SIPA Career Conference Returns to Washington for 43rd Year

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Each year, SIPA’s career conference in Washington brings together officials from government, business, and the nonprofit sector to highlight the diverse career opportunities in the U.S. capital region, a popular destination for graduates. The 43rd annual gathering, held this year on January 16 to 18, included panels from experts and leaders; visits to think tanks, research groups, and startups; and opportunities to meet with SIPA alumni.

The conference’s first day featured 20 panels organized and hosted by the Office of Career Services and led by select SIPA students. Professionals from the U.S. State Department, the United Nations Population Fund, and Albright Stonebridge Group, among others, shared their expertise on a range of career areas from multilateral organizations to environmental and sustainable development. The day concluded with a networking opportunity with two peer schools located in Washington, Johns Hopkins SAIS and Georgetown’s SFS.

On January 17, attendees visited employer sites throughout the city including notable federal agencies and departments like USAID and the U.S. State Department. (In some cases, the government shutdown required visits to take place at alternate locations.) Among the non-federal employers hosting tours were Booz Allen Hamilton, International Monetary Fund, Uber, and Acción International.

That night, Dean Merit E. Janow hosted a panel on “Reporting from Washington” with Susan Glasser of the New Yorker, Soumaya Keynes, the U.S. economics editor of the Economist, and Rachel Martin MIA ’04 of NPR. The event, held at the Four Seasons Hotel Georgetown, was followed by a networking event for current students and SIPA alumni.

On the conference’s final day, students had the opportunity to speak with some of the 100 alumni who had volunteered to take part in informational interviews.

More than 220 students took part in this year’s conference, which has become one of the SIPA’s signature opportunities for student professional development. In recent years, the Office of Career Services has dramatically expanded the event to accommodate growing demand; this year alone OCS added visits to eleven new sites, including the National Counterterrorism Center and the consulting firm Guidehouse (formerly PwC). OCS also arranged a workshop at Deloitte on digital design and disruption.

The expansion underlines SIPA’s commitment to meeting the needs of students and raising the standards for the institution’s career offerings.

— Alexandra Feldhausen MIA ’19