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Fresh out of undergrad and eager to build my professional portfolio, I took a night job translating calls for a Fortune 500 global finance company. The hours were brutal so after three years I decided to make a change and found an administrative job at a small international program within the Johns Hopkins University.
To better acquaint myself with my new role, I jumped at every opportunity to learn new skills and expand my professional knowledge base. I joined ad-hoc committees, served as staff-advisor to student groups, volunteered at events, and started researching people whom I admired professionally. Shortly thereafter, I met a woman in JHU’s senior leadership who worked in international affairs and asked for an informational interview.
Though the purpose of our interview was for me to learn about her educational and career path and to seek her thoughts on graduate school options that I was considering, it ended up being much more! Not only did she provide her sage advice, but she also offered to introduce me to more professionals like her. Almost immediately, I connected with professionals from each Johns Hopkins school, one of which was an Associate Dean at the Carey Business School, with whom I have remained in contact ever since.
Fast forward to June of this year when I was finishing my MA in International Education Policy and looking to make another job change better suited to my increased skill level and expertise, I began my quest for a new job. After looking internally within Hopkins, I found an opening at the Carey Business School that seemed like it was written for me. After submitting my application, I sought my professional contact’s advice, as she had since left the school, and she advised that she would forward it onto one of her colleagues within Carey. It was not long after I found myself sitting in front of the position’s hiring manager for a formal interview that I began discussing my start date.
Though ultimately my credentials and professional experience landed me the position, it was through professional networking and recommendations between trusted colleagues that I got my foot in the door.
So my advice to all Carey students—future, past and present—is to never underestimate the power of networking. The person who you meet today could be the very person that helps you land your dream job years down the line.
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