College Experiences That Helped A Public Policy Manager At A Global Health Non-Profit Succeed
Zeke's path to a Public Policy Manager role at a Global Health Non-Profit began with saying "yes to things that really mattered," like a summer fundraising job that unexpectedly became a "Lynch pin of career," teaching valuable skills and networking opportunities. This experience, alongside pursuing internships at the university's political institute, highlights the importance of diverse experiences and building a strong resume to demonstrate initiative and gain valuable career insights.
Networking, Career Exploration, Internship Experience, Resilience, Communication
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Zeke Sandoval
Public Policy Manager
Global Health Non-Profit
University of Southern California, 2019
Not applicable
Political Science, American Studies
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Legal
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Actively seek diverse experiences: Zeke emphasizes the importance of trying various opportunities, even unpaid internships, to explore interests and build a network. He highlights how even negative experiences provide valuable learning.
2. Build practical skills: Zeke's summer job in fundraising developed crucial skills like communication and community engagement, which directly benefited his career. He stresses the value of skills like navigating interpersonal interactions.
3. Demonstrate initiative and hustle: Zeke's advice emphasizes the importance of proactively seeking opportunities and building a resume that showcases a range of experiences and responsibilities. He suggests that a fuller resume demonstrates initiative and effort to potential employers.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
I similarly answered the last question. I said yes to things that really mattered my freshman year of undergrad. I was taking a class on climate change because it was a general education requirement.
Someone, I think it might have even been my professor, said, "Hey, they're hiring people for the summer to knock on doors and raise money for Environmental Protection." I thought, "Well, I need a job." So I decided to check it out.
That ended up being enormously influential for my career. I did it that summer, worked my way up, and then the next summer, I was a director. It's still been a pivotal point in my career that I've been able to fall back on time and again.
I met a lot of great people and became knowledgeable about LA's neighborhoods and their various politics. I also got very good at some of the skills we were discussing earlier, like having people say "get out of my house" or "get off my porch" or disagree with me, and then being able to say "have a nice day." That has been extraordinarily influential.
Even again, taking opportunities. My university had a political institute, and I'm fairly sure most big universities have something like this. They connect you with internships at nonprofits, advocacy groups, and elected officials' offices. Go pursue that. Talk to people, see what you're interested in, and try lots of new things.
It sucks not to get paid for internships. If you can find a paid one, great. If you can't, try to make it work. I realize that's a privileged thing to say, but it's just really important to get lots of different experiences as an undergrad. You're growing your network and getting a sense of what you like and what you don't like.
That's fine. If you take a lot of internships, you'll have one where you think, "I don't like this. This sucks." And that's good; it was a learning experience, even if it was a crappy one. You did learn from it and benefit from it.
So, go try lots of different things. Try to get an internship. Anything that can be a bullet point on your resume, which as an undergrad isn't that long, is helpful. It shows people you're hustling and trying to do something.
The more recent those things are, the better. I get resumes from interns now that list things they did in high school, and that's fine, but I'd rather see something you did in college. That's more of who you are now and who you'll be as a senior or when you're fresh out of college.
The more things you've done where you had real responsibilities, the more likely you're going to find positions. Admissions folks and human resources managers like that on a resume. It also means you're more likely to have people in your network who can refer you to new positions that open up. So go out and do things.