"Careers" Speaker Series

A Speaker Series Sponsored by
the Political Science Department

This speaker series seeks to bring in professionals working in fields that commonly employ Political Science graduates. They will discuss and answer questions about how they got into their careers, what skills are most useful, and practical feedback about how to get an entry-level job in the field. 

Goals: Bring in practitioners from careers related to political science degrees to educate students about what they can do with their degrees, as well as provide practical advice on beginning careers in those fields. 

Topics to include in sessions:

• Skills that practitioners look for.
• Examples of similar organizations that students can look to for experience.
• Examples of what they do during the day.  
• Resume tips and other hiring quirks for the field (IE KSAs for federal employment)
• Develop potential contacts for internship placements.
• How their coursework helped prepare them for the careers

Past Events:

Careers in Foreign Affairs

Tuesday, September 17, 2024 || 11:30 am – 12:30 pm - PH 104/105

Becoming an Employee of the State Department
-Daniel Ricchetti

Interested in a career path for global engagement? Attend this roundtable discussion to learn more about employment with the U.S. State Department, foreign affairs, and the future of diplomacy in the 21st Century.

Careers in Political Science Speaker Series

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 || 10:00 – 11:15 am - BH 405

Public Service
-Alexandria Dissell

Interest in Political Science internships related to a career in public service? Join the Department of Political Science to learn more about Alexandria's experience and gain her insights into how you can make a difference.

Careers IN LAW & LAW SCHOOLx

Wednesday, November 17, 2021 || 12:30 – 1:30 pm - LB 242

Presenters: Barbara Andelman & Hannah Park

Dean Andelman joined Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in September 2019 as Assistant Dean for Admission, with significant experience in the business, legal, education, and non-profit sectors. She received her B.A. from Cornell University and her J.D. from Ohio State University. She was formerly the Associate Dean for Student Services at Case Western Reserve School of Law for 20 years. Her professional career path underscores the options available to those with a law degree: she served as the Executive Director of a national bar association, as the Chief Operating Officer of a law firm, and as Vice President of a large social service organization. She has also volunteered with several non-profit organizations and believes that it is important for lawyers to become engaged in their community. Assistant Dean Andelman particularly enjoys her volunteer work with the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, hosting international visitors visiting Cleveland for educational programs through the U.S. State Department.

Hannah Park is a 2L at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Hannah is from a small town in Pennsylvania, but her interests piqued in this great city of Cleveland. She graduated from Cleveland State University under the 3+3 Accelerated Track, which allowed her to complete her bachelor's degree in three years and start law school during her fourth year of college. She currently works as a Family Law Clerk where she assists attorneys in the Family Law division, particularly through legal research, legal analysis, and trial preparation, on issues relating to divorce settlements and various support agreements. She also holds several administrative positions in on-campus organizations and mentorship programs, conveying values of honor, integrity, commitment, and civility by modeling them through her own experience as a fellow law student.

Careers in the Federal Government

Tuesday, April 13 from 7:00 – 8:00 pm || Virtual Event

Presenter: Zack Porter, Veterans Affairs

Zack Porter has spent 14 years working with the Veterans Benefits Administration in the Department of Veterans Affairs, where he has made a career of compassionately serving veterans and their dependents.  He is currently working as a supervisor for the Washington DC Decision Review Operation Center, where he works to ensure that appeals of veterans' disability determinations are handled efficiently and fairly.  Before beginning his career with the VA, Zack earned his BA in Psychology from Amherst College. Zack started his career working as a Veterans Service Representative in the Boston VA Regional Office.  He was later promoted to the appeals division supervisor in Boston and later transferred to a supervisory position in the Winston Salem Regional Office.

Careers in Political Science

Tuesday, November 10, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. || Virtual

Presenter: Carrie Alesbury, Save the Children U.S.

Join us to learn more about Carrie's career at a leading NGO and how a Political Science degree can prepare you for a wide range of careers and advanced degrees.

Carrie Alesbury is a Basic Education Advisor at Save the Children US, where she specializes in inclusive education programming around the globe. She holds a BA in Political Science from Boston College, an MSc in Human Rights from the London School of Economics, and an MEd with a focus on special education from Lesley University. Carrie is currently based in Washington, DC where she is completing her EdD in Education Policy at George Washington University.

For more information on her work, see her recent blog post: https://blog.savethechildren.org/2018/03/working-local-government.htmls/u/kdTwrtii0k