Career Compass: Global Political Economy

Briefly, tell us about your job. What do you find most rewarding? What are your greatest challenges within this profession?

I am a community food facilitator at Food Matters Manitoba. As a charitable organization, we work towards ensuring good food for all Manitobans. There are many parts of our city and province where there are barriers keeping people from eating well. My job encompasses a wide range of things that aim to address those barriers, from running direct programming in communities (like kids cooking classes or gardening workshops) to behind the scenes support for community members who are running their own projects (such as helping with evaluation or sourcing funds and materials). I work in the city of Winnipeg and travel to Cross Lake and Fox Lake in northern Manitoba to support projects in those communities.

The most rewarding part of my job is the connections and relationships I’ve built. It’s amazing to work with kids and see them develop the skills and confidence to be able to prepare a meal. I have also met some really incredible people on my trips up north and have learned so much from them. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a project come together and witnessing the impact that it has. On the other hand, one of the big challenges of the job is how hard it can sometimes be to get a project started. Another challenge in my profession is lack of job security. Every project is dependent on funding and it can be stressful living from contract to contract.

What experiences and activities helped you to map out your career pathway?

I was always passionate about social justice and world issues and always wanted a career related to that. After high school, I took a year off and travelled to Mexico and Central America. Seeing the disparity in different parts of the world had a lasting impact on me. It solidified my desire to pursue a career where I could help make positive changes in people’s lives.

In university, I explored a couple of professional programs, but neither of them felt like the right fit. I was drawn to the global political economy program because it is so broad and combines different subjects. Writing my major research paper on community economic development was when I knew for sure that I wanted to work in the field of community development.

Another impactful experience in university was getting involved with the student garden. It was my first experience with gardening and I made some strong connections with students from other fields such as city planning and agriculture. I gained an understanding of food issues from a lot of different perspectives and also the tremendous power of food as a community building tool.

As a student, did you see yourself in your current career? What stayed the same and/or changed?

As I already mentioned, I have always wanted to make a positive difference in people’s lives and that idea stayed with me throughout my education and career, but how I go about doing it has changed. I started university thinking I wanted to be a nurse, then switched to engineering after one term and then decided that wasn’t for me either. The next year I went into the GPE program because I liked the idea of keeping my options open by learning about a wide variety of subjects. I also liked the ‘global’ aspect of the degree because I thought that I might like to work in international development or international affairs.

By the end of my degree, I had less interest in working overseas, having learned so much about the issues and interesting initiatives going on here at home. My interest shifted to food as a community building tool, and that’s how I ended up where I am now. So while I am still in the field of community development, and still working to help make positive changes in the lives of individuals and communities, the way that I’m interested in doing that has definitely changed over time.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in pursuing a degree in global political economy?

In retrospect, I definitely wish I had complemented the degree with more practical experiences. I think having had summer jobs in a related field or even volunteering would have helped a lot when I was looking for work after graduation. It would’ve helped in terms of having experience on my resumé, but also in terms of having connections in the small non-profit community. It also might have helped with the shock of landing in a ‘real life’ community development role if I had been exposed to some of the challenges that come with the work before hand, rather than just the theory. So, my advice would be to try to think about what it is you’re interested in doing and find some ways to get involved in that work early on.

What job search advice do you have for students and recent graduates?

Keep an open mind and look for opportunities in unexpected places. I applied for every job I could find that was even slightly related to what I wanted to be doing. My first job was working at the Boys and Girls Club of Winnipeg and I was disappointed that I hadn’t been able to find a more degree-related job. But I saw how the Boys and Girls Club job could be a bridge to that kind of job, drawing on the experience I did have, but also giving me a chance to develop a lot of new skills, so I took it even though it wasn’t my first choice. And I ended up loving it and staying with the agency for 3 years, growing into a more challenging position that was even closer to what I wanted to be doing. It was an incredible learning experience that totally changed my perspective on a lot of things. So – you never know what surprising jobs may turn into great opportunities.

Tell us a fun fact about your career path.

The scariest (career) choice I ever made was quitting my full time, permanent job with benefits at the Boys and Girls Club for a 3 month contract with a tiny little food related organization called Fruit Share. Nobody could understand why I did it! But that was how I made the leap from the world of youth work to the world of food security work, and it paid off in the end. A year later, when I applied for my current job at Food Matters Manitoba, it was my experience at Fruit Share that put me in the running for that position. So I don’t think I’d be where I am today if it wasn’t for that risk.

Briefly, tell us about your job. What do you find most rewarding? What are your greatest challenges within this profession?

I am a senior policy analyst with the Department of Labour, Government of Alberta. I lead a team that supports the development of a labour market information and intelligence (LMI2) system to help government, industry and public make more informed decisions about labour market policy/programming, workforce planning and possible careers.

What experiences and activities helped you to map out your career pathway?

Moving between the private, non-profit and public sectors gave me exposure to the many different kinds of people working in these roles, ideas, functions and priorities.

As a student, did you see yourself in your current career? What stayed the same and/or changed?

I imagined myself in a role that was able to make systemic change, of which government was certainly one of them. But over time I realized how difficult that can be on such a large societal-scale. Government is such a large organization requiring so much input from various stakeholders, with many competing demands.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in pursuing a degree in global political economy?

The global political economy program will expose you to a world of alternative viewpoints that will allow you to think critically about social, economic and environmental issues. Sometimes, it can feel like you are being pulled in multiple directions. Your broad-perspective may run counter to more specific academic fields but these are good learning opportunities to deepen your knowledge and expand theirs. Approach this strategically. Complex world problems require schools of thought that encourage complex thinking and problem solving.

What job search advice do you have for students and recent graduates?

Continue to develop specific skills for the marketplace beyond just reading and writing such as data analytics, project planning/management and web management. Develop your ‘brand’ as a specialist in XYZ. Broad, generalist knowledge is good and useful for big-picture thinking, but employers still require certain specializations. Having both would position you well for competitions. There are a lot of candidates with Bachelor of Arts degrees in the marketplace; learn what value-added you bring that makes you different from the others.

Tell us a fun fact about your career path.

One day I was running around downtown Ottawa and I nearly ran into Jack Layton, former NDP federal leader. It felt strange to see a popular figure in real-life; always be in the present moment to appreciate where your life is going.

Briefly, tell us about your job. What do you find most rewarding? What are your greatest challenges within this profession?

I am a university advisor at St. John’s-Ravenscourt School, an independent university preparatory school in Winnipeg. I advise high school students about university admission requirements, provide assistance with applications for scholarships and post-secondary education, and help students with first year course selection. I also act as the primary liaison between St. John’s-Ravenscourt and post-secondary institutions. People often mistakenly believe I am a guidance counsellor. However, I do not offer counselling or career guidance, as we have trained professionals in that area. My role is more of a systems and policy translator.

The most rewarding part of my job is helping students with their decision making. I have the opportunity to support students as they make their own choices. I also love the challenge of learning various policies and procedures, researching the differences between programs and figuring out the unspoken elements to programs and institutions. The most challenging part of my role is working within a high school setting but dealing uniquely with the post-secondary landscape. What matters to one group, is not the same for the other.

What experiences and activities helped you to map out your career pathway?

I’ve had a number of experiences that have really helped me get to where I am today. Each one has shown me that I possess different skills and at the same time, gave me the opportunity to realize what I do and do not want in a career. Too often, people only speak about finding out the things you like to do – I firmly believe that both are equally as important.

I originally wanted to go into athletic therapy. However, after taking first year biology I quickly realized that biology and I we were not friends. I went to a see a University 1 advisor to get information about supports, tutors or anything that could help me improve. The advisor proceeded to ask me an important question: “why?” I completely credit him with helping me to realize that if you don’t enjoy the journey, you most likely aren’t going to enjoy the destination. He was the one that told me about the global political economy program. He made the connection that all the courses I chose as electives, and had done very well in, were actually program requirements.

While completing undergrad program, I was fortunate to be employed on campus. I quickly realized that I needed to work with people. I also knew I wanted to travel and was not ready to settle down. I secured a job with as a student recruitment officer at the University of Manitoba. It was here that I really began to figure out what I liked to do, not just what I enjoyed learning about. This job gave me the opportunity to travel and promote something that I believed in.

As a student, did you see yourself in your current career? What stayed the same and/or changed?

I absolutely did not see myself in my current job. When I think back through all the careers I considered (athletic therapy, law, policy analysis, international relations, communications and marketing) I can see why they were at one time or another, a possibility. The reasons for considering them are still the same; the thing that has changed is I now realize what I don’t like about each discipline. My current job that allows me to combine all the things I liked about each of those career options. I enjoy working with people and being active; I like doing research and comparing similar/different policies, process and procedures; I adore traveling and meeting with different people from different countries, backgrounds, languages; and I enjoy communicating with people, developing marketing strategies and helping people create their public image. That said, ultimately I really value being able to help and provide a service to others.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in pursuing a degree in global political economy?

1. Be prepared to read and write, a lot.
2. Stay up date on current global and national affairs.
3. Choose electives from areas outside of the program departments. Global political economy is all about exploring issues from various perspectives and learning how they impact one another.
4. Try to gain international experience during your degree. People will automatically assume due to the name of the program that you will have had international experience.
5. Find a group of peers to connect with. You will be sitting in many classes comprised of people who are not in the global political economy program and are, therefore, limited in their perspectives. Once you get to know people other people in your program, you will start to find them in other classes.

What job search advice do you have for students and recent graduates?

Be open but selective. You need to be open to different experiences because everything you do will help you in the future. It may serve as perspective or it may only help you identify what you do not enjoy doing. Most likely, you will not be applying for positions that request a global political economy degree. Therefore, you need to be prepared to apply your skills within various settings and for different purposes. This interdisciplinary degree is such an amazing opportunity. Life is interdisciplinary, it is not rigidly placed in one department and this degree offers you the chance to expand your critical thinking skills, not only for academic purposes but for your work activities as well.

Tell us a fun fact about your career path.

During my undergraduate degree, I was accepted to go on a university exchange program through St. Paul’s College and the Faculty of Arts. This opportunity took me to San Luis Potosi, Mexico where I took human rights Law, Spanish and political and anthropology courses all taught in Spanish. I did research on how environmental impacts can directly affect our human rights and worked as an intern with the State Commission for Human Rights. This was one of the most eye opening experiences of my life. I had been to Mexico many times before, however, having the opportunity to actually see different professions at work in another culture was incredible; seeing the behind the scenes reality of human rights in another country was shocking.