‘The University Did a Fantastic Job of Preparing Me for the Workforce’

My journey at the University of New Haven was an interesting one, to say the least. During my first few years, I jumped from major to major, trying to figure out what I wanted to do. During the 2020 presidential election, I started to become interested in politics, as it was a controversial election that was full of turmoil.

The following spring semester, I decided to join the international affairs program, and I reached out to Dr. Chris Haynes for advice. Not only did he help me formulate a clear plan to graduate, but he helped me set career goals and create a plan to achieve them.

First, he suggested I join Model United Nations (MUN). At first, I was skeptical about joining MUN because I did not know what to expect. I had heard that there were a lot of discussions and debates in the class, and, being an introvert, I was unsure about joining, but I’m happy I did. MUN taught me the skills I need to be successful in my career, such as being a concise writer, active listener, and strong communicator, as well as instilling confidence in myself and making me more resilient.

I also joined the Mayor’s Advisory Commission, a program on campus that does community-oriented work with the city of West Haven. Through this experience, I was able to further develop the skills I had started to form in MUN. It gave me the experience of organizing an entire fundraiser event that looks great on resumes and is a great talking point during interviews.

‘Hard work and staying resilient’

The University did a fantastic job of preparing me for the workforce, especially the professors in the program, such as Dr. Haynes and Dr. Schmidt, to name a few. These professors guided me in my education and development, and I would not be the person I am now without the help of all of the professors I had.

After graduating, I was confident I would land a job. I applied to what felt like 100 positions the summer after graduating and still had no job that I thought would benefit my career. I stayed resilient, though, and shifted my focus to internships, subsequently landing an internship at Invariant, a top-five lobbying firm in Washington, D.C. My goal was to leave the internship with a job, whether with Invariant or on the Hill. Only halfway through my internship, I was offered a position as an operations assistant, working full-time for Invariant. What a relief!

I know that I could not have made it this far without the guidance, experiences, and skill development that our MUN program provides. Two skills that I have found to be most helpful are hard work and staying resilient. So, for anyone struggling to find their way and those in need of career guidance, I would definitely recommend joining MUN. You will not regret it.

Andrew Colford ’22 is a recent graduate of the University’s international affairs program.