SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

Career Events

Career Panels and Workshops

Throughout the academic year, the Office of Career Services organizes numerous career panels and workshops to help current students in their job searches. These events usually focus on specific career paths, such as consulting, international development, working at the United Nations, investment banking, conflict resolution, and international regional areas. Career panels and workshops are conducted by SIPA alumni and/or other professionals who volunteer their time to share in-depth knowledge of their career fields. By participating in these events, you will become more informed about your fields of interest.

How to RSVP for career-related events?

If you would like to participate in any OCS-related events, you must RSVP on SIPAlink.  We ask that you RSVP at least one week prior to the event, so that we may confirm with our speakers and secure a large enough room for the event. To RSVP, please follow these steps:

1. Go to SIPALlink.
2. Click on the Career Events menu.
3. You will see a list of all current Career Events (Employer Information Session, Workshops, Panels, etc.).
4. Scroll through events that you are interested in attending and sign up.

Annual Washington D.C. Career Conference and NYC Career Series

Each year, the Office of Career Services (OCS) sponsors two major events consisting of career panels, receptions for alumni and students, employer site visits, and informational interviews with professionals in Washington, D.C.and New York City (NYC). These events provide an excellent means to explore career opportunities and to network with alumni and employers in the D.C. and NYC areas. Both events are also sponsored by the Office of Alumni Affairs.

I. Washington, D.C. Career Conference

Save the Date: The 34th Annual Washington, D.C. Career Conference will take place January 13-15, 2010.  Registration will begin in late October.  The Conference is an annual event sponsored by the Office of Career Services and the Office of Alumni Affairs, and is meant to introduce students to Washington, D.C. and to teach them about employment opportunities in the D.C. area.  First and second year students will have an opportunity to attend informational panels with professionals in various career fields, attend employer site visits, network with alumni, arrange informational interviews in the D.C. area with representatives from both the public and private sectors, and attend a reception for alumni and students.  Information sessions will be held in November.

Panel Coordinators Needed!!! If you have any questions or would like to apply to be a Panel Coordinator, e-mail the Washington, D.C. Career Conference Coordinator, Steven Horne, at sipa.dc.conference@columbia.edu, by Monday, September 21.  In the email, include your resume and first and second choices for panels you would like to lead.

Panel Coordinator responsibilities include:

• Select a predetermined panel topic
• Identify and reach out to SIPA alumni and other professionals working in your field
• Coordinate panelist participation
• Produce needed materials for panel
• Moderate panel

Panel Coordinator benefits include:

• Direct contact with professionals working in your desired field
• Waived conference fees
• Professional network expansion

Tentative panel topics for the D.C. Conference include:

• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Development Consulting
• Economic Development
• Energy Policy
• Environmental and Sustainable Development
• Federal Government/Capitol Hill
• Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs
• International Trade and Finance
• Media and Communications
• Microfinance
• National Security/Foreign Policy
• Philanthropy, Foundations, and Think Tanks
• Political Development
• Public Sector Consulting
• Social, Education, and Urban Policy

… Suggestions for new panels welcomed!

II. SIPA NYC Career Series 

Interested in connecting with SIPA alumni in your field(s) of interest? Ready to learn more about your career options and to expand your professional network? Join us and volunteer for the NYC Career Series!

Organized by the Office of Career Services (OCS), the SIPA NYC Career Series consists of:

1. A series of panels of SIPA alumni – broken down by field

2. A day of informational interviews with SIPA alumni

3. A reception for SIPA alumni and students

The Series will be held throughout the entire year, with relevant panels coinciding with recruiting seasons. Private sector panels will be held in Fall 2009 – when most private sector recruiting takes place – while non-profit and public sector panels will meet in the Spring 2010 – similarly, when most of their recruiting occurs.

The Series serves as a forum and opportunity for students to gain direct exposure to alumni in their respective fields of interest. There will be eight career panels throughout the Fall semester and eight career panels throughout the Spring semester. Each panel will be led by a volunteer student Panel Coordinator.

We are currently looking for Panel Coordinator volunteers for Fall 2009. Take advantage of this opportunity to work directly with SIPA alumni in your field of interest. To apply to be a Panel Coordinator volunteer, email the NYC Career Series Coordinator, Madonna Kendona, at sipa.nyc.career.series@columbia.edu by Friday, September 11. In the email, include your resume and the first and second choices of panels you would like to lead.

Panel Coordinator responsibilities include:

• Select a predetermined panel topic
• Identify and reach out to SIPA alumni and other professionals working in your field
• Coordinate panelist participation
• Produce needed materials for panel
• Moderate panel

Panel Coordinator benefits include:

• Direct contact with professionals working in your desired field
• Waived Career Series alumni and student reception fee
• Professional network expansion

The panel topics for our NYC Fall Series are:

• Business Consulting
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• International Energy Management and Policy
• International Finance and Economic Policy
• International Media, Advocacy and Communications
• Microfinance
• Public Sector and Development Consulting
• Ratings Agencies