Skype Information Session with Alumna Lauren Bradley
Non-IA Campus Event Reflection
12 September 2019, 11am-12pm, Denney Hall
I decided to attend this event when I received an email about an opportunity to Skype with an Ohio State graduate who works for the U.S. Department of State. It caught my eye because this alumna received her degree from in International Studies, which is my current major, and because she works abroad as a Foreign Service Office Manager. As someone who has considered the idea of working in an Embassy, I was interested to hear from someone who has experienced this first-hand.
Lauren currently works in Lilongwe, Malawi, but she has worked in a very diverse collection of countries from Barbados to Poland to Tanzania. She described not only her own job, but also the eight major categories of specialist jobs in an embassy, which was very informative. The most intriguing thing to me about life in an embassy was how one can never really know what the day will look like because new and unexpected situations often arise. An ability to adapt and find creative solutions is crucial. This appeals to me because it means this is a job that both keeps things interesting and fits what I consider to be some of my strengths. However, Lauren also discussed some of the difficulties and complications that come with a job in which you have to move every few years and sometimes to posts that lack the amenities we take for granted here in the United States. Overall, this event offered valuable insight into a career I may choose to pursue in the future.