A PUBLICATION BY AND FOR ALUMNI OF THE EDMUND S. MUSKIE/FREEDOM SUPPORT ACT GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM VOLUME 4: FALL 2003 IN THIS ISSue Building a Career .......................... 3 Job Market Prospectus ................... 4 Re-entering the Job Market ............. 5 Making a Career Transition.............. 6 Career Development..................... 7 Guide to Finding Your Next Job ...... 10 Returning Home ........................ 12 On the Move ............................. 13 Muskie Matters .......................... 14 Opportunity Knocks ................... 16 Informational Interviews .............. 16 Muskies Pix ............................... 18 Contact Information.................... 22 New Muskie Alumni at the End of Program Workshop in Washington, D.C. The Muskie Quarterly is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, U.S. Department of State, and is produced by American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS in The Muskie Quarterly is a publication for participants in the Edmund S. Muskie/ cooperation with the FREEDOM Support Act Graduate Fellowship Program. Alumni and current Fellows Open Society Institute are invited to share their Muskie experience, expand the Muskie network, and keep in (OSI). touch with program administrators. MQ strongly encourages participants to contribute to this publication by submitting essays, short articles and photographs for the following regular features: Perspectives Topic for Next Issue: “Making the Most of Your Internship EDITORS Experience.” Current Fellows: Share your experience and valuable insights with new Susan Frarie fellows. Alumni: Tell us how your internship helped your job search and your Lucy Jilka professional development. What advice do you have for other alumni and current Angela Glukhov fellows? Employers: Explain the value of internships from your perspective. Sergey Votyagov On the Move Share your promotions, awards, achievements, conference Elena Orlova participation, new jobs, volunteer activities, and other news with the Muskie Sheila Casey community. Include a photo of yourself! Muskie Matters Highlight a recent alumni event in Eurasia or an interesting DESIGN program activity in the U.S. Dallas Shelby Muskie Pix Send us your photos from alumni events, conferences, workshops, reunions, and professional, academic and community service activities. Number your photos and include a description with the names of those pictured. Hard copy originals will be returned to you. Opportunity Knocks Announce upcoming events and opportunities, such as reunions, re-entry seminars, and LIGP and SCOUT deadlines, for alumni in your region. Topics for future issues of MQ Help us keep MQ interesting and relevant. Tell us what topics you would like to see discussed or featured in future issues. Deadline for submissions for the Winter 2003 issue: October 15, 2003. Submission Information Send all of your submissions, inquiries, and other communication about MQ to Sergey Votyagov in the Moscow office of American Councils. MQ submissions must be texts in English. Be sure to include your name, U.S. university, years of study, field of study, current position, employer, city and country of residence. Open Society Institute Due to space limitations, not all submissions can be published. All text is subject to editing. The opinions and views Sergey Votyagov American Councils expressed in this publication 2 Leninsky Prospect, Office 507, Moscow, Russia 119049 [t] (095) 230-45-88, 956-78-03 [f] (095) 956-78-03 [e] [email protected] do not necessarily reflect those of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural The Muskie Program does not necessarily endorse any services, Affairs, American Councils, organizations or companies that are advertised in this publication. OSI, or the Muskie Program. 2 FALL 2003 Lilia Tverdun conducting a training session mean that you get from a secretarial I have been hired as a training and position to being the CEO of the com- development consultant for a USAID pany. Progress is measured in dif- project. I also work as a freelance ferent ways, and it is only you, as an consultant and do training programs individual, who can judge if you are for other companies. I am not a nov- progressing or not. ice anymore, and I consider it an achievement when you are not afraid I started my career as an English to not have a job. teacher. I liked my job and I liked what I was doing. When I applied I do not know if I have convinced for a Muskie Fellowship, I applied in you, but I have tried to inspire you the field of education administration. with the idea that the resources for I saw myself as a manager in my your career are not OUTSIDE of future career. While at New York yourself, but rather INSIDE of your- University, I had the opportunity to self. Ask yourself what you want to BUILDING A choose a slightly different concen- do. And DO it! Having the experi- tration: business education. I thought ence of living for one or two years in CAREER it was a good opportunity for me to the U.S. sets you apart from many develop new skills. I did, and made professionals with staj in your coun- Lilia Tverdun a change in my career. I became a try. But, who knows that you have Chisinau, Moldova business educator. the skills? Only you know. If you do New York University Education, 1995-1996 not tell the world what you can do, Training and Development Specialist, However, my education in corporate then it is likely that no one will ever USAID Project on Local Government training seemed a bit useless. In find out. Take the initiative and jobs Reform in Moldova Moldova at that time (1996), most will be created for you! The jobs will local organizations had no idea what take you step by step to the level you What is a career? In Soviet times corporate training was. So, as John want to reach. If, however, upon we were taught to be responsible F. Kennedy said, instead of asking your return from the U.S., you go to employees, stick to one job, obey the what my country can do for me, I work as a freelance translator, only organization’s rules, and stay as long asked myself, “what can I do for my because you are fluent in English, as possible (until retirement) with one country?” with the skills I had. I de- and only because it is a highly paid organization. Then you would be veloped my career myself. I incor- job, you will never have a career. considered a person with a big staj. porated training into my jobs at ev- This was basically what a career ery opportunity. As the manager of I am happy with what I have and meant to our parents. Times change, a large USAID project, I was doing what I do, but I still have a thousand and what may have seemed a golden training whenever and wherever pos- goals to accomplish in my profes- era no longer exists. Today you can sible! My col- sional career. work for thirty years with an organi- leagues liked that The most im- zation (if it exists that long) or you and soon I was mediate one can move around to different com- preparing “spicy” If you do not tell the is getting my panies to acquire more professional training programs world what you can Ph.D. in eco- skills and apply them in different en- for them every nomics, vironments. month. I was do- do, then it is likely which should ing things on my that no one will ever happen in What is a good job? Getting a little own. No one had September bit more money than your friends? asked me to pro- find out. Take the of this year. Yes, a good job pays well, but it also vide training. I initiative and jobs will Then, I plan gives you satisfaction in what you are was going beyond be created for you! to found a doing and allows you to apply the my job responsi- professional skills that you gain in your profes- bilities and devel- organization sional life. In my opinion, this is a oping my career. that can wel- career: You develop certain skills in My bosses noticed, and I have been come people like us (alumni) and help one or many professional areas and promoted, as well as awarded cer- us, as well as others, in our training then try to apply them in a way that tificates of professional achievement and development. brings you moral and material satis- from the U.S. and Moldovan govern- faction. A career would also imply ments. Don’t limit yourself to your degree the idea that you are constantly pro- and think that alone should open all gressing. This does not necessarily the doors for you. Use your skills as FALL 2003 3 a door opener and you will have guar- tor to work in. In Russia, however, anteed success. JOB MARKET banking jobs have historically been prestigious and are usually well-paid. Some advice concerning career de- PROSPECTUS velopment: Irina Shestakova True value of a Western Moscow, Russia degree Start thinking about your future Syracuse University I do not want to disappoint you, but job when you start your stud- Public Administration, 1997-1998 some Russian companies do not ies in the U.S. know what an MBA is (no, it is not First, a little bit about myself. I earned the Moscow Business Academy) and Think of what you want to do my master’s degree from the Max- why it is so cool to have one. Those upon return to your home coun- well School of Citizenship and Pub- employers who do know the value try and start developing the lic Affairs, Syracuse University right skills through your study of a Western education may not BUILDING A CAREER (New York) where I majored in pub- have heard about the university you and group projects at your uni- lic administration.