The Illinois Global Institute’s (IGI) Area Studies and Thematic Centers will be holding a career diversity day on using foreign language, area studies, and thematic studies in the job market. The career day will draw on alumni and former FLAS fellows to present and discuss their current positions and the paths from graduation to employment. The event will be promoted to current and former FLAS fellows and area, thematic, and language studies Ph.D., M.A., and B.S. students. The goals of the program are to empower students in their career search, engender cross-disciplinary and cross-program conversations about career skills and job markets, and to connect current  students with alumni who also focused on language, area, and thematic studies.We hope that students will leave the IGI Career Day with new ideas about practical steps they can take in their career search as well as enthusiasm for how they can productively use the skills they have developed during their degree programs in their career searches.

IGI Spring 2023 Career Day Schedule

8:30 – 9:00AM

Check-in (1st Floor)

Light Breakfast available (3rd Floor)
9:00-9:10 Welcome and Introductions

9:10 – 9:50AM

Resume Workshops

  • Undergraduate Workshop--Room 306

          Kirsten Wilcox, Director, LAS Career Services

  • Graduate Student Workshop--Room 108

          Derek Attig, Asst. Dean Career & Professional Development, Graduate College

 

10:00 – 11:00AM

Foreign Language and Area Studies Skills at Work in the US Government

Moderated by Janet Husunukpe (Ph.D. student, Urban & Regional Planning)

  • Laura Fyfe: Course Design Specialist (Foreign Service Institute)
  • Eduardo Alvarez: Refugee Officer (US Citizen and Immigration Services)
  • Vernita Pearl Fort: Board Director (Center for United Nations Constitutional Research), Former US Diplomat

11:10AM - 11:50PM

A Look Inside Language & Technology Jobs

Moderated by James Coburn (Ph.D. student, EALC)

12:00 – 12:50PM

Lunch and open conversation

 

1:00 –1:50 PM

 

Informational Interviews

Alvarez-Room 131      Arty-Diouf-Room 126     Baptist-Room 201

Chan-Room 211           Chica-Room 225              Estes-Room 105

Fort-Room 109              Fyfe-Room 121                Ghazaleh-Room 125

Henry-Room 208          Li-Room 213                    Pakhnyuk-Room 104A

 

2:00 –3:00PM

Career Paths in Non-Profit Organizations 

Moderated by Libby Cave (MS student, LIS)

3:10 – 4:20PM

Working Non-Tenure Track Teaching & Post-Doc Positions

Moderated by Morgan Fox (MA/MS student, REEES/LIS)

  • Kyle Estes: Asst. Prof In-Residence (Bradley University)
  • William Baptist: Program Manager & Internship Coordinator, International Programs and PhD Candidate (Florida State University)
  • Lucas Henry: Visiting Instructor of Scandinavian Studies (Augustana College)
  • Lorena Chica: Assistant, Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies (UIUC)

4:30–5:30PM

Networking Reception 

  • Introduction--Jerry Davila, Executive Director (IGI), Jorge Paulo Lemann Chair in Brazillian History (UIUC)