Diane’s path from north (Fletcher) to south (Australia)
When Diane first introduced herself nearly two years ago, she detailed her pre-Fletcher experience and her path from her home country of Australia to graduate school in the U.S. Today, having graduated from the MALD program in May, Diane describes her path back home to Australia — though she may not be there for long.
It’s now two months since graduation, and where has the time gone? Those last months at Fletcher were certainly fast and furious, with a mixture of finals, fun events, Dis-O, friends visiting, day trips around Massachusetts, graduation, and many sad farewells.
I decided to base myself near campus in Somerville during my job search. It was really lovely to experience Boston in warmer weather. Yes, it was much quieter than during the semester, but a walk past Fletcher always guaranteed running into another student I knew. My job search seemed to be pointing me towards home, so I decided to book my flight back to Australia, and to hope everything would work out quickly.
I had come up with a strategy for my job search at the beginning of spring semester: given that time is always limited at Fletcher, I decided to apply for any fellowships or year-long programs where you rotate around the organization’s different divisions for training, as many of these companies only recruit once a year. I left the bulk of my applications for individual job postings for after graduation. I was lucky enough to progress past the first round of a number of the programs I applied for, which meant I spent a bit of time each week doing online testing and interviews through Skype. This certainly helped to keep me motivated.
A few weeks before leaving Boston I received a job offer from GRM International to be part of their Young Professionals Program, allowing me to rotate around the company through different divisions and offices during the next couple of years. This role felt like a really good fit, and allowed me to return to Australia for my first rotation. Through the process of applying, interviewing, and accepting this role, I utilized the Office of Career Services on many occasions, which is another great advantage of being a student or graduate of The Fletcher School.
I planned some travel before heading home, visiting friends in Los Angeles and Idaho, including a trip to Yellowstone National Park. I was lucky enough to meet up with some Fletcher folks along the way who were home for the summer.
Coming home has been an adjustment, not only because it is winter here. But after two years away, it is rather nice to be around friends and family again.
I am so looking forward to my next phase in life, after spending two wonderful years at Fletcher.