This article is written by Sharon Kashani, Policy Analyst at the Ontario Ministry of Finance. This article is one of the finalists in Apolitical’s 2020 women in government writing competition.

You’ve done it.

You’ve graduated policy school, aced those economics and stats courses, and are now on your first internship. Your immigrant parents glow with pride when you mention your office location: “Just by the Parliament building downtown!” You contemplate family members who came before you, whose sacrifices in social and political turmoil brought you to this moment.

You see yourself rising as a first-generation woman leader 20 years along in your career.

Slow your row. You’re on your first internship, and one of the biggest challenges is reaching level 2: gaining your first full-time contract. Don’t worry, I’ve been there!

I’m an Iranian-Canadian young woman who graduated from her Masters of Public Service Program at the University of Waterloo and was first paired with the Cabinet Office’s Ontario Digital Service. I then transitioned to a full-time role with the Ontario Ministry of Finance.

What attracted me to my program at the University of Waterloo was its equal emphasis on theoretical and practical knowledge. Graduates of the program are trained in professional development as much as they are trained in policy. As a result, the program has an impressive employment placement rate.

Here are some basic how-to’s for securing that first job

**Network
**It may sound clichéd, but it works! Don’t be afraid to send an email to a prospective employer, politely asking for an informational interview about a branch’s work. You will have an opportunity to learn about the projects you may be dealing with, and demonstrate initiative and interest in the role. I did this time and time again during my job-search process, and it proved fruitful.

Women are currently underrepresented in nearly all types of leadership. In 2019, 22 out of about 190 heads of state around the world were women (11%)

Make your resume specific. Break down what you’ve done on the job and in-class. Don’t just say: “I wrote a thesis on affordable housing in Toronto.” State the facts. Try: “conducted qualitative research and economic analysis of subsidised housing in the Greater Toronto Area to determine costs and benefits of existing programs.” Highlighting the skills you’ve exercised in your experience will let a manager know that you’re ready to hit the ground running on their specific projects.

Brush up your LinkedIn. Make your profile work to your advantage! Pick a clear photo that highlights your face when selecting a profile picture. Summarise yourself as a professional in your bio! Are you interested in health policy? Taxes? Big Data? LinkedIn is another opportunity to show your unique personality, skills and spunk.

Practice Interviewing. A rule of thumb my friends and I follow is to write out possible questions and responses on cue-cards. If you’ve researched the position you’re applying for, you may have a clear sense of what kinds of questions a team will ask! Reaching out to a mentor or senior colleague you trust to mock-interview you is also a great idea. It’ll help your practising feel more real!

Relax and believe in yourself. First generation women often feel two streams of pressure regarding professional achievement. The first comes from the fact that you're the very first person in your family to experience certain opportunities, and want to do right by your family! The second is that society has made it very clear that achieving professional milestones will be harder because you are a girl.

But be assured, you absolutely can do it.

If you keep putting yourself out there, there is a greater possibility that your skills, knowledge, and experiences will fit somewhere, and you’ll eventually get to where you hope to be.

Women are currently underrepresented in nearly all types of leadership. In 2019, 22 out of about 190 heads of state around the world were women (11%). The issue is harder for women of colour. In the US, women of colour make up only 4% of C-Suite executives. For this issue to truly change, systemic issues that prevent women’s advancement in the workplace need to be addressed. Women should have the opportunities to receive mentorship from leaders in their field, accessible childcare and positive work environments which allow them to bring their whole selves to work.

As young women starting out our careers and looking to move up the ladder, these statistics can feel disheartening! But there are practical things we can do in our job search to help us succeed. As long as we don’t give up (and perhaps confide in our girlfriends about glass ceilings), we’ll be fine. — Sharon Kashani

(Picture credit: Unsplash)

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