From CHLI Global Leader to Foreign Service - Meet CHLI Alumna Nancy Talamantes
Name: Nancy Talamantes
Title: Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellow
Company: U.S. Department of State
Current Location: New York
Global Leaders Program (GLP): Spring 2014
What was your first job after the GLP and how did you land it?
My first job following the GLP was as a Healthcare Fellow with the Podesta Group. I learned about the fellowship through an informational interview facilitated by CHLI with one of the principals working there at the time. I applied following the advice we received during that meeting and was able to secure a full time fellowship with the health care sector during Fall 2014.
Tell us how your experience with the Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship has been.
My experience with the Pickering Fellowship has been challenging and rewarding. I, unfortunately, did not receive the fellowship the first time I was selected as a finalist. I took a year to reassess my goals and skills, to become a more qualified candidate during the second round of applications.
After the various hurdles to obtain the fellowship, my first summer assignment at the Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources, for the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of State, was a dream come true. Besides the valuable knowledge I acquired for my future Foreign Service career, I worked with and learned from incredible people.
I am happy to announce that my first short overseas assignment will be at Embassy Singapore. As the Foreign Service is a difficult career to navigate as a first generation immigrant, my cohort has become an essential support group to complete the fellowship requirements, including grad school and multiple Foreign Service tests. Through this network, I've also found a second family that I'm proud to be serving with in the near future.
Experiencing unemployment was a truly humbling period, the multiple job rejections allowed me to narrow down my career focus by redirecting me to opportunities that better aligned with my career interests.
Describe a turning point that was important in bringing you where you are today. What were some of the challenges you faced at the beginning?
A turning point that led me to where I am today was ironically my unemployment period. Before this period, I was used to going from one career development experience to the next and often sold myself short to "keep moving forward." Experiencing unemployment was a truly humbling period, the multiple job rejections allowed me to narrow down my career focus by redirecting me to opportunities that better aligned with my career interests. This introspective process really shaped my character, infusing it with resilience, while helping me discover strengths and skills I probably wouldn't have found in my comfort zone.
Why is it important to connect with your community? Any advice you have for other students interested in doing the Pickering Foreign Affairs fellowship?
It's important to connect with your community, to find a mentor and be a mentor for others so that we may create a pipeline of Latino leaders. I've found that finding a mentor that looks like you and talks like you is super important in helping you not only thrive, but also survive in the international affairs industry where Latinos are severely underrepresented. In my experience, being able to relate to my mentors on a personal and professional level has made it easier for me to seek their guidance in navigating complex bureaucratic environments without feeling incompetent. This is because when you have people that understand your reality they can better help you help yourself.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Remember that success isn't linear and that you'll have to take on jobs that seem unrelated to your purpose, but that will ultimately diversify your skill set. Stay true to your goals without setting deadlines based on your age as things will not always work out at the time you would like or within the parameters of your perfectly crafted plan. In the end, the twists and turns will all make sense.
Where can we find you online and learn more about your work?
Feel free to connect with me via LinkedIn.
FUN FACTS
Favorite D.C. Spot? Busboys and Poets
Last book you read? Soft Power
If you could have lunch with any person, who would it be and why? Joseph Nye, American political scientist and former Clinton administration official, coined the concept of soft power in the late 1980's. Dr. Nye is a person I look up to as his multidimensional and holistic approach to international affairs. It takes into account the interplay of soft, hard, sharp and smart power which is crucial in addressing new threats such as non-state actors and climate change.