Belisa’s Story…the beginnings

“I had a very successful career in Florida in the private sector for about 8 years. When I got married, my husband was offered a consultancy at the World Bank, and we came to live in DC. It was just after 9/11, and frankly, I had never imagined how hard it would be to find work in DC, where the private sector is so small. I had almost no contacts, and found it very difficult to reinvent myself. All my previous jobs had developed through my contacts in the private sector both in Peru, where I am from, and in the U.S. I had never networked in DC where jobs tend to focus on government and development issues. This was definitely a new experience for me but I took it positively.

My first job was in a small NGO where I was asked to be a program assistant. The team that I worked with was small but very professional. The NGO worked on capacity building for artisans and one of their pilot programs was in Peru. Two days into the job, I was asked to be the program manager for the Latin America region. I was shocked but excited as I did not see myself applying my work experience to development issues. Later on, the NGO I worked for was acquired by a larger one, and I began handling the administration and finance during the transition. During this time I was also pregnant and was working on my MBA.

Once I finished my MBA, a colleague asked me to move to yet another NGO focused on community development. I was also expecting my second baby. I realized that I was now confident handling economic development matters. I also noticed that I wanted more work stability. I knew I had to work for an organization where my work and management skills could make an impact. With my network contacts now much improved in DC, I was able to offer my CV and get hired by the IFC, where I managed a program to strengthen the crafts microenterprise sector in SE Asia. Then again, this unit spun off from the IFC and turned into an independent NGO. I still worked for them for a while but at that point, I realized that I wanted to have control over my professional life. I asked myself, “What am I good at? What kind of organization do I want to work for, and is there professional space for me in this city?”

The Career Transition Program

I joined the career transition program at Global Mobility and took the personality assessment seminar with Elena Kuznetsova. It was an eye opener. It showed me what my values are, explained the frustrations I had been through. It opened my world because it allowed me to see who I was professionally and the skills I was bringing to the workplace. I discovered myself in this environment and suddenly I knew—this is me! I like to network. I am very creative. I like to put pieces together and solve problems.

I saw the differences between me, and the typical stereotype who thinks very much inside the box. I like to optimize possibilities, in operational terms. For the first time in my life, I was not aiming for whatever; I wanted my skills to be appreciated and have the possibility to make an impact, Liz Coleman of Global Mobility, showed me how to identify “red flags” within a couple of job possibilities that were a good fit for me. The coaching group members helped me a lot during the time I was waiting for my last job to come through. I am the type of person who gets overwhelmed with thoughts when I have too much time to think. What if it doesn’t go through? I have to continue networking. Where do I start again? I can lose perspective of things if I have too much time to worry.

The group was great support. It was fantastic. I never thought it could be so powerful to talk things through with a group of people who you don’t know very well but share a common situation. It took the edge off. We still meet once a month and keep connected by email.

Advice to Job Searchers

Presently I am a consultant for the IDB. In my job I can use all my skills: my creativity, putting pieces together and most importantly, doing development work from a business perspective. I am designing projects for the crafts sector in South America. I love it. I get to talk to a lot of people, get to introduce them to sustainable market possibilities. I never lose the focus of the end beneficiary: micro businesses and entrepreneurs.

My advice to job searchers in the DC area would be: take it easy. Washington offers so many opportunities to do what you really want, take the time to explore. Try to learn everything about the opportunities there are. Your relationship can be damaged by too much anxiety. So take it easy. I made great friends while networking. I understand that not everybody is comfortable to network. But the Family Network offers great ways to do it. Being a woman and being a mother puts a lot of stress in your transition as you are the core of a family. If you are not happy, the whole family is not happy. See your time in DC as a one-time chance to do what you like to do, not what you have to do. Another piece of advice: do your homework. Research the websites of organizations and people you are going to meet, focus on their tag words. Speak their language.

Elena once asked me to make a list of people I knew with their email addresses. Since that time, I have continued to update the list of people I have met. I make a short entry of the topics we talked about, put the date, and contact info. It has evolved into a great tool. It not only helps me, but I bring people together who are working on the same topic.

My biggest mistake was to rush into the first opportunity. Now, in my present job, I am in control. If you know you are a valuable person, it makes you deliver a compelling message. I know that if I’m faced with a transition again; then I have the tools and appropriate support to overcome it. I feel much stronger now!

Maaike le Grand