Before Joining the World Bank, Mrs. Shijaku worked at the Central Bank of Albania, where she held various positions, including as Deputy Director of the Monetary Policy Department, Head of Macroprudential Risk Assessment Unit, and Head of Monetary Statistics Unit. Her main qualification is in economics, banking and accounting. Her expertise areas are economics and finance, including macroeconomic modelling and forecasting, monetary and fiscal policies assessment, bank stress testing.

Mrs. Shijaku obtained a PhD in Economics, from Staffordshire University, with a thesis on monetary policy assessment in Albania. She has passed Level I of the CFA Program, and she has a Bachelor in Finance/Banking form Tirana University.