University of San Francisco
MS International and Development Economics
Economics Newsletter
Fall 2012
IDEC Alumni Mentors (IAMs)
Our IDEC Alumni Mentors (IAMs) are alumni who have volunteered to be available to you to offer advice. A question is posed to them for each new IDEConnect. We encourage you to contact any of the mentors and reap the benefits of alumni hindsight! They're just an email away! Read below their answer to the question: In regards to the job search, what is your best advice to the students?
Jill Luoto
Class of 2004
Associate Economist, RAND Corp.
Email: jluoto@rand.org
My best job search advice is to network. Don’t turn down any opportunity for field work experience (if you can), and make sure you gain solid quantitative skills in the program. The faculty at USF are amazing teachers which really sets it apart from many universities and graduate programs.
“My experience in the IDEC program prepared me to be a success in a Ph.D. program that followed. The early hands-on field work experience was invaluable to help me understand how to translate a research question into practice, how to gather your own data, and how to problem solve in real time in the ‘real’ developing world.” Jill Luoto
Todd Wynn
Class of 2008
Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Director, American Legislative Exchange Council
Email: toddwynn1981@yahoo.com
Regarding the job search, my best advice is to network with as many people in the subject area you would like to work in. Networking and a great work ethic is truly what gets you ahead and sets you apart from others. Also, be flexible on your career path. Sometimes your first job is not exactly where you want to be but the experience you gain will guide your career path to where you are best able to utilize your unique talents and skills. In more simple words, try not to swim upstream sometimes riding the natural current of life guides you better than you would ever imagine.
“The IDEC Program has prepared me for a career in which I deal with economics every single day. The practical experience gained from the field research has made me a better writer, communicator and researcher which has helped in every aspect of my career.” Todd Wynn
Espen Moseidjord
Class of 2011
Project Manager, Kristiansand (Norway)
Email: espenmoseidjord@hotmail.com
My best advice is to write the job application as specific as possible for the company you are applying for. Also, be very prepared when going to job interviews.
Marko KooselClass of Fall 2011
Product Management Director
Salesforce.com
Email: mkoosel@yahoo.com
My best advice is to make sure to build networks. Best way to find jobs is through the people you know. There are many ways to network, either online on Linkedin or attending professional meetings, conferences, or user groups.
Herman Ramirez
Class of 2011
Sample Manager, Market Tools
Email: hermane.ramirez@gmail.com
Network and reach out to us (IDEC alumni); create a solid Linkedin profile;update your resume and make good use of the limited resources at USF's career center; compile a list of organizations where you'd like to work after you graduate.
If you want to work in international development: LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF THE COUNTRY/REGION WHERE YOU WANT TO WORK (nobody likes working with a monolingual/ethnocentric development worker); get internships and relevant work experience (being a research assistant for a professor, also unpaid internships (however, that might translate into borrowing more money to live in this expensive city). Be flexible (especially if you have limited work experience like most of the people who join IDEC). Always think of ways in which you can market the skills that you already have and that you acquire through IDEC.
Try learning other statistical software (such as SAS or SPSS) besides STATA. - If you can, try taking classes at city college to learn other databases: Access, SQL and make sure your Excel and POwer point skills are solid. (you should know sumif functions, vlookups, pivot tables, and basic macros in Excel.)