Cady Deck, Certificate ‘19 + SAIS MA ’20, discusses the recent career trek in DC
A couple of weeks ago, about 20 students had the opportunity
to participate in the DC Sino Affairs Career Trek put together by the
Hopkins-Nanjing Center Career Services Coordinator. Most of us were from the DC
campus, but there were also several students from the HNC. We talked to people
from The Asia Group, The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS),
and APCO Worldwide. Some of the representatives we talked to were graduates
from the HNC or SAIS DC. They offered advice on how best to leverage our SAIS
degree in the DC job market and also how to transition from graduate school to
a full-time job. On a broader note, it was a great way to learn about the
similarities and differences between consulting firms, think tanks, and public
affairs companies.
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| Visit to The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) |
At CSIS, we met with people from the Chinese Business and
Economics program. The Director of the program Scott Kennedy (HNC ’91) spent
some time talking about his experience and answering students’ questions. Two of the other people on the panel also
graduated from the HNC or SAIS DC.
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| Visit to APCO Worldwide |
At APCO we met with Gadi Dechter, who shared with us his
nontraditional career path and how he ended up at APCO. Glyn Cozart Chaney discussed
how she integrated her language skills and regional expertise into her everyday
work. Kate Spinello and Skye Park shared with us the details of the unique
APCO+ program and how to apply to APCO’s internship program.
Participating in this Career Trek helped me realize how expansive
the SAIS network is in DC and how many opportunities there are to work on
Asia-specific issues. I look forward to future Career Trek opportunities!
Written by Cady Deck, Certificate '19 + Johns Hopkins SAIS MA '20
