Hye Rin Hanna Yoon is a senior majoring in global affairs and minoring in psychology. As an intern at the Global Green Growth Institution (GGGI), she is taking the front line for global affairs students aspiring to work at international organizations one day. The Voice interviewed Hanna to find out more about her experience.
In May, following her time in Fairfax, Virginia, Hanna began her internship at GGGI, an intergovernmental organization that works with developed and developing countries to deliver sustainable growth projects. As a senior who will be graduating this year, Hanna was looking for an internship that would spark her career in the international field. Just as she was doing so, the Career Development Center informed students about an internship at GGGI and helped her with the application process. Nonetheless, the process came with hardships. Hanna had to overcome her fear of in-person interviews conducted during the application process. She had to make sure she knew about the organization in advance so that she could present herself both professionally and authentically during the in-person interview.
After successfully handling the tough interviews, Hanna now works in the human resources unit and Green Climate Fund Liaison Office. In the human resources unit, she helps her employer brand projects by creating content for various media platforms. As for the liaison office, she conducts research for development projects and organizes proposals for existing programs.
While most students find the global affairs major to be a broad realm, Hanna finds that it depends on how one narrows his or her concentration. “Actively seek out opportunities and research what is out there! Take advantage of all the resources around you – GMUK Career Center, your professors, your peers, job sites, online forums, etc. It is very important to find out what you like. However, it is just as important to find out what you don’t like. As you try different things, you get to learn about yourself more and more. Go at your own pace and enjoy the discovery process."
July 31, 2018