International Monetary Fund

IMF Recruitment

Economist Program Selection Process and Criteria

September 24, 2018


How do we select EPs?

EPs are selected through a multi-phased process. Dates for the 2019 selection process and mission schedule can be found here.

1. Application

Candidates must complete an online application through the IMF Current Vacancies Website

If we are visiting a campus near you, we encourage you to submit your application at least one week in advance of that campus visit so we can coordinate interviews in the event that you are shortlisted.

Before submitting your application, you may find it helpful to review the general information for applicants in the Current Vacancies section.

Please note: we will only contact candidates who are short listed. Due to the large volume of applications, unfortunately, we are unable to offer feedback.

2. Preliminary Interviews

Shortlisted candidates participate in a 30 to 40-minute preliminary interview. During this interview, candidates are asked to provide a high level overview of their job market or key research paper, and to answer questions on macroeconomics and related fields.

Preliminary interviews are either in person – during campus visits, at IMF headquarters, and at the American Economic Association Annual Meeting— or by phone.

Following the preliminary interview, we may also request the following to support our assessment

  • Most recent university transcript from the PhD studies; and
  • Three academic references (not from current IMF staff).

3. Panel Interview

Candidates invited to this stage will participate in a full-day selection process at IMF Headquarters in Washington DC, comprising:

  • A 45-60 minute interview with a panel of three senior IMF economists and a HR Officer. The interview is designed to assess candidates’ analytical abilities; judgment; oral communication skills; general knowledge of macroeconomics and related fields and broader behavioral skills. Questions will focus primarily on monetary, fiscal, balance of payments, and financial sector issues rather than a candidate's dissertation or job market paper.
  • A 90 minute writing test during which the candidate is asked to select one of three working papers and prepare a brief (one-and-a-half to two page) summary and critical commentary. The purpose of the test is to assess candidates’ drafting skills and analytical abilities.
  • A 30-45 minutes online psychometric test designed to assesses candidates’ behavioral skills.

Candidates invited to the interview stage are required to submit the following: A-sole authored research paper (ideally of publishable standard) or one or two chapters of their dissertation. The document submitted should be 25 pages or less.

Offers

The IMF will consider each candidate’s performance in each component, as well as their overall rating, to determine which candidates will receive offers. In addition, other factors, such as diversity and particular skills sets needed by the institution, may also be considered.

Candidates who are offered a position in the EP typically need to respond within a few days. Offers are only binding for the current recruitment year and do not extend to the following year. Ratings and rankings are not shared with candidates.