Washington D.C. with GPA Part II

By Chloe Turner, MSW ’19

 

On behalf of Global Public Affairs at Luskin, I had the opportunity to travel to Washington DC over spring break and participate in engaging conversations with several international development organizations. Through this unique experience, I learned the importance of refining specific skills geared toward the profession of global development. This trip provided me with vision and guidance on how best to focus my second year of studies in the Luskin Social Welfare Department.

From conversations with employees from World Bank, Mathematica, and InterAction, I realized the importance of understanding research, developing strong writing skills, seeking feedback from interviews, and the importance of networking- or should I say…coffees. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. The word we heard over and over in each of our meetings with various professionals. This opened my eyes to the importance of relationships and how to strategically
navigate my way through my career as a young professional. While speaking with Nicholas Smith who graduated from UCLA in 2010, I learned the importance of building right relationships and exposing yourself to field experience with the direction you want your career to go. For Nick, he stared by developing his own non-profit in Uganda- a community center that focuses on education and health for the community. It was apparent that he was able to transfer his experiences and skill set to his current job position at World Bank.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the experience and how it impacted my professional development. From this trip, I have a better understanding of my career goals, which consist of working for an international NGO focusing on children’s rights and community development. Additionally, this trip helped me redefine the professional skills, such as writing, the ability to analyze research, and communication skills I will need to advance in this sector.