What’s to Come for Global Development Professionals in 2025
It’s not like recessions or sector downturns are anything new. They’re cyclical and there are always a handful of economists and market experts that predict them. Most sectors were impacted by the 2008 global recession and the tech industry had the 2000/2001 dot com bubble, and I don’t even know what we’re calling the 2023/2024 tech layoffs - the AI Takeover? The Pandemic Over-Hire? Post-Pandemic Inflation Craze?
I watched those from afar though. In 2008, I was working in the advertising industry and my job was safe and then I went to grad school in 2009 for a career change as the economy was still reeling from the collapse. I got out of grad school in 2011 and while it took me a long seven months to get a job in the global development sector, I was able to get one. Social media wasn’t as time-consuming then, and “doom scrolling” wasn’t a thing yet. I didn’t fully grasp or feel how difficult that time was for people because I wasn’t directly impacted by it, nor could I watch it happening on my phone 24/7.
In 2021/2022 I read articles about FAANG companies stalking talent and offering them obscene compensation packages and fully remote work only for my LinkedIn feed to be dominated by open to work announcements not even 1.5 years later. I recall one coaching consult where the senior tech professional just bought a house for their family in the incredibly expensive Boulder, CO area. When I asked how much of a financial runway they had until they needed their next role, they paused and responded, “3 months”. I was scared for them. They now had to find a fully remote job in an industry that wasn’t hiring with the added challenge of companies forcing people back into the office on a hybrid schedule. The whiplash from that time was insane, but again, I was on the outside looking in as my job with a government contractor was safe.
I left my contractor job in June 2024 and took a four-month sabbatical. I then decided to turn my career coaching side hustle into my full-time gig in November 2024.
Now, it’s my turn. Things feel different when they hit home.
But for obvious reasons this is worse:
It’s not like the global development sector wasn’t prepared for the Trump administration to make cuts or potentially attempt to roll USAID into the State Department. Lots of people read Project 2025 and Trump’s plan for USAID or read Elon’s plan to cut the budget by $2 trillion (now he’s targeting $1 trillion).
Many USAID staff and implementing partners welcome a review of USAID strategy and refinement of programs. We just didn’t think it would happen so fast and wide. A multi-agency stop work order (SWO) within five days of Trump getting into office didn’t enter anyone’s mind.
Most global development workers aren’t making tech salaries. I’m not worried about the executives at big federal contractors and global non-profits – they’ll be fine, but a lot of people in this industry don’t have a ton of savings. And when you’re low on personal financial reserves, you start making fear-based decisions.
Small businesses and civil society organizations operating in countries receiving USAID funding will close forever, creating massive unemployment for people who didn’t make high salaries to begin with.
And worst of all, lives will be lost because life-saving care was abruptly cut off.
Once again, I’m watching hundreds of open to work posts fill my LinkedIn feed, but this time with the faces of close friends and colleagues. It’s devastating to say the least.
What happens to the thousands of people laid off and furloughed? Where will they go?
Some will wait out the SWO period and they’ll go back to their federal or implementing partner jobs albeit to a department, agency, organization, or company that is a shell of its previous form.
Some will stay in global dev – the lucky ones will get one of the highly coveted and well-paid foundation roles or move and work outside the U.S. with another aid organization or donor.
Some will leave the sector entirely seeing this as the push they needed to leave a sector their heart left a long time ago and because they were never gonna do it on their own free will.
Some will pivot into domestic social impact work because they live in a city or town that doesn’t have global dev employers and they can’t snag one of the few remaining remote global dev jobs.
Some will have a fire ignited inside them which will lead them into a political or community activist role.
Some will tap into their entrepreneurial spirit and start their own non-profit or mission-driven business.
Those that were on the fence about grad school, will finally submit those applications (as the ghost of future education debt, I beg you to really consider this financial investment, but I’ll save that for another post).
Some will leave for a few years and boomerang back when/if a new global development-friendly administration takes over.
Some will take up gig work to pay the bills for way longer than they expect until they can get any job that holds them over until they make a shift into a career they want.
Others will retire a few years earlier than planned knowing they don’t have it in them to stick out four years of this mess.
Many of you already know which camp you fall into. Some of you are optimistically in denial of which camp you’ll end up in.
No matter where you end up, it’s where you were meant to be. I believe that. But it feels like my favorite band is breaking up and I just want one more album.
I know there will be a reunion tour because administrations change, and I truly believe the actions of the Trump administration will force the pendulum to swing so far to the left that U.S.-funded global aid will come roaring back. But so many will move on. It won’t look, feel, or sound the same.
There’s a lot of noise right now as people try to make sense of the chaos. For those embarking on the job search, protect your mental health. For most, this job search will be a marathon and you need stamina for that kind of endurance contest.
You don’t need to follow every influencer on LinkedIn; you don’t need to take every piece of recruiters’ advice; you don’t need to apply to “just one more job.”
If you feel yourself spiraling or becoming anxious, frantic, or starting to make fear-based decisions, step away from the job search for a few days. Spend time with friends not talking about work, get outside, watch your favorite trash TV, play with your kids. There’s life happening outside your career and there’s not one job seeker who I’ve spoken with after they landed their new job who said they wish they worried more or spent more time on LinkedIn.
You’ll get to where you need to be, in perfect timing.