By Wei Wang, MSFS’14
To many first-year MSFS students, a job in either an international organization or a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) is an ideal way to employ their knowledge and talents in making a difference in the world. However, because of fierce competition, navigating the complex internal structure within the organizations to find the right position for themselves is a daunting task. Fortunately, thanks to an extensive network of MSFS alumni in international organizations and NGOs, students can have a headstart in searching for internships and jobs in this sector.
On October 12, MSFS welcomed back five alumni who are currently working at major international organizations and NGOs such as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to share their experience and tips on career development with the first-year students at the DC Career Day panel discussions. One issue that was addressed was the skills needed in preparation for these careers.
Guillermo Siercke (MSFS ‘12), an International Development Consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank, emphasized the importance of strategically building up a skill set with a focus on academic priorities during the two-year MSFS program. For instance, monitoring and evaluation are two marketable skills in the international development sector, a sector in which project outcomes are becoming increasingly important. Jerome Prieur (MSFS ‘09), a Research Officer in the IMF, strongly recommends statistics and other data analysis skills, especially for those looking for jobs dealing with the economy, such as finance analysts.
Writing skills were cited by Kristy Ogamba (MSFS ‘11) as the most critical skill to a practitioner working for NGOs. As a program officer and analyst at CHF International, she has multiple responsibilities such as business development, program management, budget compliance, evaluation and donor relations, and they all require strong writing skills, either in research proposals or evaluation reports.
The alumni all agreed that a variety of core and elective courses offered by the MSFS program can effectively and efficiently help students prepare the key skill sets for a career in international organizations and NGOs. As Siercke said, “all the dots will be connected” when merging MSFS coursework with professional work.
However, Adam Diehl (MSFS ‘11), Junior Professional Associate from the World Bank, believes that besides building up a skill set, it is also very important to select courses that fit one’s interests. The MSFS program allows students to concentrate on a certain area but also to have some flexibility in developing their respective expertise. As an IRS concentrator, he was able to select a number of courses in climate and environment and eventually became an international development professional.
Networking is also highlighted by the panelists as another key factor to successful entry into the international organizations and NGOs. According to Diehl, organizations like the World Bank feature a “coffee culture” in which many career opportunities can come out of a brief meeting over a cup of coffee. He encouraged current students to leverage MSFS resources to expand their opportunities through reaching out and networking with alumni. Newcomers to the MSFS program are offered unlimited opportunities, such as the DC Career Day series, to connect with alumni who can mentor on academic affairs and career development.
Paloma Lopez Diez (MSFS ‘14), a first-year student from Spain, formerly worked in the World Bank and ADB as a project assistant, but came to the program for a stronger academic background in order to work in business development or political risk analysis in the future. Even with her previous experience working for international organizations, Diez still found the meeting with alumni at DC Career Day very helpful in gaining more knowledge about how to prepare for an upgraded career in the sector. She also found it useful to learn more about how networking can create additional opportunities within organizations. “Alumni bring in their real-life experience not only about the positive side of working but also about the challenges of working for international organizations, and that is what I think is amazing,” she said.
Michaela Corr (MSFS ‘14), an American student who is interested in youth leadership development in developing countries, had never thought of pursuing a career in international organizations such as the World Bank, but the DC Career Day helped to broaden her choices. “It is a very positive experience, and alumni are very approachable and helpful,” she said.
During the Happy Hour, Corr was paired with Sheila Grandio (MSFS ‘12), a recent MSFS graduate and current World Bank consultant. Grandio discussed the various aspects of the World Bank that were related to Corr’s career goals. “I didn’t know that youth development is also a sector the World Bank, or other multilateral institutions that also have more of an economic focus, works on. Speaking with Sheila was very insightful for me,” Corr said.
As the DC Career Day series wrap up on Oct. 19 with a session about careers in the public sector, many first-year students are now more actively engaged in the MSFS alumni networks with a clearer idea of their career goal and path, resulting in an enriching experience for the MSFS community.