IMF Reviews

Pros

Smart people to work with

Cons

limited growth potential for the research assistant career track

Pros

training, travel, compensation,office space and services.

Cons

arrogance of staff and management.

Advice to Senior Management

Time to think about what their real contribution to this world is.

Pros

Great place to build a strong background as an economist; it is a unique place to get and exchange information about the world economy; wonderful travel opportunities; remuneration package was once outstanding, then it became only good now it's very good

Cons

You need to get into the right "group" or network to have a satisfying working experience and career perspectives at the IMF. It is not hard if you work hard and you are young. If you get to the IMF as an EP (entry program) your position is relatively better than if you get in as an experienced economist.

Advice to Senior Management

Find ways to rotate management faster, and give more power to junior positions

Pros

- Excellent opportunity to acquire relevant entry-level experience prior to graduate school
- Optimal environment to explore potential career paths, particularly if unsure about a PhD in Economics or something else
- Steep learning curve
- Flexible working hours, beneficial for personal life balance
- Potential to get involved in relevant publications
- Tendency to be admitted at top graduate schools afterwords
- Top salary and benefits
(note that the actual salary offered is net of taxes; the values posted here are likely to be an estimate private sector salary around 27% higher than the actual amount received)

Cons

- Some senior staff have missed the technology train and often require rather silly assistance with very basic tasks (you can only be patient!...)
- Work environment can become quite dry and boring
- If you realize economics is not for you, it becomes difficult to keep up the motivation although the Research Assistant Program's beauty is that you are hired for 2 years and are actually expected to leave the organization at the end of your contract in order to pursue graduate studies or further professional experience elsewhere if judged necessary

Advice to Senior Management

- Keep an eye on senior staff with high tendency for micromanagement. Some of these often hamper one's productivity by missing the big picture and requiring extra work on rather irrelevant requests.

Pros

Good pay and benefits. international environment, respectful workplace, good work life balance, convenient location, interesting people, training resources available, job stability

Cons

Hierarchical, not much room for growth if you start as a staff assistant, bureaucratic, slow to change, spreading capitalism and the ethical dilemmas that come with that.

Advice to Senior Management

Be more transparent, bring innovative ideas into management, inspire employees to work hard and be more creative, promote more based on merit

Pros

Great place for the VERY high pay (nowhere else in the world can you get paid like this and still have job security). Also great if you like to travel, especially if family and loved ones are abroad.

Cons

Get ready to suck up to your boss--and all potential future bosses. Forget about family life if you are in one of the high-travel jobs.

Advice to Senior Management

Revamp promotion criteria.

Pros

A good place to build credential as an economist in applied economics.

Cons

Diversity is poor at the senior level

Advice to Senior Management

The Fund needs to the one to impose fiscal discipline, no matter how unwelcome it is. The IMF will remain relavant in the long run by telling the truth and daring to propose tough and necessary measures.

Pros

high reputation in international finance

Cons

bureaucracy, can be a little boring,

Advice to Senior Management

none

Pros

benefits are generous especially for expatriate staff

Cons

career development limitations are key problem for staff

Advice to Senior Management

To motivate staff provide opportunities for career development

Pros

The pay and benefits are above average. The IMF has embarked on a serious change agenda that encourages innovation and has led to the creation of may interesting work opportunities.

Cons

Work/life balance is a big issue. Work demands have risen over the last few years and show no signs of abating.

Advice to Senior Management

Work harder to walk their talk--they need to do their part to bring about the cultural change they desire. Not enough role models.