Insights into Careers in International Trade
Advice from a Trade
Lawyer
Susan Schmidt *
At the very successful WIIT Career Night, I was asked if I would write a short article for the WIIT Newsletter on my career path. Having agreed to do so, I realized I needed to define that "path." My path, I admit, has meandered. The unifying element, if there is one, would be a willingness to pursue new and varied opportunities.
I began my professional career as a health care lawyer, but then joined the U.S. Foreign Service. What motivated me to take the Foreign Service exam? I like to travel and the exam was being offered near my office. I became an Economic Officer, and worked primarily in or on issues related to the Western Hemisphere division of the U.S. Department of State, which covers Latin America and the Caribbean) The Foreign Service taught me Spanish, and posted me to Mexico and to Colombia as Economic Officer in the respective U.S. embassies. My assignments were interesting. But I also sought out opportunities that allowed me to go beyond the "job description." In Mexico, that opportunity included reporting on labor groups that were outside the mainstream. In Colombia, that opportunity included writing a column for the local American Chamber of Commerce publication.
I was assigned to Lucent Technologies Global Public Affairs group in Miami, as part of the State Department's Corporate Exchange Program, when I came into contact with Manatt Phelps & Phillips, a national law firm. Its international business consulting firm, ManattJones Global Strategies, was started shortly. ManattJones is national with an international presence (Mexico City). The law firm, and its new international business consulting firm, presented an opportunity for me to transfer my experiences and training to a new work environment and challenge.
My work at Manatt continues to focus on the Western Hemisphere, with an emphasis on advocacy and policy issues. My legal work is primarily devoted to export controls, sanctions, WTO/NAFTA, trade policy, some immigration and other international issues that do not fall neatly into another legal category. Other employees at ManattJones have different regional portfolios or focus on other substantive issues.
WIIT's Professional Development Committee also asked for advice for someone interested in "this type" of work. Given my career path, the best (and perhaps only) advice I can give is that no single route or path works for everyone. The most successful firms are those that bring together knowledgeable, experienced, interesting, and interested people with varied skills and backgrounds. So, my advice is to do what interests you, be willing to take on new challenges, be flexible and adaptable as new opportunities arise, and learn from everything you do. Eventually, it all tends to come together.
Susan Schmidt is a partner in the law firm of Manatt Phelps & Phillips (www.manatt.com) and a Managing Director of ManattJones Global Strategies (www.manattjones.com).
A Washington Career in a Nutshell
Kitty Brims*
In Washington, D.C., where
many professionals accrue experience and expertise by rotating their way through
the corridors of power on Capitol Hill, a government agency, and the private
sector, my career path has been more old-fashioned. My livelihood has remained
at one fixed address for the past sixteen years. Instead of job-hopping and
gaining experience on a fast track, I've planted myself at one organization,
the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) where I've gained on-the-job
experience, plus education.
The NAM is the nation's largest industrial trade association, representing
small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states.
The NAM's mission is to enhance the competitiveness of manufacturers by shaping
a legislative and regulatory environment conducive to U.S. economic growth
and to increase understanding among policymakers, the media, and the general
public about the vital role of manufacturing to America's economic future
and living standards.
In my current position as Associate Director for Corporate Communications at the NAM, my responsibilities involve writing for the association's various publications, including industry summaries, letters and marketing pieces, as well as managing the NAM's export web site, and overseeing all the photographs that are used in our publications and elsewhere.
Nearly 12 of the past 16 years were spent working as a lobbyist on international trade issues in the NAM's International Economic Affairs Department. During that time, I earned a Master's degree in International Trade at night. The degree helped me not only to better understand the field, but it also allowed me to get to know other professionals working in the field of trade. Mostly, though, I have learned on the job. There's nothing quite like finding oneself face-to-face with a member of Congress trying to persuade her to vote for a free trade agreement that her constituents don't support.
For young professionals interested in international trade, I would highly recommend working at an association to gain first hand experience in lobbying, whether it's in the public affairs, government affairs, or trade policy department. Most importantly, however, I can't say enough about the importance of networking either by joining organizations like Women in International Trade or doing volunteer work. Good luck in your careers!
Kitty Brims is the Associate Director for Corporate Communications with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) (www.nam.org).
Staying Flexible and Being Open
Arica Young*
From a young age I knew that I wanted to work in International Affairs. I was fortunate to attend a high school that offered a strong foreign language program, and I fell in love with the German language. I went on to major in German in college. Unfortunately, I also focused on Soviet studies, then watched the Soviet empire disintegrate and Germany reunify shortly before my graduation. Moreover, the U.S. government, where I thought I would work, was not hiring many people as it sought to adapt to a post-Cold War world. This gave me an early lesson: if I wanted to work in the arena of International Affairs, I would have to be flexible. By its very nature, the world of international affairs is not static!
I did manage, however, to obtain a Fulbright to Vienna, Austria for a year and then I headed off to Georgetown University for my Master of Arts degree. Afterwards, I landed at the U.S. Commerce Department as a Presidential Management Intern or PMI, (now known as Presidential Management Fellows) where I answered the phone for a year in the International Trade Administration's Trade Information Center. Like many new PMIs, I had been warned not to take the job and admittedly it sounds underwhelming. However, it was one of the most important experiences in my career. A great management team that cared about their employees' development oversaw the Center and ensured that we received good training and career opportunities. The job also demanded total immersion into the rules and regulations of exporting. I am glad that I was open to the opportunity - what I learned and the contacts I made have proved invaluable.
After my required year in the Center, I worked in a Department of Commerce field office in Baltimore, MD. I thought that I would be helping firms to export to Europe. My clients however, wanted to trade with Asia - mainly China. So, I set out to learn as much as I could about that country, becoming knowledgeable enough to handle many of the China-related issues for the office. After 2-1/2 years in the office I faced a major dilemma. I received a Bosch fellowship to go to work in Germany. I made the decision that in the long-term, the Bosch would have a greater positive effect upon my professional development than remaining in my job, so decided that I would resign if necessary, to accept the Bosch. I was fortunate. My directors allowed me to take a leave of absence.
Participating in the Bosch was an amazing experience. I worked in the German Economics Ministry and in the International Regulatory Strategy division for Deutsche Telekom. I highly recommend the program. It sends American professionals to work in Germany. You do not need to be a German area specialist or even to speak German. The program provides language training.
After completing the Bosch program, I returned to the Department of Commerce, where I have now been for a total of ten (10) years. Currently, I work in the Office of Africa, the Middle East and South Asia at the Commerce Department. (That's right -- I still do not work on European affairs.) Most of my colleagues, like me, focused on other geographic regions. However, as we all tend to be intellectually curious and we believe in the benefits of examining the world in its entirety, have not let our earlier interests and regional focus limit where we take our careers or our ability to discover new knowledge. We have remained open to the challenges AND the opportunities as they have arisen.
Arica Young is an International Trade Specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Africa, Middle East & South Asia/Oceania.