MENTORING

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Where Do You Start? Careers in International Affairs
August 11, 2016 | Washington, DC
Photos | Blog Post

Washington, DC—On August 11, 2016, WFPG hosted a panel discussion on starting careers in international affairs. The panel featured a group of experienced professionals—Ambassador Linda Jewell; Andi Gitow, UN Information Center in Washington, DC; consultant Dawn Calabia, and Sandra Pepera, National Democratic Institute. The panelists began by briefly sharing their career paths and then proceeded to discuss several topics, including taking initiative, finding a work-life balance, gaining self-confidence, and acknowledging your successes. The panel, moderated by WFPG President Patricia Ellis, was part of the WFPG’s commitment to supporting and promoting young women leaders.

Jewell began her remarks by describing her unusual path to the US Foreign Service, sharing that, unlike many others in the service, she did not initially have a passion for international affairs. While she was unable to offer any “tips or tricks” for passing the foreign service exams, she did emphasize the importance of being broadly educated and staying informed on current affairs. Speaking more generally, Jewell advised young professionals to seek out opportunities, instead of waiting for them to be offered. This went along with a point that Ellis highlighted throughout the discussion, which was to take initiative and look for ways to make yourself stand out. Furthermore, Jewell stressed the importance of pursuing every opportunity that you are passionate about, even if you believe you’re not ready or qualified. She strongly advised attendees to still apply to these jobs, regardless of whether they meet all or only a few of the requirements, adding, “I promise you, the men are doing it.”

In her comments, Pepera shared her experience working in each of the sectors of the international affairs field. Prior to her current position at NDI, she was a lecturer in Ghana, worked for an intergovernmental organization, joined the British civil service, and was a consultant. However, she explained that, although she followed a general path, her career has been influenced by personal circumstances as well. Something that she has found to be helpful and suggested to WFPG guests is to create five-year plans, especially if they were interested in starting a family. She emphasized that it is important to think about the long-term when searching for jobs and to find something that will allow you to have a work-life balance. Another important point that she made was to avoid getting stuck in a specific field, organization, or position. Pepera argued that it is important to know yourself and your interests when looking for new opportunities. She explained that a mission-driven person would probably not enjoy working for the government, so it is important to be able to identify the types of environments that fit your personality.

When describing the trajectory of her career, Gitow used the word “circuitous.” Although she initially studied psychology and trauma at Columbia, she went on to work in journalism at NBC, before finally transitioning into her current position at the UN. Still, she claimed that each position was connected in one way or another and underlined to WFPG guests the value of each and every experience. She made the point that having language skills and a global perspective, either through traveling, studying, or working abroad, are very important, especially when working for the UN. On the topic of networking and being a competitive candidate, Gitow emphasized the importance of acknowledging what you have to offer and sharing your successes. She stressed that while it may be uncomfortable, it can really be beneficial to highlight and share your accomplishments with others. Similarly, Gitow explained that although it may seem like networking consists of asking others for favors, it is important to understand that you also have a lot to offer in terms of skills and experience, and in that way networking benefits both parties.

During her remarks, Calabia commented on the challenges women faced around the time she was entering the field and how this impacted her career. One of the key points she made was to be persistent, flexible, and confident. Calabia shared her experience of applying to the UNHCR and getting turned down twice before finally getting hired. In terms of confidence, she highlighted the importance of projecting your voice when speaking and being assertive. As a confidence builder, she also proposed doing the wonder woman pose prior to entering a meeting and cited studies that have proven that this works. Adding to the networking discussion, Calabia stated that joining associations is another way to meet people and learn about new opportunities. During networking events, she recommended having a brief script prepared to introduce yourself, especially if you are a shy person. Furthermore, she told WFPG guests to not be afraid to inform others that they are looking for jobs because you never know who might be able to help you.

To end the panel discussion, Ellis emphasized the importance of being creative and doing a lot of research when pursuing a career in international affairs—a field with many opportunities.


Panel Speakers
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Dawn Calabia is a consultant who works on issues of statelessness, aid to displaced populations, resettlement, and asylum. She now serves as honorary advisor to Refugees International. Earlier, she served ten years in the UN as deputy director for the United Nations Information Center Washington office and as senior external relations officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Calabia was also director of refugee policy and development at the US Catholic Conference and has worked on the Hill. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, treasurer of the WFPG Board, and a founder and commissioner of the Women’s Refugee Commission. In 1996, she was honored at the White House for her work with refugee women and children.


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Sandra Pepera is a career diplomat and international development professional. Before joining National Democratic Institute (NDI) as its director for gender, women and democracy, she spent thirteen years as a senior officer at the UK’s Department for International Development, including leading programs in the Caribbean, Rwanda-Burundi and Sudan. Previously, she spent time in British domestic politics; lecturing in political science and international relations at the University of Ghana; and as a political analyst in the Political Affairs Division at the Commonwealth Secretariat. Her experience spans strategy development, political and risk analysis, diplomacy, general management and corporate governance.


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Ambassador Linda Jewell served 32 years in the US Foreign Service, with a final assignment as Ambassador to Ecuador (2005-2008). Her other positions at the Department of State include Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs and director of the Office of Policy Planning and Coordination for the Bureau. She served in Indonesia, India, Mexico, Poland, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. Ambassador Jewell joined the Foreign Service (US Information Agency) in 1976 after a stint in publishing at Prentice-Hall, Inc. After leaving the State Department in 2008 she was Executive Vice President of the International Student Exchange Programs until 2015. She has a BA from Yale and a Master's in International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins SAIS.


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Andi Gitow is a two-time Emmy award-winning journalist who's the acting deputy director of the UN Information Center in DC. Gitow also served the UN in NY for more than 10 years in various capacities including: executive producer and acting chief of partnerships in the News and Media Division; and as head of film, global campaigns and special projects in the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. She's traveled to and reported from nearly 50 countries, covering genocide, human rights and humanitarian issues. Her work has garnered more than 30 prestigious awards. Prior to joining the UN, Gitow was a producer at NBC Network News. Her broadcast features and documentaries have also appeared on National Geographic, Discovery Channel, and PBS, among others. She holds a BA and MS in Psychology from Columbia.


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Patricia Ellis (Moderator) is president and co-founder of the WFPG, a nonprofit which promotes women’s leadership and voices in foreign affairs. Previously, she was a journalist covering foreign affairs for the MacNeil-Lehrer Newshour and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. She also taught news coverage of foreign affairs at American University's Washington Semester Program, worked at the US UN Mission, and MIT’s Center for International Studies. Ellis was awarded a fellowship from Harvard's Shorenstein Center, received the Netherlands Universities’ Foundation for International Cooperation Scholarship for graduate study in The Hague, participated in the European Community Visitor’s Program, and was a founding member of the International Women's Media Foundation. She frequently moderates WFPG programs.

Q&A Session
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