Emily Pham, A’25
On November 18th 2021, ALLIES hosted its annual Internship Panel where former Tufts alumni shared career insights from their internship experiences in International Relations. This year, our featured panelists included: Connor Akiyama, Ria Mazumdar, Haruka Noishiki, and Graham Starr. All pursuing diverse paths in IR, our speakers spoke on their individual career backgrounds in the federal government, journalism, economic research, and program management.
Akiyama, currently a researcher for the US Department of Defense, shared some of his memorable experiences of applying into research positions, concluding on an encouraging note for all aspiring students to not be afraid to differentiate themselves through their hobbies and interests, noting that something as simple as being a Lego enthusiast can even count towards your resume. Noishiki, a program officer for the Association for Former Members of Congress, urges international students to not be afraid to diversify their portfolio through more creative avenues such as blogging or student club initiatives. Acknowledging the hardships many international students may face in job search, she recommends students to be patient and not be deterred by long-term pressures and career goals, but rather be guided by what most excites them in the present.
Echoing the same sentiment, Mazumdar, a research associate at Harvard Business School, shed light on how her college career was rather unconventional compared to her peers – with most of her internships going towards academic research instead of corporate or federal jobs. Mazumdar also emphasized the importance of diversity, representation, and the social pressures that can come from being female in a predominantly-male field such as IR; encouraging female peers to find strength and confidence within themselves to persevere through such challenges. Finally, Starr, a senior editor for Business Insider, also spoke on his unconventional career path after graduation, remarking a start-up experience that was formative to his path in journalism. His advice to undergraduates was to have patience and allow yourself room for experimentation, and not to be afraid of not having everything figured out after college.
In conclusion, our Internship Panel was a success as students walked away with valuable advice and insight while our guest speakers were able to bond over their shared community in ALLIES.