2008 and all that jazz
My name is Fiona McKenzie and I’m a 23 year old Kiwi living in London. I graduated with an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics in December 2007 and am passionate about working to solve the problem of absolute poverty in my lifetime, like so many others. I know this is what God wants me to focus my life on an I know we can make it happen. I am particularly passionate, although many find it a rather weird passion, about the role that States play in improving the welfare of their countries and I am really interested in working in political strategy focused on development in developing countries.
This is a difficult career goal to say the least and I have found it even more difficult to break into the “aid industry” due to my “lack of experience”. I decided to approach it a different way and I am now working for the Church of England, something in between the State and an NGO here in the UK, as a policy assistant in a department that has nothing to do with development and everything to do with old churches. While I lve the job and know the the exerience is what I need, it grinds against me because I know that this is not what I have been called to do. The “policy assistant” title, however, is oddly important on my CV and will hopefully help when it comes to selling myself to future employers in the future. A political strategic consultancy, who I sent my CV off to some months back, have let me know that they are interested but have no current positions and will keep the CV on file. It’s a small hope and another half-way measure but the experience is important and I know God has his hand on everything I am doing.
I have an amazingly supportive family and so many friends that I love and adore. Many friends and family are back in New Zealand and I hate being unable to just see them in the street or do coffee whenever. I am excited at the prospect of close friends moving to this side of the world in 2008. I am really loving having my sister here right now and am thrilled at the thought of spending a bit of Summer with my mum and her best friend. I have realised how important these relationships are to me.
I am equally thankful for the friends I have here in London. For the Passfield postgrads and the entertainment of the lives we all lead and for Neerav. I shall miss having Murray and Verena in London this year but I am glad that both shall be back even just for short bits of time. We’re definitely a family of sorts now and that makes the distance from my real family more bearable.
I love London though, and will happily spend another year of my life here come what may. I will go back to York and enjoy the English-ness of it. I will house-sit in Waresley and enjoy a bit of R & R in North Wales. I will visit Oxford and Cardiff and maybe the south coast somewhere. I will visit Spain and spend more than one afternoon in Paris. I hope to get a chance to visit somewhere in North Africa before the end of the year.
Lastly, but not least, in 2008 I will blog more about the things in life that matter most. What precisely these things are you will have to wait to find out. I suggest popping back here in a couple of days to find out my initial thoughts.
Fi, a very noble ambition you have set yourself. Like you I’m a graduate of LSE and at the risk of stating the obvious (apologies in advance) have you spoke to anyone in career services? I hear that they are really good, a couple of friends got jobs via this route and doing exactly what they wanted to do. Best of luck and happy new year.
I wrote a lovely long answer and then it died so I’ll keep it short this time. Thanks so much for your message, always nice to have other bloggers comment.
Yes I spoke to Career Services about this time a year ago, 10 weeks into the course. We agreed that given my rather odd background, I needed to look to getting some non-political policy experience before getting into aid and governance because otherwise my background, and in particular my placing in the 2005 NZ National Election, meant that NGOs and States wouldn’t want to touch me with a bargepole. This has, in general, proved to be the case.
It was also important for me to take a job quickly as I did not have the financial capability to stay in the UK and just wait for the perfect or even vaguely perfect job (which I haven’t seen any of since I started at the C of E 2 months ago actually) to come along. It’s all worked out pretty perfect given the background I came from and the specificity of the area I want to get into. Patience is a virtue and all that . . .
Merry (belated) Xmas and a happy new year Fi
Consider your current job as a stepping stone into he area you want to move into. It would be great if we could move into the role we are called into but sometimes there is an intermediate step that needs to go through.
As for me my current role is not where I believe I will be long term. But it is good experience and the people I work with are great. I plan to stay there for at least another year building my exerience and credibility. At the moment the next step looks like Oz (Sydney) but we shall see.
Enjoy London and all it has to offer.