Career Path Of A Policy And Legislative Advocate At Health Access California
While in college, Christine pursued numerous internships in areas such as political campaigns and communications, as well as working for an opposition research firm, to gain experience and build a network; these experiences ultimately "set [them] up really nicely" by providing recommendations and referrals leading to a political researcher role and later a policy analysis job, which eventually led to the current role as a Policy and Legislative Advocate.
Political Campaigns, Internships, Policy Analysis, Lobbying, Communications
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Christine Smith
Policy & Legislative Advocate
Health Access California
UC Berkeley
University of San Francisco: Masters in Public Administration
Political Science, American Studies
Government & Public Sector, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Communication and Marketing
Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Multiple internships during college: Christine emphasized the importance of doing 'as many opportunities as I could during college' to gain clarity on her career path.
2. Diverse experiences: She gained experience through political campaigns, a communications firm, and even an opposition research firm, showcasing the value of exploring different facets of the field.
3. Building a network: Her various roles enabled her to build a strong network of references and connections, which proved crucial in securing future job opportunities.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path? Please start with your experiences in college and any internships or jobs you had before your current role.
Sure. In college, I did a lot of internships. I interned for various political campaigns and as much as I could.
One summer, I interned for a communications firm and then got a job as a local campaign manager for the Berkeley Firefighters Association. I tried to figure out as many opportunities as I could during college so that way when I graduated, I had a sense of what I wanted to do.
I also worked for an opposition research firm when I was in college. I think I worked 20 hours a week and took a full load of classes, which I do not recommend. However, it set me up nicely for post-college because I had people who could write recommendation letters and refer me to jobs.
From that job, I went to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to work as a political researcher and do some communications work on a campaign. Unfortunately, we lost that election. So then I moved home and was able to get a job in policy analysis.
This eventually led to my current job as a policy and legislative advocate doing research. This has continued through the years, and I've also done more direct lobbying and policy work. I think the internships set me up really nicely to build a long-term group and resources.