‘Career Development’ Articles at Heller Admissions Blog

Tag: Career Development (page 1 of 5)

Conference Recap: ECOSOC Youth Forum 2023

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID’24

Last week I had the opportunity to attend the ECOSOC Youth Forum in New York City, hosted by the Economic and Social Council. This conference was dedicated to youth engagement with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and accelerating the continued recovery from COVID-19. There were both in person and online events which made this conference really accessible to attend in person and remotely. Something unique about this conference is that it gives youth the space to showcase their abilities, emphasize the need for youth engagement and call on leaders to continue to provide youth a larger share of responsibility as this generation is already shaping the future and want to expand their opportunity to participate.

I attended this conference with my peers that I work with at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. My peers on the Global Schools team and I hosted a side event focused on the use of partnerships and featured speakers from across the global who are passionate about education and developing interconnected partnerships to advance the SDGs. I was able to learn more about effective partnerships, how to create lasting partnerships and the importance of partnerships not only in education but the SDGs overall.

On Wednesday and Thursday, I attended the conference in person which was great to network, attend side events and larger forum style events. While the first day was intimidating, after I found my way around, I was able to sit in on a session about human rights and environmental justice. This event was great to see how different aspects of our lives share so many common themes and that there is not a single solution to many of the issues that we face as a society. The sessions on Thursday focused on youth recommendations moving forward and how different agencies can facilitate this progress.

My favorite part of the conference was not only getting to hear all the great work that is happening to advance the SDGs and youth involvement but also hearing young individuals calling for more actions on the SDGs with clear plans of what they want to achieve.

I had a great time getting to know other youth who are involved with the SDGs, networking and getting to know my colleagues better. I hope to be able to attend future conferences fully in-person again as we return to this modality after COVID-19. I left the conference feeling excited to continue my work through my internship and for future possibilities.

Where Can Heller Take You? Andy Mendez’ Answer

May 2, 2023 / amendez / 0 Comments

Andy Mendez, MBA/SID’23

As of today, I have two more weeks of classes left and just five weeks until graduation. It’s hard to believe that I’ll be closing the book on graduate school. It feels like I just got here! While I’m sad to be leaving this community, I am very excited for what is ahead. This week, I was named a 2023 David L. Boren Fellow. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this program, the Boren Fellowship is a study abroad program that aims to provide foreign language training and cultural exchange opportunities for students pursuing a career in the federal government.

Boren has been on my radar for years. When I was first looking into graduate degree programs, part of my criteria were programs that would position me well for post-graduate opportunities abroad. Boren is a well-known opportunity among Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs). It came up a couple of times when I was still serving in Morocco and was put back on my radar when I started to research schools that were part of the Coverdell scholarship program for RPCVs.

Boren is distinct from other study abroad programs in its focus on preparing Fellows for careers in national security. In fact, one of the conditions of the scholarship is a one-year service requirement with the federal government after completion of the Fellowship program. Unlike Fulbright and the Critical Language Scholarship (which I applied to and was named an Alternate for), Boren has a specific career pathway and is used as a talent pipeline for federal agencies looking to hire students with advanced degrees, language skills, and international experience.

Applying to the Boren Fellowship program was, for me, an 8-month long process. I consider June 2022 the start of the process for me because that was when I began researching language programs. For context, there are basically two “flavors” of Boren Fellowship programs. You can either apply for a self-designed program or you can apply to one of the Regional Flagship Language Initiatives, which are pre-designed programs for African, Indonesian, South Asian, and Turkish languages. After speaking with Gabriella Lanzi and Phillip Aitken, two Heller recipients of the Boren Fellowship and 2022 graduates of the COEX program, I was pretty convinced that I wanted to pursue a self-designed program. With my past experiences in Morocco and Egypt, I figured it made sense to apply for an Arabic language program that could take me from my current intermediate level to an advanced level.

I had a really hard time trying to decide if I should study an Arabic dialect or if I should study standard Arabic. If I chose to study the dialect I was most familiar with, the only country option I had was Morocco. If I chose to study standard Arabic, I had many more country options, but would essentially have to start from the beginner level. I also struggled with other aspects of the language study plan proposal. I needed to be able to provide details on the cost breakdown of the coursework, books, and my preferred housing situation.

Aside from the language study plan, I also had to secure letters of recommendation and write two essays: one on the national security implications of my chosen language and country and the other on my plans for pursuing a career in federal service. For these essays, I was in ongoing conversation with the directors of the Academic Fellowships department and the staff at Heller’s Career Development Center, who helped me edit my essays and refine my arguments. Since I already had begun forming relationships with the director of the Sustainable International Development program and the director of the Social Impact MBA program, I let both of these professors know that I was pursuing this opportunity. In previous assignments I had submitted to these professors, I had focused on international issues, so they both were very familiar with my previous professional background and my aspirations to go abroad post-graduation. This meant that when it came time to ask for recommendations, I already had professors who knew me very well and who were invested in my professional growth.

As the end of fall semester was nearing last year, I began to notice more and more cracks in my Arabic language study plan proposal. I realized that the maximum time I could spend in the Boren program was still less than half of the time I spent learning and speaking Arabic with the Peace Corps in Morocco. I didn’t have a strong enough argument for how Boren would help me learn a language I already had a strong foundation in. For the national security essay, I also found it hard to articulate the importance of focusing on Morocco, given the current administration’s foreign policy stance away from the Middle East and towards China, Russia, and Iran.

For this reason, I completely scrapped my self-designed Arabic study plan and switched to the Turkish Flagship Language Initiative (TURFLI) in Azerbaijan. Due to Azerbaijan’s proximity to Russia in the north and Iran in the south, I was able to make a national security argument about the country’s relevance to US foreign policy, while also making a connection to the core coursework I had done on economic and business development and the elective coursework I had completed on conflict and coexistence. I was also able to argue that my prior experience studying Arabic (a harder language than Turkish by the federal government’s own standard) was proof that I could succeed in the Boren program.

While I will never know for sure what factors led the selection committee to choose me for this award, I have a feeling that it was partly because of my essay on career plans. Due to the service requirement, the Boren Fellowship really wants to attract people who are serious about a future career in the federal government. For this essay, I wrote about my plans to pursue the Presidential Management Fellows program which, two months before I submitted my Boren application, named me a Semi-Finalist. I believe having gone through and made it to the first round of the PMF process convinced the committee that I was not only serious, but also qualified. My success in the PMF program, as is the case with Boren, was a direct result of support I received from Heller’s Career Development Center, Brandeis’s Academic Fellowships department, and my professors.

As a recipient of the Boren Fellowships, I will be studying Turkish at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from June to August and then at the Azerbaijan University of Languages in Baku from August to December. It’s a relief to reach graduation knowing exactly what my next steps are and to know that I’m pursuing the exact international opportunity I learned about way back when I was a brand new Peace Corps Volunteer seven years ago.

Finding your Summer Internship: The Final Steps

April 25, 2023 / bruscitti / 0 Comments

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID’24

The final weeks of the semester are upon us! It’s crazy how fast the semester has gone by and I can’t believe many of us are just a few weeks away from graduation or starting a new job or internship. Throughout this semester, I have discussed the many different steps that go into finding a new job or internship and I hope those tips have been helpful; feel free to go back and read those blogs if you haven’t already! I wanted to talk about the last step in the process after you have done all the hard work of crafting your applications, applying, and interviewing, which is to review your offer, final job description and making sure you are a good fit with your future colleagues.

In the interview process, if you were able to meet the team, make sure you can see yourself working well with the group and enjoying the work. I think we can all attest to the importance of a good work environment and a supportive team, as this can increase your job satisfaction and help build your network. It might be beneficial once you accept your job offer to set up an introductory meeting with your new team to start getting to know each other and see how you will fit into the team dynamic. Learning about the company culture, work life balance, typical working hours and the potential commute time are important considerations outside your actual job description that you should consider. I also think it is important to evaluate your career goals at this stage and opportunities for growth that this job can offer.

You should also be sure to review your offer letter closely and ask any follow up questions prior to committing as to avoid surprises later. I recommend meeting or discussing with another trusted individual, if possible, to review things such as the offer letter and job description as they might have more questions that you haven’t yet considered. This has personally helped me as they also might offer some grounded outside perspective and advice to help you evaluate if the job is a good fit and helps you progress towards your goals. Also, if you are applying to a full time position, I advise reviewing the company benefits to make sure they align with your needs. I hope this blog series has been helpful and I wish everyone the best of luck in the job hunt!

Midterm Madness with Calah

April 18, 2023 / cmcquarters / 0 Comments

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

Hello and happy Spring! Last week, Waltham weather decided to give us a quick tease of warmth before reverting back to the cold and rain. Seeing as winter is my favorite season, I am in no rush to get to summer. However, it was nice to experience a bit of sunshine.

Today, I am going to share about something I accomplished this semester that I feel proud of: I made it through midterm season! Now you may be thinking, “Calah… really? That’s the accomplishment you want to highlight?” And the answer is, YES! From March 1st to March 31st, I completed 4 papers, 2 slide decks, 1 accounting midterm test, a 3 year budget projection spreadsheet, ended a Module 1 class, and started a new Module 2 class, all while working 2 jobs, attending board meetings as a board fellow, and engaging in extracurricular activities. *cue applause*

March 2023 was no doubt the longest month of my academic career dating back to preschool. But we made it! And before we start to panic about finals, which literally begin next week, I want to take a moment and celebrate!

When you’re going grad school, oftentimes it can be hard to recognize growth. Waking up and doing almost the same thing every day tends to feel more like just going through the motions rather than frequent eureka moments. This is exponentially true during midterms. When you’re focused on meeting the next deadline, you can lose sight of the knowledge you’re gaining along the way. Sometimes it isn’t until you get to apply your new skills to tasks outside of the classroom that you really see the fruits of your labor. This leads me to the accomplishment I really want to highlight.

A couple of weeks ago, I was on a coordinating call for my job as a program manager at a local non profit. The team was discussing the need to hire a few new people and wanted to figure how changes in hours and pay may affect our long term budget. *Cue my moment to shine.* My boss asks me if I can work on doing some budget projections to figure out the best course of action. Now, had he asked me this in January, I probably would have been able to figure something out over multiple days and through some tears. But it just so happened that the next week I had a midterm due in financial management around budgeting out a new three year program for a non profit organization. So what may have taken me days in January really only took me an hour and a half in March because I had been learning and practicing everything I needed to know for the last two months. *sheds a tear of joy*

I cannot express how great it felt to be able to immediately apply what I was learning in class. Like I said, when your days are filled with reading, Powerpoints, and lectures, it can be difficult to see how all of the learning pieces come together, or how all the theoretical and hypothetical will translate to “the real world”. But that moment of realization was also the moment of reassurance I needed to boost me through the rest of the semester.

So! I made it through March, a little wiser and with the gray stress hairs to match. But I celebrate those hairs with joy. They’re the proof in the pudding. 😉 And with that I will bid you all adieu for now. Don’t forget to step outside, get some Vitamin D, and watch the flowers bloom during this lovely Spring season.

Event Recap: Heller Alumni Networking Night

April 4, 2023 / rclark / 0 Comments

Ronunique Clark, MPP’23

Last week I had the opportunity to invite one of the graduate assistants from the Heller Career Development Center, Nijimbere Lahayiloyi, to step into the admissions blog room to provide us with more insights of what the career development center is, breaking any myths about the career development center, and how the team can be benefititial to you and your career goals. This week I had the amazing opportunity to attend the Career Development Center Alumni Networking Night!

The Alumni Networking Night is a space for current Heller students and Heller alumni across all our programs to connect with one another as Alumni to share their expertise, insight, stories, and connections. This year’s Networking Night was hosted at Time Out Market in Boston, near Fenway; if you have never been, I highly suggest that you write this one on your list of places to try. The Time Out Market has an array of food and drink options to choose from— my favorite of the night was the sushi bar GoGo Ya, and the most delicious mushroom bento bowl I have ever tasted in my life. Oooooh, my mouth is watering just remembering it! But enough about the food, you will just have to try it to believe me, let’s talk about the set up.

What I liked most about the Networking Night this year versus last year is that Time Out Market has tons of space. Instead of shuffling to around to meet an alumni and yelling over one another, you are able to find a location on the outside (weather permitting) or inside the location. This gives you the opportunity to connect one on one with Alumni, or even in small groups if you like, without the worry that the person standing directly beside you can’t hear you. Having so much space to freelance is very helpful because you do not have to feel the pressure of being too crowded, or if it becomes a little overwhelming for you, then you are able to sneak away and give yourself a break if needed.

Let’s not forget, however, that this night is about networking: meeting with alumni who were in the same program as you and possibly working in the career field you could be interested in. But let’s not limit ourselves here, right? Even if you do not have the chance to meet with an alumni who is directly connected with your program, most Alumni have connections to people within in your field of study or work. You know what I love to say: closed mouths don’t get what? Fed! So never stop yourself from having fruitful conversations with people all because what they have on paper doesn’t match what you have on paper. You never know who knows what and who knows who.

Another amazing part of Networking Night is that not only do you have the chance to network with alumni but also it is the perfect opportunity to network with your classmates as well. Being at Heller, sometimes we can get really caught up in just being around our own program’s cohort majority of the time. The Networking Night provides you with the space to finally be able to engage with your peers across the different programs that Heller has to offer. You can learn more about why your classmates decided to join Heller, what are some interesting classes they have taken so far, have they participated in any field practicums or internships, or just enjoy each others openness and presence at the event. Your peers are your first chance at showcasing your networking skills, so connect with your classmates and utilize one another as a support and resource.

I really enjoyed myself at the Networking Night and can not wait to see how future Networking Nights go for the Career Development Center at The Heller School. Thanks to everyone for making this event happen, and I will truly miss being able to apart of this experience hoping I can return as an alumni who shares their stories, insights, and connections :).

The Importance of Pivoting

March 30, 2023 / amendez / 0 Comments

Andy Mendez, MBA/SID’23

One of the many benefits of being a Heller student is the ability to take courses outside my academic area of focus. When building my course schedule for the first half of the current spring semester, I quickly decided that I wanted to take Women, Peacemaking & Peacebuilding taught by Boston Network for International Development (BNID)’s Executive Director, Nanako Tamaru. I already had a strong basis in gender studies since one of the focus areas of my work in the Peace Corps was gender development. Additionally, I had taken two courses focused on gender last fall. The Women, Peacemaking & Peacebuilding course caught my attention because it would allow me to build on my theoretical foundation in gender studies while also gaining a basis in conflict resolution and coexistence, a field in which I didn’t have much prior knowledge.

Our final assignment for the course was to write a 600-800 word OpEd on a contemporary issue relating to women, peace, and security. This assignment appealed to me because I wanted more practice writing for a generalist, public audience. The OpEd assignment challenged us to be persuasive rather than descriptive, with a clear call to action for the relevant stakeholders addressed in the opinion piece.

I was surprised to find that I struggled to identify the right topic for this assignment. I started out wanting to look at women in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and how women who were not mothers were being left out of the peacemaking process. I had only ever written about Central Asia once, in a paper that looked at economic development for internally displaced people in Azerbaijan. Last fall, I applied to (and am still waiting to hear back about) a Boren Fellowship to study Turkish in Azerbaijan, and figured this assignment would be a great way for me to learn more about the region. However, I quickly discovered just how little context I had. I realized I wouldn’t have enough time in a half-semester course to build the knowledge base I needed to cover this topic accurately and effectively.

For that reason, I decided to change my topic. I instead pivoted to looking at state and non-state violence against religious minorities in Egypt, where I had been a volunteer educator during the last two summers of my undergraduate career. Whereas I knew very little about my original topic, I knew a lot about this one. So much, in fact, that I found it really difficult to fit a discussion of this topic into the 800 word limit. I found myself taking a lot of time to explain the context around certain trends, which left me with very little room to present my stance. It was also hard to be very focused with my recommendations because there are so many interlacing pieces to this issue that an integrated approach is the only way to effectively address what’s happening.

Finally, I settled on writing about violence against women human rights defenders (WHRD) in Libya. Since North Africa is my region of professional interest, this topic allowed me to learn more about a country in the region that I had not previously engaged with. This topic also more directly addressed the parts of the prompt that called for an analysis of gender and conflict dynamics. While it was frustrating to change topics so many times (especially since I consider myself to be a very decisive person!), I am very glad that I acknowledged the shortcomings of my earlier topics and kept pivoting until I found the right one for this assignment.

In the immediate aftermath, this experience reminded me of the importance of trusting my gut and making necessary pivots (something we hear a lot about when discussing social enterprises in the MBA program). In the long-term, I already see ways in which this exercise will support my future career. As someone who is on track to be a policymaker in the federal government, the ability to communicate with a wide variety of stakeholders — including the general public — is an essential skill. Additionally, I recently started a role as a Foreign Policy Writer with Al Fusaic, an online platform that seeks to disrupt stereotypes about countries in North Africa and Southwest Asia, while facilitating cross-cultural connections. As a content writer, I will be publishing public-facing articles that highlight and demystify ongoing social, political, and economic developments in the region. For one of my first assignments, I will be repurposing this Op-Ed for Al Fusaic, which I’m pretty excited about! Until that’s published, you can read the initial version of my Op-Ed on the website Dispatches on War and Peace.

Meet The Heller Career Development Center: Nijimbere Lahayiloyi

March 14, 2023 / rclark / 0 Comments

Ronunique Clark, MPP’23

First, I graced you all with the presence of my current classmates in my mini blog series: Meet My Cohort. Today…. well, let’s just say I’m introducing a slight spin off. In this blog post, we will be chatting with a graduate assistant in the Heller Career Development Center. Let’s welcome Nijimbere Lahayiloyi to the Heller Admissions Blog room!

Nijimbere Lahayiloyi is 27 years old, born in Burundi, East Africa, and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. In undergrad, he majored in Political Science, Global Politics, and International Affairs. He is currently in the dual-degree MA in Sustainable International Development/MA inConflict Resolution and Coexistence program. He is one of three Graduate Assistants in the Heller Career Development Center.

What is your role at the Career Development Center? And why did you decide to work at the center?

I work as the Career Center Graduate Employer Relation Assistant here at Heller. I chose to work for the Career Development Center because I had prior professional and personal experiences that aligned with specific skills, knowledge, and qualifications the center was seeking. On a personal level, I was very interested in learning more about career opportunities that emerge from the center and how these opportunities are shared with students in different programs.

What is the Career Development Center at Heller?

In general, the center is a team of highly talented individuals who work to educate, advise, and connect students with employers, alumni, and other professionals with an aim to unlock high-impact career opportunities for all Heller students. Within the center, we have programing such as Information Sessions, International Career Clinics (Help with Resume, Cover letter, Networking, all for international students), and many more. The office is managed by Dr. Jasmine Waddell, who also in charge of the programing for MPP, MBA, and PhD students. Bryan Kanney, our Assistant Director, works mostly with programing for the Global Programs: MA in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence, MA in Sustainable International Development, and MS in Global Health Policy and Management. We currently have three Graduate Assistants: Fabiola Mejia, Meghan Gragg, and myself.

What do you think are the most common myths of The Heller Career Development Center?

I think some people might think that some of the platforms we embrace are difficult to navigate, but I disagree with the sentiment. Platforms such as Handshake and B-Connect are not difficult to navigate, I believe that once you familiarize yourself with it, it becomes second nature and very useful for job searchs and connection to opportunities.

Why is it important for students to connect with their career development center?

It’s very important because eventually most students, if not all, seek to put their education to a good use after graduation. It’s very imperative, in my opinion, that students connect with a career center early in their first year of their program as they plan for internship or practicum opportunities. The center has so many tools and resources to assist any student attending Heller. The problem I often see is students waiting to contact the Career Center in their last semester or just a few weeks before graduation; while it is never too late to seek assistance, there is extra strength that lies in strategic planning and connecting with available resources as early as possible. Most students that succeed are capturing and obtaining their desired position after completing their program tend to those who have connected with the center from the very beginning of their academic journey at Heller.

What should we expect from the Career Development Center this year?

We recently renewed our website to better reflect the needs of students from all programs. We used to post job opportunities on Handshake, but we have changed this, going forward all jobs will be posted on B-Connect. We plan to continue using Handshake to schedule appointments with students who are interested in crafting resume, Cover Letters, and learn more about the art of networking. This year we will also continue to have alumni, employers information sessions, career fairs, career conversations workshops, international career clinics, and more programing.

Thank you, Nijimbere, for stepping into the Heller Admissions Blog and educating us on the importance of connecting the Career Development Center here at Heller. I can also vouch that I have utilized most of the resources offered by the center, such as setting up a 1:1 meeting with Dr. Jasmine Waddell and even attending a resume/cover letter workshop! So if you hate cover letters (like myself), are stressed about the job search, or just want to learn how to navigate the platforms such as Handshake and B-Connect as mentioned by Nijimbere then do not hesitate to set up a time to meet with the Career Development Center they will be waiting :). To learn more about the Career Development Center, please visit the Career Development Center’s website.

The Ultimate Balancing Act: School and Work

March 7, 2023 / cmcquarters / 0 Comments

Calah McQuarters, MBA’23

The most common question I have been asked during panel discussions, prospective student visits, and interviews is “Is it possible to work and go to school at the same time”? Well, I am here to answer this question once and for all for everyone: it depends. I know, I know. That is likely not the answer you were anticipating or wanting to hear, but it’s the truth! Every person is different. Every person’s capacity is different. Every person’s needs are different. Because of this, there is no one answer to this question. However, today, I will tell you about my experience balancing work and school.

This semester, in addition to taking 6 classes (20 credits), I also have two part time jobs. (I got exhausted just typing that out!) I am a Graduate Assistant for Heller’s Admissions department, hence the beautifully written blog posts you all receive from me regularly ;). I also work as a Program Manager for a local non-profit organization dedicated to healthy aging. I started both jobs in the same week and about a month after classes started (it was a very busy September). Combined, my jobs take up about 20-25 hours of my week outside of class and each requires something very different of me. As a GA, I spend the majority of my time talking to you all through emails, visits, and interviews. As a Program Manager, I am responsible for making sure programs run smoothly, grant reporting, meeting with local stakeholders, and whatever else is needed (such as being a website designer…). My GA role is in person while my other role is remote. As a GA I have a structured weekly schedule, but as a program manager I set my own hours. (Side note: flexible, remote jobs can be equally amazing and tricky. While you can work when you want and in whatever attire you want, the battle between napping and productivity is real and difficult every day. If I am transparent, napping has won more daily battles than productivity…) These two jobs are very different in so many ways. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, and each is teaching me something new almost daily! I share this information for two reasons: to show it is possible to work and be a full-time student and to also show the range of jobs accessible at Heller and the greater Boston area.

Now, before you run to start submitting job applications, let’s all take a step back and remember what I said in the beginning. Everyone is different. It has taken much trial and error to learn how to semi successfully balance school and work (not to mention extracurriculars). I have three different calendars and alarms galore to help me manage my time, and even with all of that, some days I still get behind. So why do I do it? Two reasons: capacity and need. As a person that loves being on the go, I tend to be energized by doing. I love being a busy bee and I haven’t run out of capacity (yet… we’re coming close). Also, life in the Boston area can be expensive (especially for a girl coming from Oklahoma!). As I said, everyone’s needs are different and right now, mine require a little extra money for monthly movie outings to keep me from going crazy :).

So there ya go! Is it possible? Yes. Is it necessary? That’s up to you, your capacity, and your needs. Either way, make sure what you’re committing your time to is serving you just as much as you are serving it.

A Day in the Life of a MS GHPM/MA SID student

February 28, 2023 / bruscitti / 0 Comments

Brielle Ruscitti, MS GHPM/MA SID’24

This semester, alongside my coursework, I am interning at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network and working in their education portfolio. I am currently working on projects related to program evaluation and outcomes. Today, I will be taking you through what a typical day looks like for me.

8am – I’ve had my morning coffee and packed up for the day so head out to campus, and start my day with my applied econometrics class at 9am.

10:30am – After my class ends, I start a bit of work on my internship. My work varies from day to day, but recently, I have been doing some analytics on survey data from the Global Schools program, which helps teachers implement education for sustainable development curriculum for schools across the world. I am investigating the relationship between the sustainable development goals and values that teachers think are most important. I am also working on some paper editing and communications with teachers involved in the Global Schools program.

12pm – I wrap up my internship work and head up to the Admissions desks where I start work. Somedays I work on blog posts, like this one, or meet with prospective students, and complete other tasks in the office.

2pm – My shift ends at 2pm, and I have a short break before my afternoon class starts, so I eat my lunch, take a mental break and go outside if the weather is nice. Then I head over to my introduction to demography class, which is only 7 weeks long, and I will have a new class starting in the middle of March. I have really enjoyed this class so far, but am excited to start another new topic in just a few weeks.

5pm- Shortly after 5, my class wraps up and I head home for the day. I usually make dinner and relax before heading to sleep after a busy day.

This day is definitely one of my busiest days but not all my days look like this. I have some days where I do not have any class and some days where I do not work, for my internship or at the Admissions office. I hope this gives some insight into what my days looks life and what you can do in your time as a Heller student.

A Day In The Life of a 2nd Year MPP Student

February 21, 2023 / rclark / 0 Comments

Ronunique Clark, MPP’23

Most students would probably like to spend their weekends either resting, catching up on their favorite hobbies, or hang out with friends. I, on the other hand, find myself trying to balance all of the above… and a little extra. Come along with me as I take you through my typical Saturday as a 2nd year MPP student, working as a part-time Support Staff member at Father Bill’s and Mainspring House in Quincy:

9:00am: After a very busy week of classes and extracurriculars, I wake up in the morning and start my house chores that I wasn’t able to get to during the week. A clean house is a clean mind!

11:00am: I finish up house chores, and then take time to go through any assignments that have an upcoming due date. When I’m planning out my weekend work, I attempt to prioritize my assignments by the day of class and deadline of assignment. I get started on some of the assignments.

1:00pm: I note whatever assignments I could not get to, in the hope that I can complete them during my scheduled shift (this is a hard hope), and then start to get ready for my upcoming shift.

2:00pm: I am all dressed and ready for my shift at the shelter. I spend time catching up with my roommates who (lucky them!) spend most of their day working from home.

3:30pm: I head out for work, as the shelter is about a thirty minute drive away from my home in Dorchester.

4:00pm: Arriving at the shelter, I greet the guests who are in line, waiting for check-in. The majority of the guests have same bed status in our shelter, but some are coming to receive a first-come, first-serve bed. I enter the shelter and say hello to my co-workers who were working the 8am-4pm shift, before clocking in for the day.

4:10pm: The people working on the 8am-4pm shift gives us, the 4pm-12am shift, a report of the day: do we have any guests who have received a warning or suspension? Are we out of any materials? Is the house laundry done for the day? Any major updates from management?

4:15pm: I check the bedsheet for any guests who may be entering the shelter late, have an approved night out, or suspension, and I make sure to mark this on the spreadsheet. After checking the spreadsheet, I go outside and begin checking guests in. Since most guests have same bed, they will tell me their bed numbers. For guests who are waiting for a bed, I ask if they are able to climb to a top bunk so I can allocate the proper accommodation. I write them in on the bedsheet by first and last name.

4:30pm: Official check in has begun. It should be four people on shift, but today there are only three of us. Another staff member and I start letting guest in pairs or groups of three. We check their bags, and ask them if they have any open food or water, any harmful items, or if they have any medication they will need to lock up. If they pass the full check in, they are allowed to enter the dorms, grab a blanket and sheet, and set all their items on the bed. For guest who have medication, it will need to be locked away in their med box.

5:00pm: Dinner time for guests.

6:00pm: First fresh air break for guests.

6:30pm: Guests are allowed to watch TV in the dining room, or they choose to get a head start on sleep. Staff spends this time in our office space, also known as the bubble, and cater to any guest needs: if they need any hygiene products or clothes, collect any mail, and guests who need to take medication, takes it.

7:30: Second fresh air break for guests.

8:00pm: Final medicine call for guests who would like to take their medications before lights out.

8:30pm: Begin filling out guest folders, taking notes if guests are in the shelter or not.

9:00pm: Third fresh air break for guests.

9:30pm: Guests assist staff with cleaning up dining room so that guests who were not able to receive a bed can sleep.

10:00pm: Lights out for all guests in the shelter

10:30pm: Final fresh air break for guests

11:00pm: We made it to the final hour! My co-workers and I normally spend time doing dorm checks and retracing the day spent.

12:00am: Overnight shift 12am-8am relief arrives, and my co-workers and I brief them on the status of day: do we have any guests who have received a warning or suspension? Are we out of any materials? Is the house laundry done for the day? Any major updates from management? After, I clock out for the night and head home.

WHEW isn’t that a shift? I bet you’re exhausted from reading all of that. For most, this may not seem like the ideal job to have as a graduate student and some may way want to know what made me agree to a job like this in the first place. As a public policy student ,I believe the only way I can make a direct impact and provide my support is when I am on the ground doing the work. Often times, shelter support staff are overlooked and most certainly can be overworked, and there is currently a shortage on these kind of workers. If a government is going to fund something, then people will have to be there to work it. These types of workers are should be thought about when implementing new structures, policies, and procedures, because we are the ones bridging the gap between the rules and the individual it was put in place to serve. With that being said, I will continue to place myself in positions that do and will make direct client to support services, because those are that is the kind of work that makes our world of social impact go around.

Heller Admissions Blog

Tag: Career Development (page 1 of 5)

Conference Recap: ECOSOC Youth Forum 2023

Finding your Summer Internship: The Final Steps

Event Recap: Heller Alumni Networking Night

The Importance of Pivoting

Meet The Heller Career Development Center: Nijimbere Lahayiloyi

The Ultimate Balancing Act: School and Work

A Day in the Life of a MS GHPM/MA SID student

A Day In The Life of a 2nd Year MPP Student

Recent Posts

Categories

Archives

Most Popular Tags

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

Archives

Categories

Most Popular Tags

Meta

Ping