Students hone career skills during D.C. visit

After a historic election week in Washington, D.C., 20 FIU student leaders took to the skies to attend FIU in D.C.’s inaugural Career Success Fly-In, a two-day visit focused on developing relevant career skills and connecting to D.C. alumni and employers.

Over the span of 32 hours, the students received professional development training; participated in a dialogue on innovation in government; networked with area alumni; participated in mock interviews; and learned about job and internship opportunities from employers around D.C.

Many reported the mock interview with D.C.-area alumni and FIU partners was the most impactful experience of their trip. Students navigated public transportation on their own for the interview with professionals working in their area of interest; some commuting more than 45 minutes.

“The experience was not only transformational, but also insightful. To see your future sitting right in front of you … [giving you] sound advice resulted in a breakthrough,” said Tori-Ann Holness, English major and Fly-In participant.

FIU in D.C. arranged interviews and meetings for the students with the FBI, Pentagon, CIA, The Smithsonian Institution, FOX News, American Beverage Association, Comunicad, The Libre Initiative, Prudential Financial, DELL Inc., Grant Thornton LLP, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, The Washington Center and The Heritage Foundation.

“I was not surprised to see FIU expanding its efforts to strategically propel talented and driven students into their dream careers,” said Myriam Ambroise, staff assistant to Senator Barbara Boxer and previous D.C. intern.

The total experience aligns with the university’s and Student Government Association’s strategic goal to increase access to internship and job providers in the Washington, D.C. area. By providing a platform to connect with alumni and professionals, students can gain a competitive advantage in job and internship application processes.

“Our vision is that FIU in D.C. can be a place where our students have access to resources that can get them a foot in the door into the highest levels of decision making in our country. By doing so, we will position FIU students to take top leadership roles that will shape the future of our communities and country,” said Alian Collazo, SGA-MMC president.

After returning to Miami, the Career Fly-In students will be working to share their knowledge of D.C. job and internship opportunities with other qualified students, as well as seeking out their own future internships and career opportunities in the nation’s capital.

“[FIU in DC] challenged me to think critically, lean on creativity, and do things that scare me (like walk around an unfamiliar city by myself). Those are the moments that I learned from the most, and those are the moments that I am most thankful for,” said Linda Flores, broadcast media major and fly-in participant.

The students traveled fully funded to Washington, D.C. thanks to the contributions of Campus Life-MMC, the Student Government Association, and the Green School of International and Public Affairs,.

If interested in learning more about jobs and internships in Washington, D.C or participating in the next Career Success Fly-In., connect with FIU Career & Internship Success Manager Ethan Starkey at ethan.starkey@fiu.edu.

To learn more about FIU in D.C., visit washingtondc.fiu.edu, or follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.