All walks of life

Our guest blogger today is Meera Shankar, who is head of Career Services at SAIS Bologna. She is also director of Alumni Relations. It is no coincidence that we link careers and alumni: there is a close relationship between students and alumni, who serve as mentors, guides and sounding boards for our students as they explore the wide variety of job opportunities that await SAIS graduates.


SAIS students are curious and have a genuine interest in such a variety of subjects, regions, cultures and languages that one of the most difficult things is to decide what to do professionally.

The program at SAIS starts people on paths that lead them around the world. In Career Services, we work with students as soon as they set foot on campus to help them understand what their options are and think through how they want to manage their careers.

I have just concluded a trip to London with a group of students. We visited a mix of think tanks, political risk companies and human rights organizations. I am on my way to meet another group in Brussels to visit public relations and lobbying firms, consultancies and European institutions.

During our meetings, students have a chance to speak to people who are doing the work that they themselves might want to do. The idea is to enable students to make informed choices about their careers.

The multidisciplinary approach to studies at SAIS enables graduates to be successful and effective in careers that vary as widely as their interests, and for this, nothing illustrates the point better than our alumni. Our graduates go into all walks of life -- you can find them in top positions in government around the world, banking, consulting, journalism, grassroots development and conflict management.

Not only are they leading people in their fields, but they are also extremely generous with their time and advice in helping students define their own career paths.

Meera Shankar

For more information on some of the career services we offer, click here.

Tomorrow: Photo gallery

The Interview

It's February 1. Your application is in our hands or an express courier service is scrambling to get it to us. Yes, you can breathe a sigh of relief.

But only a sigh, because it's not over yet.

There's good news and bad news. The good news: you'll have a chance to speak to us in order to impress upon us your bona fides. The bad news: it's an interview.

Actually, that's a joke. There is no bad news because after reading this post you'll both impress us and survive the interview.

ImageZoo/Corbis

First, the reason for the interview. We are lucky enough to be able to speak, either in person or on the phone, with each applicant who applies to Admissions here in Bologna.

This conversation gives us an opportunity to get to know the candidate better, and vice versa. If this is going to be a good fit, then both of us -- SAIS Bologna and you -- have to be convinced of it.

We receive applications from all over the world. So far this year, our candidates come from 64 different countries. That means hundreds of different universities in dozens of different countries. It is very difficult to make comparisons, and the interviews allow us to delve a bit deeper and you to ask us questions.

MECHANICS

Here is how we plan to organize the interviews:

On your application form you were asked to note your preferred location for an on-site interview. We plan at this point to conduct interviews in Bologna, Brussels, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Paris and Vienna. Here are the tentative dates:

Feb 25 - Brussels
Mar 4 & 8 - Bologna
Mar 5 - Istanbul
Mar 10 & 11 - London
Mar 11 - Paris
Mar 12 - Frankfurt
Mar 19 - Vienna

Please note that the venues and dates are tentative. They might change.

In the next two weeks we will contact you to pin down an on-site interview at one of these venues or, if you can't go to one of those cities, to start arrangements for an interview by phone or Skype.

The interviews are done by faculty and senior staff; in each case, one professor or one senior staff member meets with the candidate one-on-one.

The interviews are not meant to test your knowledge of international relations or economics. Don't worry if you've forgotten the years of the Crimean War. Rather, it is an opportunity for you to explain how you would make a difference at SAIS and why it would benefit you. For more information on the interview, you can click here.

All of this leads up to the meeting of our Admissions Committee in late March when decisions will be taken. Candidates will be notified of the decisions in early April.

PROJECT YOURSELF

Candidates often ask what they can do to prepare for an interview. You've heard the tips before: Get a good night's sleep. Dress well but not too well. Avoid drinking too much coffee beforehand. A firm handshake.

There is an ocean of advice on the Internet. I won't repeat it here.

But today, like yesterday when writing about deadlines, I can't resist some general points. I make these after interviewing for a fair number of jobs myself and having grilled hundreds of individuals during my years as an editorial manager.

Consider an interview as an opportunity to show you are the right person for the opening. If it's for a job, you can prove you understand the demands and can meet them. If it's for a spot in a graduate school, you can prove that you are up to the challenge, that you are special and that you know how the experience will benefit you.

All of this requires you to project yourself forward, to understand what the experience entails and how you would make the most of it. In the case of a job, it means you should know what the hiring manager is looking for. What needs doing? What skills, capabilities and experience are they looking for?

This can require you to do a fair amount of digging to learn about the job. That can take time and energy. In the case of SAIS, you should know what we are looking for, why it would be a good match and how you would benefit from the opportunity.

Crucially, if you plan beforehand, during the interview you will be able to make the points you want to make. You can never control the agenda totally, but if you have thought through your message carefully, you'll find the right moment to make your points.

One tip that could be worth remembering: Consider what qualities the person interviewing you is looking for. What have you done in the past to demonstrate such qualities? It's much more powerful to describe specific actions that capture a quality than to simply say you have it. As you've heard before: show, don't tell.

I could go on and on. But then I'd be violating one of my own interview rules:

Say just enough -- and not too much.

Tomorrow: Careers

Nelson Graves

The Deadline

February 1 must be near: I can tell from the mail that is piling up in our Admissions Office.

A rising tide of applications

These days the legendary Ivo Rossetti, who among myriad other things handles SAIS Bologna mail, has been beating a path to room 305 to deliver your applications. He calls them "macaroni" -- nothing disparaging about the term. He means that students are the Center's sustenance and lifeblood.

(Ivo should know: he's worked at the Bologna Center for more than three decades, first as a barista, which is how a generation of alumni know him. See a photo of Ivo from our archives at the bottom of this post.)

Deadline: Feb 1

The February 1 deadline marks the end of a chapter in the admissions process. But of course much remains to be done.

Many of the applications are complete -- thanks to those who sent us all of the required material on time. I know what a challenge it can be. Other dossiers are missing some elements -- some of you have been calling or writing us to explain the circumstances.

If you are applying and something is missing from your file, and you have not been in touch with us already, please let us know when we can expect it. An explanation of the reason for the delay would also be appreciated.

Our February 1 deadline is actually later than that of many U.S. graduate programs. That is because our academic calendar is aligned with that of European institutions, which start the year in October.

That means we have a lot to get done in the next few weeks: check the applications to make sure they are complete, organize interviews with applicants, have several faculty read each of the applications, take the tough decisions. (Tomorrow I'll publish a post on the interviews.)

The checklist

All of this will culminate with admissions decisions, which we expect to take in early April. I'm confident we'll have an excellent SAIS Bologna class here next autumn.

DESTINATION -- AND GETTING THERE

As a former wire service journalist and a father of three children, I can't resist commenting on deadlines in more general terms.

Each of us tends to take our own approach towards deadlines. Some people thrive on them, others cringe. Some grow accustomed to them, others have more difficulty.

Perhaps you've learned something about yourself during the application process. It's required you to take a look at your motivations, your aspirations, your intellectual qualities. You've had to synthesize in writing why you think SAIS Bologna is the place for you. You've shared your thoughts with your referees and coaxed them into writing in your favor -- no small task.

You've managed a process that is complex and challenging. Well done. Your eyes are on the destination -- admission.

But why not take a moment to reflect on how you managed the process? You might learn something about how you respond to deadlines.

Over the years, that knowledge could prove valuable as you grapple with the time demands that, love them or loathe them, invariably mark our lives.

Ivo in earlier days at his bar

Nelson Graves

Weekly quiz!

How in the dickens did butz33 get the answer to last week's quiz so quickly?

We thought that anyone scrambling to find out the name of the center that Johns Hopkins opened in Asia in 1954 would need more than a powerful Internet search engine. It's still a mystery to me how butz33 got the answer in a mere 47 minutes.

Once again we're going to have to toughen up the weekly trivia test.

Here we go:

In a video embedded in a post earlier this week, we showed a small park next to the SAIS Bologna Center. What is the name of the park?

Here are two pictures of the park. More often than not, it's deserted in the winter, as it is in these photographs. We'll have to post some pictures of it when the weather turns a bit warmer.

The park from below

The park from above

The winning prize: a free lunch at Giulio's Bar.

We'd like to thank our readers for following this blog and for giving us feedback. We've had record readership this week, and our pageviews since we started in early December have now topped 4,000.

If you have an idea, a suggestion or a criticism, post a comment. We'd like to make this as interactive as possible and know that we have only dipped our toes in the water so far.

Next week:

- Monday, Jan 31: The Deadline
- Tuesday, Feb 1: The Interview
- Wednesday, Feb 2: Careers
- Thursday, Feb 3: Photo gallery
- Friday, Feb 4: Weekly quiz

Nelson Graves

Are we right for you?

Is SAIS Bologna the right place for you? Do you measure up?

You might be asking yourselves these questions. I certainly did when I applied to SAIS three decades ago. I remember the uncertainty as I waited for Admissions to take a decision. I now know I was right to apply and right to attend. But I was not entirely sure then.

If you've been to the Bologna Center, you will have met students, seen the facilities, perhaps spoken to a professor, attended a class or a lecture. Through this blog we've tried to convey what makes SAIS Bologna special -- its history, integrity and values.

You may still not be sure.

Short of bringing you here in person, I can think of no better way to help you answer your questions than to turn you to our current students. You can read the profiles of 20 students here. Listen to what some of them say.


"Diversity is a richness which changes your perspective on the world. Among 200 students at the Bologna Center, you have 200 different points of view on burning issues: this allows you to chart your own path." - Aurélien Billot (France)

"I realized that I'd run away from economics for so long, but we can't talk about development without having a strong economic foundation. For me it was something I had to do if I was serious about my future ...." - Chidiogo Akunyili (Nigeria)

"I wanted to be in an inspiring environment and I wanted to be challenged. The rigor and structure offered by the U.S. university system was something I needed in order to push myself." - Laurent Bachmann (Austria)

"Before leaving I had nightmares about everyone being in suits and having had careers and answers for everything. Instead students just want to advance themselves, whether they graduated last year or ten years ago." - Kristen Larson (USA)

"I'm the only girl in my community who dreamed of attending a prestigious graduate school .... Now that I am here I feel I've set a standard for girls in my community and hopefully also in other developing countries that where there is a will, there is a way." - Mariam Abuhaideri (India)

"Our professors know our names and backgrounds, and can draw on our experiences in class. This is something that is completely new for me ... They're willing to spend time discussing your questions ...." - Reemt C. Behrens (Germany )

I could not have said it better myself.

Nelson Graves

Making a difference: languages at SAIS Bologna

Today our guest contributor is Sara Gelmetti, director of the SAIS Bologna language program. As you can see from her profile, Sara studied at Trinity College Dublin and the University of Pavia, and taught at Stanford and the University of Wisconsin before coming to the Bologna Center two years ago. She oversees instruction of the eight languages taught here. Below she explores why the study of languages is considered so important at SAIS.


“Languages differ essentially in what they must convey and not in what they may convey”. This statement made 51 years ago by linguist Roman Jakobson is relevant to today's SAIS students: To be an effective leader, you need to communicate with those around you. And to do that you must master their language.

Sara Gelmetti

You can make yourself understood without excelling in a language. But mastery allows you to connect in a more meaningful way with a culture, society and its people.

Languages force us to reflect on our perceptions and experiences. You may have noticed how the gender of words can differ from language to language, a reflection of that culture's vision of the world.

The same applies to colors, directions, time markers and verb modalities. Choosing between the indicative and subjunctive may seem a trite grammatical exercise to some, but to the educated speaker it opens up a realm of subtleties. You may not need to know these differences if you want to survive in the foreign country. But you need to master them if you want to make a difference.

That  is why a successful international career requires you to master at least one foreign language. The more languages you speak, the wider your professional horizon.

When I arrived at SAIS Bologna two years ago, I was impressed by the number of languages spoken by students. Many who already know two languages, who may have tested out of the foreign language proficiency exam, opt to study a third or fourth. Our students are world citizens, interested in deepening their understanding of other cultures. This is what makes the learning environment so enjoyable -- for those of us who teach, as well!

Our students know their careers will be in the international sphere, very probably in the country where the language they are learning is spoken. Could we hope for more motivated language learners?

I compare language learning to a journey in a foreign land: keep an open mind and relinquish your assumptions. The journey is enriched if you share it with travelers who contribute their experience and help create a sense of community.

I compare our classes to a voyage with a trusted travel guide: an expert teacher will help you on your journey, but be prepared to contribute. We do not allow students to audit our classes -- it's important that everyone participate actively in the classes. And for the same reason we cap the number of students per class at 10.

The language laboratory

Although SAIS Bologna is relatively small, we teach eight languages with a special focus on Europe. Last year we introduced higher level courses in Portuguese and Arabic, two recent additions to our program. The Russian language section is growing rapidly, while the more “traditional” languages such as French, German, Italian and Spanish are holding steadily. English for non-native speakers offers several paths to the highest proficiency level.

We take pride in our strong language program and motivated students. The mix of nationalities, academic backgrounds and work experiences creates a special learning environment.

Where else could you practice your language assignments among such a diverse group of students while sipping a cappuccino at the cafeteria?


Sara Gelmetti

Tomorrow: What are we looking for?

A Video Peek of SAIS Bologna

Some of you have visited the Bologna Center, either during our Open Day in December or otherwise, but most of you have not. You may have seen some photographs of the Center, including a gallery of pictures provided by some of our current students.

I am definitely out of my comfort zone myself here, but I thought it would be nice to offer a video look at the Center. Our digital camera is easy to use, but I'm new to this, so you will excuse the scruffy nature of the footage. I do hope you enjoy viewing the film and that it gives you a better idea of who we are.

You'll also excuse the fact that I've had to break the film into three segments. Otherwise I would have clogged up cyberspace. If it takes time to load, try stopping the loading, refreshing and relaunching.







We shot the images yesterday. It turned out to be a beautiful winter day in Bologna. But to prove that that is not all that rare, here is a frame from our webcam this evening:

Tomorrow: Languages at SAIS

Nelson Graves