As someone who completed a dual master’s degree program at GW, Lanre Williams-Ayedun, ESIA MA '06, GWSPH MPH '07, values making the most of her time. So when she heard about a new, user-friendly networking community from GW in February 2018, it sounded like a good fit.
The community was GW Career Connect, and since joining, Williams-Ayedun – who is director of child protection and education programs at World Vision in Washington, D.C. – has engaged in numerous conversations and in-person meetings. Most often, she fields requests from undergraduate students who are seeking advice on whether to attend graduate school, how to break into international development, and general career-planning questions.
Launched in early 2018, GW Career Connect serves all members of the GW community – students, alumni, faculty, staff – and it’s designed to create meaningful connections for those seeking advice, and those who are willing to share.
Williams-Ayedun is an expert in the field of international development, which fits into one of Career Connect’s 14 industry communities. Participants are encouraged to join multiple industry communities so they can meet those in their current field, as well as those in fields they may hope to join, whether entering the workforce or navigating a career change.
One of the things Williams-Ayedun likes best about Career Connect is the chance to meet current students and help them hash out questions about the next steps in their lives.
“I am always impressed when I get an email [with a student request],” says Williams-Ayedun. “They went out there, researched, and they reached out. That’s just awesome, because I know it can be really intimidating to do it.”
One of those requests came from Annika Holkeboer, ESIA '19, who recently joined Career Connect. She heard about the program a few months ago, but with graduation approaching, she felt she needed to be more proactive about her career.
Her studies focus on global public health with a concentration in African studies, and Holkeboer says no one in her family is in her field, particularly on the public health side.
“I really want to learn more about it and specifically connect with people in the field – especially those working for NGOs in Africa,” she says. “I was nervous at first to contact people, but everyone I’ve reached out to has been really receptive.”
One of those people was Williams-Ayedun, whose career path caught Holkeboer’s eye. During a phone call, the two covered the specifics of when to consider going to graduate school, key words to look for during an entry-level job search, and the benefits of starting out at a smaller organization versus a large one.
“It was a very helpful conversation!” Holkeboer says. “You really get to learn from [the people you talk to] and understand their tricks of the trade. I also think it’s helpful, as you’re graduating, to be connected to that community of alumni – making those connections that are rooted in the same institution is important.”
Outcomes like this are exactly the reason that Williams-Ayedun devotes time and energy to Career Connect.
“I benefitted a lot from mentorship and having people who were willing to sit down and say ‘Here’s what I know, here’s what you should look out for, here’s how you can think about approaching this,’” she says. “I’ve seen the benefit of it myself…and if I can do my part by giving back to the student population and helping equip people for this field of work, I’m happy to do it.”
Even with the ease of technology and the GW connection, Williams-Ayedun knows that some students may still hesitate to reach out. She emphasizes, however, that you don’t need to have a conversation fully mapped out ahead of time.
“Being able to just talk to someone – you can’t underestimate it,” she says. “A lot of it comes organically. Once we start talking about your studies, interests, and background, the conversation takes a life of its own. Most people are happy to offer you the advice they have.”
-Melissa Nyman
Interested in GW Career Connect? You can sign up today - and be sure to join at least one industry community!