“Tap deeply into the long-standing MIIS alumni network, as well as professors and advisors,” advises Mary Njeri Njuguna MATESOL ’20 as she reflects on how she got her role as an English and social studies teacher at an international school in Egypt.
In a May podcast, Middlebury Institute career advisor and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) Scott Webb MPA ’07 shared tips for RPCVs looking to break into the field of international development.
I highly recommend informational interviews—not only do they help expand your network, but they are also a great way to practice interviewing. Take courses that offer you practical skills and experience, and take the time to work on your language skills.
Do you want to move into project management or team management in the language services industry? Are you already working in localization but you want to level up your technical skills and business acumen to deliver tangible results for your organization, setting up your next promotion?
Working on specific, tailored projects in courses was helpful in building a portfolio to share with potential employers. It was also helpful to participate in immersive learning experiences.
My advice for students is to network as much as possible, do informational interviews as much as possible, and start applying for jobs early! Networking and informational interviews can help you narrow down what type of job you’d like to end up in.
The increased use of remote communications has made it easier for alumni from around the world to share their expertise with current students. As an example, two alumni who work as staff interpreters for the United Nations recently conducted free subject-matter workshops (via Zoom) for interpretation students interested in learning more about careers at the UN.
