Every day, many development professionals interested in the measurement of programmatic results desire to take up roles in monitoring and evaluation. The process of getting these positions is highly competitive and often a challenge to several people than it should. Interviewing for an M&E Job can be easy when candidates prepare well.

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The following M&E Job interview preparation tips will help you gain an edge over other candidates:

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE M&E JOB REQUIREMENTS

1. Understand the purpose of the M&E job. The purpose speaks to the job responsibilities, the position’s value-add to the Company/Project, and the job’s focal M&E components, such as Evaluation, Accountability, Learning, and Capacity Building. The interview panelists will most likely concentrate their skills-based questions on these issues.

2. Align your technical know-how with the job preferred experience required. If you don’t meet most of the skills needed by the M&E job, do not worry. Concentrate on the experiences you will bring to this position. In addition, sound out the present technical strengths that helped you succeed in your present career/job, with practical examples aligned to the job purpose or functions.

3. Play by your strong soft skills and attributes. Your technical skills will help to do the job while soft skills help on how to get the job done. You should be able to tell how you get things done and how this helps you to work effectively with colleagues, partners, and program participants. An M&E candidate should be able to share practical examples about some of the following popular soft skills: teamwork, communication, flexibility, and stress tolerance.

4. Be able to articulate at least 2-3 results for an M&E role. Every M&E position holder is usually required to set up a functioning M&E System for their Company/Project. You should be conversant with the M&E System’s key elements, steps to develop it, and its application to various contexts. The interview panelists’ choice of M&E topics or questions including depth will depend on the position, seniority, and skills required.

5. Pay special attention to the latest M&E Trends or innovations. A candidate abreast of the latest developments in the M&E profession, methods, and tools, has a lead over others. You need to leverage the internet, professional social media platforms, and print media to note what is trending or new in M&E, hiring Company’s industry, or core business.

6. Identify and prepare for the right M&E job type. An M&E job can be direct or indirect depending on how close the position holder is to the program implemented. Unlike an indirect M&E job type, a direct M&E job needs you to hold primary responsibility for or do M&E activities as part of the project implementation team.

Remember to subscribe to this blog, and checkout Mande Boost PODCAST, https://www.buzzsprout.com/1588120, for additional M&E Tips. You can also access this Podcast via your phone podcast apps such as Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple podcasts, Overcast, among several.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE HIRING COMPANY’S BUSINESS

7. Research the organization’s core business. You should have a better perspective on the Company’s work, and how their M&E practices, if possible. The interview panelists will use this lens to interview you. Remember that the M&E practices in a government agency differ from non-profits or foundations.

8. Review the hiring company’s major donor’s M&E requirements. Every candidate should be comfortable with the hiring company’s donor M&E policies and standard specifications for their implementing partners. Candidates aware of and who show the ability to help the Company/Project meet these M&E requirements interview better than others.

9. Industry M&E methods and tools. You should make sure you have researched well the methods and tools used to measure results in the industry or programming sector for the hiring organization. Panelists will likely be convinced by your practical examples that speak to their own organization’s programming and measurement biases. Industry sectors such as education, health, child protection, trade, food security, and the environment have unique M&E practices.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOU

10. Be confident with your past accomplishments. Do a self-reflection on your current job/activity and document experience relevant to the job you applied for. Have 2-3 examples of things you have done so well and how, and those you learned to do differently next time. The hiring manager will be interested in your core strengths and areas of growth.

11. Applicant career growth priorities. Articulate your career dream, possibly achievable in the next 3-5 years, and what difference this job will make. At your figure, tips should be a summary of key skills to harvest from the job to support your career. You could look for exposure to the organization’s context, specific programs, or donors. Be candid about your career trajectory.

12. Prioritize questions to ask the panel. Identify the grey areas about the job you will sit interviews for. If the panelists don’t cover your concerns at the start of the interview, ask your question/s. Many candidates come to the interview with the need to know more about organizational M&E practice including structure, investments, culture, among others.

What issues did you consider the last time you prepared for an M&E job interview? Share them in the comments below or email info@mandeboost.com, and check out the Mande Boost Podcast via any podcast app. You can also follow this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1588120.