by Juliette Martin
Last Thursday (September 18th) the IGS department hosted an alumni panel, bringing in three successful IGS grads to talk about their experiences navigating the job market and applying the skills learned in the IGS major to their jobs. The panelists (Yuli Almozlino, Nafiz Ahmed, and Scott Evans) each brought a unique perspective and shared some fantastic advice, including these top five tips:
5) Be interested and interesting: Actually be interested in the companies you apply to! Do your research in advanced and get curious about what they do and how your particular skills could be put towards their goals. Use your research think in advanced about how you’re going to present yourself so as to interest a particular employer, tailoring the way you talk about your experiences appropriately.
4) Remember, your classes count for something: You’ve learned more from your classes than just what you were tested on. Think of a small class like a project team, and your professor as your boss—that will help prepare you for the kind of teamwork that many jobs will require.
3) Don’t make an exception of yourself: In college, an extension is usually just an email away. However, when you’re working with bosses and clients, those deadlines are harder. Plan your time appropriately and deliver on your commitments in order to be a valuable employee.
2) Interviewers won’t remember facts, they’ll remember stories: After the fact, an interviewer may not actually remember much about you—but if you tell interesting stories, they might remember those. Instead of just presenting your achievements, actually talk about them. Tell a wild story about something you saw while abroad that taught you a valuable lesson, or something you did with a club that establishes your leadership ability.
1) And finally, use what IGS has taught you: The ability think analytical and critically, and to approach problem from many perspectives. The IGS major is extremely interdisciplinary, which gives IGS graduate students something other majors may not have. An IGS grad may have taken class in politics, anthropology, economics, sociology, and particular regional studies, granting the ability to look at a problem from many perspectives and present well-round solutions.
Plus, bonus tip: All of this goes hand in hand with networking! Your resume has a better chance of actually getting looked at if somebody already in the company hands it over to HR on your behalf.