Middlebury Institute graduates discuss where they are working today, how the Institute helped them get there, and what advice they’d give to current and future MIIS students.
My name is Annathea Cook, and I graduated with an MA in International Policy Studies, with a specialization in Trade, Investment, and Development, from the Middlebury Institute in 2016. (This specialization was the precursor to the current MA in International Trade and Economic Diplomacy.) My language of study was Chinese. I interned with the Bay Area Council’s China Initiative in San Francisco, California, and the International Trade Administration (ITA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. After my internship I became an international trade compliance analyst at the ITA in Washington, and I am now a senior international trade compliance analyst in the Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Trade - International Engagement Division.
During my second semester, I went on the DC Career Week trip that the Institute organizes every year during spring break. In preparation, I contacted several MIIS alumni in the area who work in international trade and asked if they could meet with me while I was in town for informational interviews. One of the alumni I met with said that they had room in their office for an intern and, after discussing it with his boss, I had a phone interview within a week. By the end of that interview I had an internship offer. After months of filling out online applications, it was that cold email and a coffee shop discussion that led me to my interview, the internship, and eventually to the job I have now.
One of the alumni I met with said that they had room in their office for an intern and, after discussing it with his boss, I had a phone interview within a week.
The Middlebury Institute introduced me to the entire field of international trade along with offering me access to accomplished alumni who were willing to help. I learned so much in every class at MIIS, all of which allowed me to discuss this work on a scale that allowed me to interact as a peer in this field right away. My best advice to current students is to hustle and be flexible. Good luck!
An alum from the ITED program helped me secure my internship with the International Trade Administration, and that role, above all else, helped me land my current job. If there is one piece of advice I would give current students, it’s that it’s never too early to start networking and looking for your summer internship or your full-time job.
My name is Loren Hall, I’m a graduate of the International Trade and Economic Diplomacy degree. Currently employed as a trade and logistics officer with the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation. The job that I’m in now is absolutely what I wanted when I went to graduate school.
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| by Jessie Raymond
Dean of the Institute Jeff Dayton-Johnson gave a virtual talk on the concept of freedom in the U.S. and how it can—and can’t—be measured by traditional economic indicators.
