Projects Consultant
(Female, Age 28) from Brooklyn, NY
This is a REAL-LIFE job profile written by a Female aged 28 who works as a Projects Consultant in Brooklyn, NY. We have removed all names and personal information in order to protect privacy. This professional kindly spent a bit of their time to complete one of our job profile surveys so that prospective job seekers like you could read their insights. Please excuse any punctuation or grammatical errors in this profile.
At a Glance
Current Job
Basic data on your current job
| Job Title | Projects Consultant |
|---|---|
| Salary | $42,000 |
| Other Compensation | None Set |
| Hours/Week | 40 |
| Company Size | (not answered) |
| Location | Brooklyn, NY |
| Years Experience | 1.5 years |
Career Ratings
Opinions on your CAREER overall (i.e. not just your current job)
| Years in Career | 0 |
|---|---|
| Education | (not answered) |
| Income Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Interest Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Work-Life Rating | 0 / 10 |
| Fulfilment Rating | 0 / 10 |
Current job Q&A
Describe the type of organization you work for.
I work for a mid-sized international NGO that does human rights advocacy, including policy research and analysis, political advocacy and information compliation and publication.
Describe your job role and responsibilities.
I research and write policy papers, statements and publications and manage the individual donors program. I also manage communication with foundation donors, including writing perojects, creating monitoring and evaluation frameworks and overseeing budgets.
Please list an additional benefits (beyond compensation) that you receive.
N/A– consultant
Do you feel you are under/over or well/fairly compensated at your current position?
well
Does your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this something you like/dislike about your job? Please explain.
Yes, I work part of the time in the office which includes working with project staff, teh accountant, support staff and the director. I love my co-workers and admire their committment to the cause. I also work from home, and enjoy that as well because of the independence it affords me.
Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
Describe your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what you like/dislike about working in it.
Often publications and reports are written collaboratively because many people toko part in the projects they describe. For example, I may report on year-long project to educate youth on their sexual rights. This would involve input from legal staff, authors of booklets and the staff that work directly with the youth. If possible this would also involve input from the youth who benefitted from the program.
Please rate each of the following aspects of your current job on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest/best):
Income: 2
Benefits: 5
Hours: 8
Co-Workers: 6
Supervisors: 7
Job Title: 4
Level of Responsibility: 3
The Actual Work: 1
Table of Contents
How you got your job
How did you get your current job?
Referral from a colleague
What was the application process?
Started as an intern, given a contract
Did you have to interview for your current job? If yes, what did the interview process entail?
Yes, a phone interview because the office is based in another country
If you can remember, what questions were you asked during the interview?
all the basics, including my experience specifically in grantwriting, human rights and policy advocacy
Do you feel your employer properly prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, I was given a good deal of time to read agency archival documents and get my feet wet by asking questions and doing more straightforward tasks before being assigned very complex projects.
Was there training for your current position? If yes, what did it entail?
On-the-job training, in addition to my graduate work and ongoing personal education
Do you feel your educational background prepared you for your job? Explain.
Yes, I have two masters in the field, (MPA and MSW) both of which included both theoretical and practical tools.
If applicable, do you feel your internship experience helped you prepare for your job?
Definitely, internships provided my earliest professional experience in the field.
If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
To work at the international level in human rights it is important to have a graduate degree in a related field. Then, start with internships and try to get to know as many people and organizations as possible.
What skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a position like yours?
graduate degree in a related field, big-picture organizational skills, concrete skills in human rights frameworks and policy advocacy
Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
graduate degree is important
What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Do good work and make connections and you will find it easier to move both horizontally and vertically.
Long-term career plans
Is your current employment part of your overall career plan? Why or why not?
Absolutely, I hope to stay in and move up in human rights advocacy.
What are your current career goals?
High-level advocacy in a human rights NGO
Is there anything else you would like to share about your career?
It is very rewarding but difficult to get a great job in this field.
Prior work history
Please list your most recent jobs prior to this current job:
| Title | Length | Salary | Description | |
| Prior Job 1 | Projects Consultant | 1.5 years | 42000 | Researching and writing policy documents, managemnt of individual donors program, project design and oversight, grantwriting and communication with foundation donors |
| Prior Job 2 | Program Assistant | 1 year | 45000 | Assisted a fellowship program for mid-career professionals, including academic, professional, and social support services. |
Educational background
Please list your educational background:
High School GPA:4
| GPA | School | Degree | |
| College (Undergraduate) or Technical/Vocational |
3.6 | Whitman College | BA |
| Graduate or Professional (Masters or Doctorate) |
3.7 | University of Washington | MSW, MPA |
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