First-year MAIS student and Career Services student worker Albert Heidecke reflects on the unique career opportunities that students have access to once they join the Hopkins-Nanjing Center (HNC).
Shenzao, literally translated to English as something like “deep creative” is typically used to describe efforts in pursuing one’s study – but it’s not the only reason why we’re at the HNC. The fact is, shenzao is not a means to an end; we’re here to develop valuable skills that will aid us in our professional careers. The HNC community is home to students interested in a wide range of interests pertaining to everything from climate strategies to Indo-Pacific security. Here’s the rub: how are we supposed to take advantage of all the great opportunities that are open to us HNC students?
I’m a first year MAIS student and I’ve also happened to pick up a work-study opportunity at the Career Center. In only the short time that I’ve been at the HNC, I’ve seen first-hand the amount of work that the Career Center puts into supporting HNC students and the larger SAIS community.
There’s something that prospective students need to know: no one is going to find your dream job or internship for you, but Career Services is there to provide you with assistance of all kinds. Don’t know how to write a resume? Or a cover letter? Or do you just need help brainstorming potential fields of interest? Career Services can help you do all these things, and more. My favorite part is that it saves students’ valuable time, i.e., more time to read - which you do a lot of at the HNC.
I’ve probably spent hundreds of hours slouched over my computer, endlessly searching for that one internship that I’m both qualified for and genuinely interested in. Sometimes, you don’t even know what you’re looking for. Sometimes that perfect opportunity is just hiding in a corner of the internet that you haven't opened yet. It’d be nice if there was somebody who was paid to hunt down job opportunities...
That’s where Career Services comes in. Career Services regularly compiles recent job openings and shares them via email with students in SAIS that have expressed interest in that given field or concentration. Here’s the thing: you should always check this list, even if you’re not actively looking for a new opportunity. Students at the HNC and SAIS can sign up for any number of these email lists. They’re fantastic tools for developing comprehensive views of the opportunities in particular regions, industries, or with certain employers. The email lists can save students many hours of research.
Career Services also facilitates excellent opportunities to network with employers and alumni. My coworker at Career Services this year is Nathan Rose – a master networker who just recently organized a Finance Career Trek. This is another time-saver. At HNC, you can leverage these events as opportunities to network more than you ever have and gain valuable insight into wide range of industries. Students are presented with ample opportunities to utilize the HNC as a springboard into their career. HNC and greater SAIS is the epicenter of an extensive alumni network and fantastic Career Services Center that spans all three of the SAIS campuses.
So, when someone asks you why you came to the HNC, you need not only say that you’re here to shenzao – you’re also here to develop your career, and this is the right place to do so.
