Megan Dias
What were some of your most meaningful experiences at UBC?
I am grateful for so many experiences at UBC. I learned a lot from the professors and students in the political science department. During my first year, I lived on campus at Green College. This gave me the opportunity to meet and learn from students from different departments and programs.
During my first year at UBC, I started working with the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions. They were amazing at providing me opportunities: I wrote reports with them, had my first op-ed (and then several more op-eds) published with their support, and got to speak and present some of my work to the public.
I also worked with the Institute for Future Legislators, which was a great experience and directly led to the job I hold today.
What choices did you make at UBC that contributed to your career success / journey?
I was very lucky to have professors and other students at UBC who believed in me and supported me. And I challenged myself to rise to the opportunities they provided me when I could.
I made a conscious effort to engage in non-academic pursuits while in my MA. I volunteered and worked part-time with non-profits while doing my degree. I wrote for newspapers, went on the radio, and helped facilitate community events. Developing my resume while still at school made the transition outside of it a little easier.
Finally, I asked for help a lot. I spent a lot of time in professors’ office hours, talking about papers, talking about politics, asking a million questions about statistics. I asked for more opportunities when I felt I could use them, I asked for financial assistance when I needed it.
What was your first job after graduation and what other jobs did you have before your current position?
Right after graduation, I got a contract job doing voter engagement during the 2017 BC election. After that, I worked at a neighbourhood house, helping run programs for immigrant youth. I then moved to Ottawa, for a job at a think-tank. From there, I moved to Toronto for a job at a non-profit.
My current position is directly related to work I did while at UBC.
Is your current career path as you originally intended? What challenges did you face in launching your career?
I’ve been really lucky to have worked at jobs that are directly related to my interests and have opened new opportunities for me. That said, as you can see from my answer above, I worked many short-term contracts, I moved a lot, and individual challenges came up at various points. It took me a little while to understand what I wanted, where I wanted to be, and have confidence and broader understanding in my career. And I’m still figuring this out – I’ll be starting a PhD in Political Science at the University of Texas in Austin this fall, so I will still be learning how to balance academic and community work during that time, and will need to decide what comes next.
What advice would you give to students and alumni interested in breaking into your industry?
My main piece of advice is about taking care of yourself during the job-hunting process. The process can be really tough. It took me six months after finishing my degree to find a full-time job in my field. In those six months, I was on Charity Village, LinkedIn, Indeed, the City of Vancouver’s website, the BC government’s website, etc, etc, etc daily. I applied to a lot of jobs, did a lot of interviews, and faced a lot of rejections. It took a huge toll on me, and there were days I didn’t get out of bed because I felt so discouraged and upset with myself.
So try to remember that it’s okay, and it’s normal, and it’s nothing about you. And make sure you have support, reach out to your community, and let people know what you’re going through. UBC provides resources to you in regards to this — so use them! Go to the Career Centre and get their help, and use the campus’ mental health services.
And don’t stop reaching out for support when you get that first job and start the transition from school to work.
Megan Dias
What were some of your most meaningful experiences at UBC?
I am grateful for so many experiences at UBC. I learned a lot from the professors and students in the political science department. During my first year, I lived on campus at Green College. This gave me the opportunity to meet and learn from students from different departments and programs.
During my first year at UBC, I started working with the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions. They were amazing at providing me opportunities: I wrote reports with them, had my first op-ed (and then several more op-eds) published with their support, and got to speak and present some of my work to the public.
I also worked with the Institute for Future Legislators, which was a great experience and directly led to the job I hold today.
What choices did you make at UBC that contributed to your career success / journey?
I was very lucky to have professors and other students at UBC who believed in me and supported me. And I challenged myself to rise to the opportunities they provided me when I could.
I made a conscious effort to engage in non-academic pursuits while in my MA. I volunteered and worked part-time with non-profits while doing my degree. I wrote for newspapers, went on the radio, and helped facilitate community events. Developing my resume while still at school made the transition outside of it a little easier.
Finally, I asked for help a lot. I spent a lot of time in professors’ office hours, talking about papers, talking about politics, asking a million questions about statistics. I asked for more opportunities when I felt I could use them, I asked for financial assistance when I needed it.
What was your first job after graduation and what other jobs did you have before your current position?
Right after graduation, I got a contract job doing voter engagement during the 2017 BC election. After that, I worked at a neighbourhood house, helping run programs for immigrant youth. I then moved to Ottawa, for a job at a think-tank. From there, I moved to Toronto for a job at a non-profit.
My current position is directly related to work I did while at UBC.
Is your current career path as you originally intended? What challenges did you face in launching your career?
I’ve been really lucky to have worked at jobs that are directly related to my interests and have opened new opportunities for me. That said, as you can see from my answer above, I worked many short-term contracts, I moved a lot, and individual challenges came up at various points. It took me a little while to understand what I wanted, where I wanted to be, and have confidence and broader understanding in my career. And I’m still figuring this out – I’ll be starting a PhD in Political Science at the University of Texas in Austin this fall, so I will still be learning how to balance academic and community work during that time, and will need to decide what comes next.
What advice would you give to students and alumni interested in breaking into your industry?
My main piece of advice is about taking care of yourself during the job-hunting process. The process can be really tough. It took me six months after finishing my degree to find a full-time job in my field. In those six months, I was on Charity Village, LinkedIn, Indeed, the City of Vancouver’s website, the BC government’s website, etc, etc, etc daily. I applied to a lot of jobs, did a lot of interviews, and faced a lot of rejections. It took a huge toll on me, and there were days I didn’t get out of bed because I felt so discouraged and upset with myself.
So try to remember that it’s okay, and it’s normal, and it’s nothing about you. And make sure you have support, reach out to your community, and let people know what you’re going through. UBC provides resources to you in regards to this — so use them! Go to the Career Centre and get their help, and use the campus’ mental health services.
And don’t stop reaching out for support when you get that first job and start the transition from school to work.
