Hi all,

I (25F, Canada) am a recent graduate of a Master of International Affairs program with a collaborative specialization in Data Science. I did both my undergrad (in political science with a heavy quant focus) and graduate degrees in Canada, with my grad institution being the top Canadian professional school for my field. Throughout my studies, I cultivated a strong interest (along with some technical skills - but not super in-depth) in emerging technologies, privacy/security, and data analysis governance.

I went into my graduate program thinking that I was going to finish my degree and enter the Canadian public service immediately through the co-op route. I had done some government and NGO internships in undergrad, and eventually ended up working in government at the department responsible for foreign affairs and trade after the first year of my program. I started out doing diplomatic engagement and am now working in international development. However, I hate the city I live in, I'm not inspired by the work I'm doing, and I'm by no means committed to the government as a career path. There is very little overlap between my current role and what I want to be doing, but I am working on identifying the transferrable skills from my experience thus far so that I can tailor my resume and job search to my aspirations.

Essentially, I am really interested in the interaction between technology and policy, and am very willing to do additional research, self-study and networking to get me to where I want to be. I have written extensively on AI, for example, and would love to become actively involved in the industry from a policy/regulatory/risk management perspective. I think what I am struggling with now is 1) selecting a concrete path and direction without necessarily having the experience to make that any easier and 2) the insecurity I have about my relatively nonconventional background as I enter the tech field (with the understanding that this isn't necessarily a limitation and can in some cases be an asset).

Things I am doing now to improve my career prospects:

• Identifying and applying to volunteer positions with AI organizations
• Researching and studying for relevant certifications such as the CIPP/US, AIGP, other courses through online learning platforms
• Reaching out to contact persons I have either through my existing network or on LinkedIn, asking for brief friendly chats about their own career paths and advice for young professionals like myself
• Asking my current employer if there are related tasks or trainings at my work that I can take on
• Looking for jobs that are conducive to my career goals, but I'm finding it difficult to break into the field without any work experience (my experience is more academic)

To be transparent, I will unemployed by the end of this year as my contract will be ending and my organization is notorious for having terrible hiring and retention practices. I am looking for jobs now that complement my skillset but will allow me to grow professionally in the direction I want to. One thing to note is that I am a US/CAN dual citizen, so I have the flexibility to comfortably relocate to the US if I wish to do so.

A friend of mine told me that I should reach out to AI and data/information privacy startups that would be willing to take on unpaid or low-compensation employees as a way to boost my experience. I'm thankfully in a position where this would be feasible but my preference is to have my skills and degree honoured with a commensurate salary.

I suppose my questions are as follows:

• Is there something I should be doing which I am not, as per the above, to make my dreams a reality?
• What resources can you share that might be helpful in my situation?
• If any, what certifications and additional education could I pursue to boost my employability and help bridge the gap between my current skillset and my desired experience?
• What is your experience pivoting from a non-technical, non-tech background to a tech role? What tips and ideas can you share from your own career path that might be applicable here?

Many thanks to everyone in advance for sharing thoughts on this. I understand it's a long post, but I know this community to be massively helpful and I am very grateful for any insight you're able to provide. :)