which offers political risk insurance, um, credit enhancements to, to investors and to encourage investment in, in developing, in developing countries. And finally, we have the, the small, uh, the smallest agents, uh, the smallest institution at the World Bank Group, which is the International Center for Settlements of Investments Disputes which I think that the name uh explains what, what they do, but provides conciliation and arbitration for uh of international disputes. So, this is just to give you uh a summary of who we are as a World Bank Group. Now, If we move to the next slide, so, well, our core values uh guide everything we do across all our operations and All the institutions of the World Bank Group have adopted these core values, uh, impact, integrity, respect, teamwork, innovation, and at the end, they help us to achieve, uh, our mission. So, that's also something that we are looking for all people that wants to join the, the organization. This is extremely, uh, extremely relevant and we I want you to demonstrate that during the whole recruitment process. So that's, that's something that, that you need to pay attention also for you to prepare your um application. So, now if we move more into the details of what we do and maybe let's change to the next slide. So, I already mentioned some of this, but uh the World Bank plays uh a very important role across all development um areas. So, for example, we provide a financial and technical assistance to, to countries, to developing countries to create sustainable economic growth. We Uh, we are, we are committed to develop the knowledge, innovative solutions, uh, that can be used by countries to, to achieve their development goals. For, for example, uh, we provide research, um, analysis services on topics such as climate change, so, uh, countries can use it, but also we create tools so we can help track the advancements of the, of each of these areas. Also, Uh, one of our core missions is to protect and invest in people, so we do this by, um, supporting programs in nutrition, health, education, uh, jobs, skills. So that's, that's something that, that, that we do. Um, maybe just to, to summarize the, the, the last bullet points also, we ensure that all what we do, it's in a long-term and sustainable way. So we, we look to implement with we, we support countries to implement stronger policies and strengthen their institutions. We support their efforts to, to build a climate-smart economies that are green. Uh, resilient, inclusive, but also that they can transition to low carbon economies and finally we prevent a crisis by addressing the, the root causes, you know, we, I mentioned climate change but also um government transparency and accountability and any challenges to the, to the rule of law. Um, moving now to the final slide on what we do and maybe for candidates that were candidates that are interested in learning more, we have on our website more information about this, but the World Bank just developed a scorecard that helps us track our progress of the 15 main outcomes in the areas that, that we address mainly, poverty, prosperity, and planet. So, here you can have a summary of, of this. And, and I will encourage you to visit our website to, to get more information about that. Now, ways to join, and I know Mabel already mentioned this, but the, the intention of this presentation is to focus our attention to the young professionals program. However, this is not the only way to, to join the World Bank and I just wanted to quickly go through, through this. So we offer other programs, we offer Uh, the bank internship program, we, we launched that, uh, the next cohort will be launched in January next year. Also, we have the Junior Professional Associates program. This was launched this summer and will be launched next summer again. And besides the recruitment programs, another good other good alternatives to, to join is by applying to short, short-term and extended term consultancies. Those, for example, short-term consultancies are usually, uh, well, are project-based consultancies and are usually published on our LinkedIn page. These are not published on our website, so please follow us on LinkedIn so, so you can get uh an update on the, the short-term consultancies that we have. But also we have Extended term consultancies, which are those that you can find on our website, usually start for uh for 1 year, up to 3 years, and, um, and these are longer term consultancies. And finally, we offer also staff positions and these are very easy to identify on our website. These are the positions that we Uh, that they, they are easily identifiable because we have a letter G and another letter. So, from GA to GD are usually administrative roles, then GE positions are entry-level roles. And GF they go up to GG, which is like a mid-level uh position, and then from GH and above are positions that require strong managerial skills and, and leadership experience. So, you can find more information about this on our website. As I mentioned, the, the intention of this presentation is the young professionals program. And for that, I will now give the floor to Matias that will share more information about the program. So, over to you, Mattis. Thank you, Domenico. Um, I'm Matthias Westkamp. I'm, uh, originally from, from Germany, and I'm the program manager for people's strategy at MIGA, one of the three institutions Domenico mentioned, and I'm talking about that, uh, a little bit more in a, in a minute. Uh, but let me, um, now, um, uh, inform you about the YYP, the Young Professionals Program itself. So this is, uh, the best, um, uh, an ideal, uh, way to join the World Bank in many ways. The young professionals get a 4-year term contract when they join, which is the longest term that we offer. So, uh, term contracts cannot be longer than 5 years per our policies that only the YPs basically get this 5-year term. And within that five-year term, uh, we have a 2-year program where you start as a cohort, um, you have, uh, you have your home units, but you come together very frequently, uh, to learn things together, to run, uh, through the YP Academy, the Young Professionals Academy program together. You get, uh, additional leadership training and coaching opportunities. You have a lot of networking and mentoring opportunities as well. And you will rotate through a different, uh, or through a rotation offering, you will rotate to a different unit in your second year. So it's a very, very comprehensive program. Um, for the 1st 2 years, and it will, you, uh, it will enable you to, to be, uh, uh, very successful on a personal and professional level. And then the last, uh, 3 years of that 5-year term is, uh, usually, um, being in, uh, being a professional either in your home unit where you got hired, or potentially also, uh, after 2 years of graduating the program, moving on to a different unit, and then spending 53 years there. Um, this, uh, this YP program, Um, does also, uh, foresee for you to be working in country office environments, um, so there's definitely some time to be, uh, spent here in Washington DC, especially where you, where you start. But then, um, you will get the opportunity to also work in country offices, be it, uh, on a travel basis and, and joining, um, uh, your, your colleagues, uh, uh, on mission travel, as we call it. Um, or being deployed for your rotation, uh, including also potentially in environments that are affected by fragility and, uh, fragility and conflict, which is, of course, where we put our emphasis on. So let's move to the next slide, please. Um, so this is the, the overview over the areas of expertise and sectors, uh, that we work on in those three institutions, leaving aside the exit, the last one that uh uh settles investment disputes as Domenico mentioned. So in these three organizations, you can join us as a YP. Uh, the World Bank has 5 different, uh, verticals, and those areas of expertise are actually the areas of expertise that you will be, um, assessed against when you apply. So when you go to the assessment, uh, to the, uh, application form, you will see that you have to pick one of these areas, and so, uh, and there's a very technical selection process. So if you are, for example, working in energy or transport, Uh, you would be selected against, uh, very specific technical requirements in those areas, um, and then start your program there. Um, this is the World Bank side where we work with uh public sector clients and governments, um, and we have a lot, uh, um, um, you know, uh, a large work program to shape their, their, uh, policy reform agenda. In the middle column, the IFC side is private sector investment. So here you would not have to pick a sector or product line. Or areas of expertise when you apply. But of course, when you get selected, and if you get selected, uh, you will be assigned to, uh, uh, to these areas because IFC is also a very, a very big organization, and you will be hosted in one of these, uh, departments that you see here. So you can be, uh, a climate finance person or you can be, um, you know, a, a fintech person, and then you would be hosted in those units when you start. And then, uh, lastly, in MIA, which is where I work, uh, which is the smallest institution, you would always be, um, leveraged globally and cross-sectorally. So you would always join us as a YP, uh, you would join us in the global transaction team, and then you can get to work on all the sectors and all the areas. So it's a little bit different depending on where you joined. Um, uh, good thing is for you that you have this overview and you can definitely Um, uh, think about, uh, what, what your application should look like, uh, you know, keeping this in mind, and we can talk about this when you have, uh, when we go to the Q&A part. Um, next slide, please. Uh, thank you. Um, so the YPN numbers is, uh, we had 8,000+ applications last year. Um, the number of YPs that we actually have, uh, varies because we have a very robust selection process, and then whoever passes that process, um, uh, will join us, so the numbers are roughly around 60 YPs. Um, they come from all over the world, which, which is, uh, what, what is expected at the World Bank, and, uh, which is what we aim for. Uh, and we have 53% women, 47% of men in that program last year. So this is the cohort that starts next week, um, and, uh, the start date is always September, uh, and, and so is the application window. So it takes a full year going to the next slides, um, I can show you the selection process. Um, in September, uh, when the application window is open, um, then we have thousands and thousands of applicants, uh, to review. So, we do that through, um, uh, this process where we start with screening, then we have assessments, and then uh finally, we have interviews. These interviews, um, are mostly held in person, but they can also be virtual, um, and, uh, all this, uh, uh, effort leads, um, leads up to the uh objective of having offers sent out by February. And then, Um, the, by March or April, you should also know not only that, you get selected and, uh, um, uh, can join us, but also exactly uh which unit and who your manager is and where you get started. So that's, uh, um, that's the timeline for this, and then you would, uh, start on September 8th of 2025. Next slide, please. Um, so the minimum eligibility age is, uh, very important. So your, your birthday needs to be on or after October 1st of 1992. Um, and, uh, that's the cut-off date for our YP program. Uh, you need, uh, a strong academic background, um, a graduate, uh, level education. Um, uh, many, um, YPs do have a PhD depending on their area of expertise. It's a little more common in economics, for example, than it is in finance, but in finance, and of course, uh, we have a lot of MBA's joining us, but, uh, whatever your background is, the master is the minimum. Um, you have 4 years of relevant professional experience, so, uh, that can be in, uh, in government, it can be in research, it can be in private sector institutions, it can be in development. Um, that needs to be relevant to what you're applying for. Um, of course, we need excellent, uh, writing and, and speaking skills in English. So this is our own language. Um, if you have, uh, experience with, uh, UN or other institutions, they have, uh, multiple official languages, we only have, uh, English as our own, uh, the only official language that we, um, operate in. Of course, other languages are very important, uh, to be successful, uh, in the actual work environment, but the internal communication at the World Bank is, is done in English. Um, and then, uh, you, we need to show, uh, you, you, we need you to show us your relevant expertise and experience in the work work program that you, uh, choose to apply for. As I said, in the application process, you will make to, uh, you will have to make a selection for what your actual work program. And the institution that you would like to start at, uh, will be. Uh, now that being said, you can move over through your rotation, we actually encourage that, so if you start, uh, at, uh, the World Bank, uh the public sector part, um, there's, of course, a way to rotate and, uh, uh, spend some time of that program at IFC Omega and vice versa. Um, your nationality needs to be one of our member countries, which is, um, most countries of the world. It's, uh, there's a few, uh, countries left that are not member countries, so check the eligibility, um, and then the employment, um, uh, requirements that we have in general, and also passing the screening. Uh, next slide, please. So this brings us uh to the last slide that we have. Um, this is how you can stay in touch with, uh, with us, how you can follow us, and now actually you can hear from actual YPs and what their experience of the program is. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you so much. Thank you, Domenico, thank you, Maths for that, um, you know, session, uh, very detailed session. Thank you. Uh, questions are coming in. I can see a lot of questions from, uh, the right and from the left on the chart. Guys, please focus on sending in your questions on the chat on the left-hand side of the screen. OK, we have our wipes here now, so I would like to introduce, I would like you guys to introduce yourselves very quickly. Um, we have Vicky, Maria, and Tasne online, and they'll be talking to you about their experiences, wipies and all. So Vicky, I would start with you. Um, can you quickly introduce yourself and um, You know what you're currently doing and um what projects you're working on. So, you know, quickly introduce yourself, uh, you know, describe your current role and the projects that you're currently working on very quickly. OK, sure, thanks, Mabel, and thanks to the previous speakers for really laying the groundwork of on what this program is about, um. So I am Vicky Chamutai, and I am from Uganda, and I'm with the macroeconomics trade and investment team ECA region. So ECA stands for Europe and Central Asia. This is under that economic policies area under prosperity that you might have seen in the presentation that was given earlier. Um, I joined in 2021, so I'm the cohort of 2021, but I have been in the bank since 2017. I was a short-term consultant, um, you know, prior to that. Uh, I was a short-term consultant for two years, then I became an extended term consultant for another two years, and then joined as a YP, um, in 2021. So, what do I work on under this macroeconomics trade and investment, um, global practice, so to say. So, originally, I started, I'm a trade economist, so I joined the global trade team, um, and that, that is really working on all things to do with trade policy and trade integration and trade facilitation, everything that you need to know. At least from the policy lens of how governments can, you know, trade with each other just better, much more than they were at that point in time. So I worked a lot on that. And then eventually, as you've heard from the previous speaker, the YP allows for this rotation to occur. So I moved from the global trade team and then rotated to Original team. This is Europe and Central Asia, and in there I work specifically on the South Caucasus. So the South Caucasus, that's Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, and what I do there is macroeconomic monitoring. I also work on operations, so we have this lending instrument called a development policy operation. DPO, the bank has a lot of acronyms, so you'll be hearing a lot of those, I'm sure, as we go, but, um, you grow, they grow on you, they grow on you. So I, I work, I work on a DPO, um, and this is really the primary lending instrument that we, um, at least use in that particular region for trying to drive, um, use reforms to drive, um, economic growth. Um, yeah, I guess let me stop there, not divulge too much, but happy to share more if you want. Thanks so much, Vicky. Thank you so much. And Maria, I'm gonna come over to you now. Do you mind introducing yourself very quickly and uh tell the participants what you do, and then how has the YP helped you grow professionally and personally? Perfect. So, hi, my name is Maria Fernanda. I'm Mexican. Uh, I'm a YP 2022 and I'm part of IFC. So I'm, uh, in a, what they've introduced you, I'm working with the private sector. Uh, right now I'm working in a team that is called syndications. So what I do, or what syndications does, does is that we are the ones that do mobilization of private capital. So maybe as you've heard is, uh, is one of the priorities of the World Bank in general to bring co-investors with us. So, the mandate of IFC is to maximize private sector investment in developing markets and IFC has uh this homework or originating deals and what we're trying to do is once we originate deals is we try to share those deals with other commercial banks, DFIs to maximize the amount of money we can move into emerging markets. Um, a little bit how I got there. That, that can, that will help as well answer the question of how uh the YP program has helped me professionally. So for me, um, so I used to work in management consulting, so I have a management consulting background. Then after that I did an MBA two years, uh, and I joined the World Bank. Uh. I worked as part of IFC for my first rotation, and I joined the investment team. Uh, so a little bit what you're doing in the investment team is you are the one that is originating those deals. Uh, and I've, I have had very big process in my like short two years experience. So I started in DC because everyone needs to start in DC, but I was covering Africa. So after 5 months I moved to Kenya and I was covering, uh, deals in a East Africa based in Kenya. And then, then after that, I went from IFC to the World Bank side that works with the public sector, and I was working on the planet, um, side, uh, specifically agriculture. So I was working, helping the team to see how we could We, how could we make the private sector and the government to interact in a better way to ultimately maximize the value for small farmers in Kenya? Uh, and then after that, I came to the mobilization team. So, overall, I think for me, the YP program has really enabled me to jump across the organizations and different teams, and uh everyone has been very supportive, uh, with me trying to, to pursue very different tracks, even though I didn't have, like, for example, uh, a lot of experience in agriculture, the team was willing to like, That they wanted to see more like my, maybe my different side of seeing things from a private sector perspective when dealing with companies versus uh what they have been working on. And uh, so professionally, I really like uh development is my passion, and, and I think really the World Bank as a YP. Gives you the tools to help you pursue whatever you want, but you have like the degree of flexibility that sometimes can be a little bit overwhelming because the World Bank is huge and then you don't know what to do. Uh, they really allow you to do, not whatever you want, but a little bit, kind of, uh, to, to try different things. Uh, and I think as well that is reflected, uh, like in my personal life, uh, kind of, it really gives you the certainty to just pursue different things, and, uh, and as well, one of the things, for example, me coming from the private sector and then I work in the public sector, it helps me to be A more mindful investor sometimes and, and just realize the different challenges each side in the world has, the public sector, the private sector, NGOs, um, so I think Thank you. Thank you so much, Maria. Thank you, and I'm glad that you brought the IFC perspective because I'm sure a lot of our participants too are interested in, uh, in IFC, um, to join us at YP. Uh, Tasim, I'll come to you now. Uh, would you mind also introducing yourself very quickly and tell our participants what you do, and then what aspect of the program do you find most beneficial? Um, yeah, sure. Uh, hi, everyone. Um, good morning, uh, afternoon, evening, wherever you are. Uh, so my name is Tasneem Judia. Um, I go by Taz for short, and I'm from the United Kingdom. I joined as a YP last September. So, um, actually, this time next week will be my first year at IFC, um, so, you know, working, uh, alongside Maria in, in that respect. Um, so a little bit about myself, uh, yeah, so, IFC private sector. I've worked with the private sector most of my career. I was working mainly in London, in banking and infrastructure, asset management for a number of years before I applied for the YP program. Um, don't have an MBA but have a master's in, in Development. Uh, but also, just naturally, given I had so much experience in finance in London, that sort of, you know, allowed me to be, uh, credible for the YP opportunity. I joined the manufacturing and services team in Africa last September. As Maria mentioned, we have to do 6 months initially in DC, so that's where we started off, and now I'm based in Accra in Ghana. I'm moving on next week as well. Um, it will be my first year of the rotation ending, so I'll be moving to Sri Lanka next week, um, which I'm, you know, incredibly excited about. Um, and within sort of manufacturing and services, I'm an investment professional. I go about and, um, really try and. Uh, originate transactions here in Accra, and I've, you know, it's, it's been fantastic actually being in the field and doing that meeting with business professionals here and really trying to understand the economy and where we can fit in as ISC and where we can loan to. I've also had this incredible opportunity of working on 3 transactions in the last year. Um, so, being able to really see that, um, come to fruition and, and see sort of the impact that we've been able to make since I've been based in, in Ghana has also been something that I'll be able to take with me for the rest of my career. Um, in terms of, you know, what stands out to me about this program, and what I'm most excited about is definitely the rotations. I think it's such a fantastic opportunity to be able to really immerse yourself with different teams across World Bank, um, uh, as an institution. Um, it, it, it really does open your eyes into different ways in which development can be achieved. Um, so my background was actually infrastructure. So coming here and being able to sort of tap into manufacturing and services is a completely different asset class. Most other institutions wouldn't let you, you know, after having a number of years of experience somewhere, just sort of move over the way that I have, um, but given sort of the transferable skills that I've been able to develop over the years, that's been made possible here, um, and then going forward as well, just having the opportunity to, to work in different. Jurisdictions, really find your feet there and decide where you want to be long term, um, and also just, yeah, the, the range of sort of the different types of rotations that we could do, um, has probably made this program sort of, yeah, very, very different to others, um, and, and, uh, and made me most excited to join. Great. Thank you, thanks so much, Tasni. OK, I'll come back to, uh, Vicky, back, back to you again. And this question I'm gonna ask all three of you, so as Vicky's responding, maybe the rest, you can start prepping yourself for it. Uh, how do you see the program helping you achieve your long-term career goals? I'm sure participants would like to know, so after YP, what next? You know, where does it take me? Where do I go from here? So how do you see the program, um, you know, helping you to achieve your long-term career goals? Thank you, Mabel. Um, so what is my long term career goal? Um, and I remember being asked this several times, um, throughout the entire process. I think at the end of all of this, um, I think let's say the next 30 years, uh, I do want to go back to my home country, that's Uganda, and I do want to work in policy development. I do want to contribute to, to bettering, um, uh, my. People sort of using some structural reforms and these reforms and ideas I would have picked up along my entire trajectory, career trajectory. So that's the end game um and I'll actually go back to the very beginning what motivated me to apply to the YPP, right, um, and I'm going to borrow from different languages to explain this more clearly, um, so in, in French they have this raison d'etre that the reason for being. Um, in my husband's Swahili they say sababu yakoyakuishi, so that basically means your purpose, your reason for doing something in particular, and why I wanted to join the YPP is because there were fundamental problems that I witnessed growing up and, you know, going through the journey of life that I had that I thought, come on, there's some, there has to be a better way of doing this, right, and top of. Which was, you know, I grew up in Uganda, so in Kampala, um, but we grew up in Kampala, but then we come from a very remote village in eastern Uganda, and my grandmother, well, I saw the poverty that was around her, number one, I did see that some people were not able to access school. I did see that her yields, being a subsistence farmer that she is, her yields did deteriorate over time, and that's because, of course, the climate issues and It just baffled me as to why some people had access to so much, and then some people really did not have access to what should be very, you know, mainstream and, and um it should be a right for many people. So, I always wondered about those things, not that I knew I was even going to work on anything related to that, but I just wondered about that. So when it came to the application process, when I got that uh award document to try and write out my essay, my first thing was To try and put into paper what those problems that I've witnessed are and how I might want to contribute in some form to them. I mean, I, and I knew the YPP, of course, being as being an STC in the bank, I witnessed that YPPs do have a lot of access, and I think this was already alluded to earlier, access to unlimited, you know, experts in the bank, to management in the institution. Institution, people that you can talk to and bounce off ideas that you might, that could be, you know, implemented given the resources that are available. So, knowing that the YPP gives you that degree of access, I really wanted to enter that program. So I, when I wrote down, you know, what I thought the problems were and I thought perhaps potential, this could be the potential solution from my perspective, I was really hoping I could eventually get in. Um, and I did, and I think an advice, maybe I'm preempting already a question you might ask Mabel, but a piece of advice I'd give to every potential applicant is find your raison depth, right? Find what your reason for entering the development space is. We all have it. We have all seen the problems around us. So you don't just enter development because, well, maybe that's another career track. There has to be a reason as to why you're entering there. Um, and after that, when I joined. I realized that, you know, doing this and going through the different programs and the rotations I'm going to take over time, they are going to, they're building blocks to what I eventually want to do down the road. Me going back to try and work on policy development in Uganda will certainly Benefit from what I'm doing in Georgia right now, what I'm doing in Armenia, which are just macro, you know, structural reforms. How can you grow an economy? What contributes to, you know, productivity? What contributes, what are the constraints to farm level participation? All of these different issues that I'm touching upon. I know are going to have a very straight line down the road to what I'll do in my country. So I guess that's the short or long answer to your question answer. Thanks so much and I'm glad you touched on, uh, for those that are listening, you have the opportunity to hear about what she put down on her, on her essay, you know, your motivation, that story, um, so that is a very good tip right there, um, Taz. Do you want to tell us how, you know, the YP is helping you achieve your long-term career goal very quickly in one minute. I could do it in one minute, yeah, um, I mean, yeah, my answers are a lot more simpler than, um, uh, than the previous, so thank you. Um, really, for me, I had a little taste when I was working in the private sector for Impact Finance, um, and that's what, you know, really inspired me to work for a development finance institution. It's exactly where I wanted to be. Um, and you know, discovering your reason is exactly that, and for me, I have to, I have to work in a career where I'm That sort of, you know, I feel like I have a purpose every single day, and I have that here. So, really long-term career goals. I'm going to be working in Impact Finance. Um, I'm pretty sure of that going forward. Um, so, you know, in, in actual fact, this place being the largest development finance institution is the best place for me to start off my career. Whether or not I'll be at IFC for, you know, in 20 years' time, who knows, but I'll, I'll definitely be in this space. Great. Thanks, Maria, over to you. Tell us. I think, uh, so for me it's a real aligned with task, uh, and then it's like, uh, that's what it's nice when you see like How the YP attracts very different profiles and you end up in the place where you, you are, you are meant to be like as well, I'm like a more private sector person, but I think for me, what the YP program and being in the World Bank has given me in this short period of time that I will take for my whole career wherever it is, here or somewhere else, is to, to see things with a little bit more of compassion. Uh, so I think coming from the private sector, even in the public sector, we're, we're always very critical about how the other Decide to do things a better way, right? It's like private sector is too expensive, they just want to charge extra and then like public sector is not efficient. So for me, I think it's like working in an institution like the World Bank, which tries to meet and like merge it, and it, it really makes you realize how complex this world is and uh but what is very nice is you're surrounded uh by people that want to improve it, that really think you can have a better world. And working in a place that is aligned with my personal goal. Goals is just so easy, it's so easy to go to work every day because uh it's, it, it's natural for you to make decisions at work when they don't contradict uh what you would do personally. So, so it's a pleasure to work in a, in a place, um, that is aligned with my values. So I think if I am here wherever I go in the future, I will always stay in a place that, that I, I am aligned with the values. Great. Thank you, thanks so much. In one sentence, what would be your advice, read the application process? Um, task, I'll start with you. One sentence. What is your advice to applicants on the application process? Yeah, OK, um, I, I can be brief on that. I mean, I think that Regarding the application process, of course, read the eligibility criteria, make sure that, you know, you are, sort of, you know, you can actually apply, because otherwise, unfortunately, you just, you know, you won't be able to move forward with the selection criteria. Um, but what, if you do, if you do, uh, qualify, then I say that, you know, be yourself throughout the whole, the whole process. I know that sounds quite corny, but, um, I think it really did get me to, to be where I am today, um. Be thorough as well, um, understand the World Bank, understand IFC, understand exactly what the, you know, the role you're applying for, um, and also with that, you know, try and see how the values of the institution align with yourself, so. Um, there was a big talk around values before in the presentation, and, and, you know, that is really true, and that will be tested on. So, I would say that really understand the values and see, you know, whether or not, um, you yourself can apply those values into, into your professional and personal life. Um, and it will work both ways, right? So, you know, you want to work for an organization that has the same values as yourself. So, yeah, be thorough and, um, be yourself. Great. Vicky, advice for participants. What should they do? In 30 seconds, um, for the online interview, be very confident and let who you who you are shine through, and Taz has pointed on this. Um, we need to see your authenticity and your ability to be resourceful, right? after watching your video, I should want to have you in my team immediately. Leave that feeling. The second one, the panel interview, know beyond your stuff. Go beyond. Yes, you have technical expertise in a particular area, but the bank is so huge. And tackle so many different things. So try and at least know one thing that is important in so many developmental sort of areas. Um, the third one is in the assessment test, listen, listen, listen, integrate, and then act. Listen, integrate and act. I think that's very critical for success. Fantastic. Thank you so much, Vicky. Listen, integrate, act. Interesting, Maria. What advice? I, I think add that to what everyone already said. I think be yourself is very important, the most important, but I would say be chill. Uh, this is a long process, uh, compared to other places, it takes a lot of time for them to let you know from one step to the other. So don't, don't get desperate and, uh, Even if you don't get it through the first time, you can apply another time, or you can apply to World Bank through other, uh, through other resources if uh it's a place you really want to, to be. So, so take it, don't be too hard on yourself. Fantastic. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Vicky, Maria, and Task. It's been amazing listening to your wonderful experience and tips and advice to participants. I hope you all have listened very attentively. You've heard your stories and how they have been successful throughout the process. I see, uh, you know, tons of questions and a lot of questions. Read the selection process, and I saw that. Someone on the chat keeps saying, guys, all the questions you're asking are on the website. Go read the website. Thank you so much for saying that. So guys, yes, please, there is a detailed FAQ on the website, so please go to the website, but I do see a lot of questions on the selection process. We all know that application is open right now and would be closing on the 30th. Please plan and apply accordingly. The reason I'm saying this is I would like to implore. For you to avoid late and last minute applications. I know a lot of people wait till the last day. Now you don't want to have technical issues because we will not be accepting any application after the deadline. So please try, plan and apply early. Don't wait for the last minute. The selection process, we all know, is very, very, it's highly competitive, but it's also very straightforward, so Screening will be based on the application materials. I see a lot of people asking, um, the CV or the, or answers to the essay, which weighs more, they all weigh very, very well, so do not supply, you know, a very basic CV and then make the efforts to write a very strong essay. Remember, your resume would always put, you know, put you through the door, but it doesn't get you to where you're going to. To ensure that all your application materials are written very well, your CV, cover letter, answers to all the short questions. There are tons of questions throughout the application form, so make sure you take your time to respond to them very well, um, you know, respond to the short questions, your essay, all of them would be screened, so make sure you put all your efforts in all of them. Um, uh, what else did I see on the questions as well? Trying to make sure that, you know, when you're responding to the question, you include, uh, you know, you demonstrate your technical skills and all of that. I've seen questions on references, yes, references from those who know you very well and with whom you've worked with. So if you've had your references can be both, you know, either from your professor in school or in college or from people you've worked with closely, it could be your work supervisor, it could be peers. Assessments include group center assessment for bank. and mega candidates. So if you're applying as a, as an IBRDYP, there is an assessment center that you would go through. If you're applying to IFC, there is a financial test, literacy test for all candidates that apply at the IFC. On the bank side, I think for all, you would all have the higher your interview. So as soon as you apply, if you're longlisted, you would receive a link to complete and hire your interview. You had the advice from Vicky, uh. You know, plan very well, uh, put your answers, your thought process together and be yourself during the video interview. Interviews will be in person for both meager and, and bank candidates and virtual for IFC. For the in-person interviews, we'll have the interviews in 4 different regions. So there would be a country, a region, a country in Africa, a location in the Americas, a location in Asia, and a location in Europe. So wherever you are, do not worry about that. We would ensure that we get you to your closest location for the interviews. Uh, the countries will be communicated later on in the process. Offers will be issued to successful candidates, uh, in or about February 2025 and start date. Guys, this is really, really important. The start date is September 8, 2025, which is next year. Please note, there is no deferment because this is a cohort-based program. Uh, Matthias, I hope I've been able to run through that very quickly, uh, because I know there are a lot of questions around that, so I want to focus on other questions. Hence, you know, giving everyone a good overview of what the selection process looks like, um, before we dive into OK. So I do have a question on, one second, I'm just trying to see the top questions that we can attend to today. Um, da da da da da managed to make the most out of the web program for the rest of their peers. Hm, that's a good question. Do you have any economic background? Is there a chance for the internship? Do internships count? I've seen a lot of questions on internship. Do internships count as work experience, Mathias? Yes, you want to come in on internships, or yeah, there's a lot of questions around internship and how to count the years of experience. Relevant work experience is 4 years minimum. So how, you know, do internships count? Uh, so I think what's important is whether that experience has been collected after the degree, and then usually, if that's the case, uh, it, it's, it is relevant for what you're applying for, right? So that's the, that's the big thing. The contract type is not as important as what you actually did. Um, if you work as a lifeguard, it might not be as relevant as if you work in development, um, or investment. So, that's the kind of, uh, um, distinction here. It can be internship, it can be consultancy, it can be short-term, it can be long-term, um, that all counts. OK. All right. Thanks, thank you so much. There is a question on, um, can you apply for both World Bank and IFC at the same time or only one? So when you, uh, go to the application form, you will have to make a selection of, uh, uh, which institution you would like to be part of. Now, that being said, eventually, you will end up being part of the same YP cohort. You all start together, you have the same start date, you have the same training activities together, you will be able to rotate to different parts of the bank. Um, but at the moment of application, you need to make a choice, uh, in terms of what your preferred, um, specialty area or institution would be. As I said earlier in my presentation for the World Bank part, uh, you have to pick a sector, um, well, and it's very different, of course, the skill set, whether it's, you know, between health or macroeconomics. It's a very different, um, Uh, um, degree and academic background and professional experience required. Um, when you apply for IFC and MIGA, you only have to make that selection, um, and then, uh, we will look at the profiles and see what the best fit, uh, in which unit the best fit can be achieved. Um, and then, uh, after the selection, sometimes, uh, while interviewing, we also have found that people have different, uh, specialty areas. They, and then they, they would tell us, uh, I have, uh, you know, macroeconomics and poverty. Um, am I a better macroeconomics or am I better in poverty? So we can still Um, uh, see where your, your fit is better at the moment of selection and offer you, uh, a contract in, uh, the area that, that fits our needs and your needs best. Um, so once you pick up, uh, the moment of application, doesn't keep you from being hired in a different unit afterwards. OK. Thank you. Thanks so much, Matthias. There's a question on, you know, what language to use for your applications. Please, uh, all. Applications have to be in, in English. You know, I saw a question on should we use other languages or in French, no. Your cover letter, your CV, or your application has to be in English language. Um, there is a question that had the highest vote, over 600/200 votes. It says, what would make an application stand out to you in particular? Domenico, as a recruiter, a senior recruiter, I would come to you on that. What would make an application stand out? Yes, and I, and I think that, that Vicky mentioned something very important like showcasing your motivation and what is the reason why you want to join the, the organization. So, in your cover letter should be reflected that and the cover letter. Needs to answer the part of your motivation, but also how your skills and experience may contribute to the YP program. So, make sure that in one page you're able to, to demonstrate or to, to communicate what, what, what is your motivation, what are those technical skills, experiences, languages that you may have that can add value to the YP program and specifically to the areas that you are most interested. Um, another thing is in terms of the resume. The resume, make sure that you are proofreading your resume, check the length of your resume, so 1 to 2 to 3 pages depending on the level of experience that you have. It's not like, it's not one strict page. If you have more experience, you can expand more on your resume, format your resume properly, so use a professional font. Uh, you can start with a concise summary so we understand better what are your aspirations, uh, when, when you are preparing your, your document. Also, you can use some keywords, so you can check our website depending on the work that we are doing in specific fields that you are interested, take some of those concepts and apply them on your resume so we can understand also how This interest is reflected on the past experiences and make sure that you're using bullet points, action verbs, so if you Google action verbs resume, you will find a list of verbs that you can use uh to, for us to, to, to get an idea on what are those skills that you, that you have at numbers that also can provide us context. It's not the same that you can That you say I trained members of my team versus I trained 12 members uh on XYZ that contributed saving X percentage of operational costs that will give us way more context of your, of your experiences. So make sure that you, that you also, uh take a look on your, on your resume. And, uh, Mabel, I, I, um, also saw a lot of questions, and I think it's important to, um, uh, to make clear that, uh, the YP program does not encounter all specialty areas, uh, especially in internal functions. So, I, I saw a lot of questions. Uh, can I join in IT? Uh, can I join in law? Um, so it's very important for you to note that the YP program is very much focused on operational work, which means where we do the actual projects. And that means, um, Usually in IFC, uh, it has to do with finance. In MIGA, we also, um, like a finance background. And at the bank, we have a lot of economists, uh, but also specialists on, on health education. So the areas where we do actually the projects with our clients. So that, that being said, if you have a background that is more suitable for internal functions, I saw HR somebody asked about HR somebody else about IT compliance was there in, in the chat. All of these jobs we need, it's just that they're not part of the YP program, but we have vacancies. So just follow us on LinkedIn. Uh, set up a career alert on your, on our career website, because we do need IT people, we need, uh, lawyers, we need compliance people, uh, we need, uh, environmentalists, we need all of that. Um, even if it's not a fit for the YP program, uh, please, uh, uh, apply and, and find our vacancies. And that same, um, message goes to everyone who would like to work from the, from their local country offices. I saw a few questions. Can I work from London? Can I work from here and there? Um, the YP program is HQ program, so you would have to be in Washington DC, but we have local vacancies. We have offices all across the globe, and we have, uh, jobs that we need to fill there. Thank you. OK, thanks, Mataz. I know we're on top of the hour now, but I want to take a question that had a lot of votes as well. And, um, if our wife isn't still online, I think Taz, Vicky, you're online. I would like you guys to take this question. It says, what distinguished Which is YPs who managed to make the most out of the YP program from the rest of their peers. So basically as a YP what distinguishes you from the rest of your peers, you know, for other people that are on the same grade as you are or your same unit but are not YPs. Um, I mean, it's a really good question, um, and I've only been, uh, here a year, so, you know, during the year, I haven't really sort of tried to, yeah, I guess, differentiate myself too much from, from my, my YP cohort as much as I've actually tried to work with them, um, and sort of that teamwork aspect, I think has been really crucial, which is also another part why I really like the program, you know, you're starting a new organization in new countries, and you're all in this together. However, saying that, um, I do think. Uh, you should maximize, um, the opportunity that the YP program offers. I think, you know, if you can go, um, for a rotation somewhere, do it, um, and just, you know, the experience I have in Africa, I couldn't have got that if I was still in DC, um, that's, that's for sure. Um, and so, yeah, really try and maximize that, and I would say also, uh, I don't like using the word networking. I don't know, I'm just quite averse to it, but. You know, really try and get to know the organization, speak to as many people as you can. Everyone here is so fascinating. They're from all over, um, and you can really get sort of experience from, uh, an understanding and knowledge from people if you do talk to them, and then you don't have to even be investment professionals. They could be, you know, economists and my, my colleagues at, um, at IBID or they could be Amiga, for instance, and speaking to them about what they do and. It's just, it all comes together at one point. So really trying to always put yourself out there and speak to people because you have that curiosity, not just because you're doing it, because it's sort of a tick box exercise. But, um, but yeah, try and maximize also the, you know, the opportunity that the YP, the YP offers. I think Maria mentioned how she's sort of, you know, gone around and did lots of different things. Do that also, um, you know, don't just get stuck in a box. Yeah. Thank you. Thanks so much, Taz. So guys, we're on top of the hour now. I know, yes, we are not able. To get through all the questions, but we have tried our best to answer most of them. But please visit the website as all information, everything you need to know about the program, about the process, tips on how to, you know, the eligibility criteria, everything is on the website. We really took our time this year to revamp the entire website to ensure that all information you need is there. There is also uh a Documents, FAQ that has all, most of these questions that he asked today are actually on that document. So if you can go through that as well, that would be great. And in case after looking at all this documentation and the website and the FAQs and how to apply, why to apply, and your question is still unanswered, please send an email to the YP email address. It's also on the website and a member of the team will respond to you. Thank you very much, everyone. I would like to specifically thank all the participants for joining us today. We appreciate you for taking our time to join this session. We do have other sessions as well, so if you join late or midway, and you would like to join more, there are 2 more sessions we'll be having this week, so please go online and register for those session. Sessions as well. Uh, for all our speakers, Domenico Mattis and Tessie, Maria Vicky, thank you very much for taking our time to attend today, and I wish all of you a great day, great of the rest of for you those of you in DC, it's still morning, it's 8:04, so wishing you a very good day ahead. For those of you that are It's already late afternoon or evening, do have a very good evening. And for those of you that is late, those of you joining in from Asia, good night. Thank you very much, everyone, and I wish all of you the very best in the entire process. And we hope to have you as a colleague by September 2025. Bye everyone. Thanks guys. Take care. 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