Every semester, Princeton students interested in public-policy careers go to Washington, D.C., to explore career opportunities. When planning for the spring trip began last year, a visit to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was high on the list.

Everything changed in January, when the agency’s operations halted. At the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, staff went back to the drawing board to consider how best to help students navigate a challenging time for internship and job searches. In addition to the changes at USAID, many federal agencies have instituted hiring freezes amid uncertainty about the future of the federal workforce.

Tapping a vast network of alumni who shape policy in myriad organizations – including think tanks, non-governmental organizations, and state and local agencies – Princeton SPIA staff put together a full day of engaging conversations and networking opportunities that culminated in a 300-person gathering of current and past students eager to help one another find fulfilling opportunities to serve.

“We sought to expose students to a broad set of career pathways,” said Barbara Hampton, director of graduate career development at Princeton SPIA. “Public service takes many forms—whether in think tanks, state and local government, NGOs, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, foundations, or even the private sector through government partnerships.”

Graduate Career Day

About 70 graduate students joined the trip, starting their day at the World Bank. They heard from MPA alumni from the past two decades, and they offered an overview of what it’s like to work at the Bank as well as career advice on how to pursue an international policy career.

Later in the day, the graduate students participated in coffee chats with nearly two dozen Princeton SPIA alumni representing a broad set of policy tracks and organizations –including the American Enterprise Institute, Asian Development Bank, Gates Foundation, IBM, and RAND. The small-group conversations offered a chance for the students to learn what the alumni do in their jobs and network with them.

“Every person I spoke to was encouraging, had a good attitude, and was making the most of [the current situation],” said Conway Reinders MPA ’26, who met with someone working on Medicaid policy during the coffee chats. “I had a really good conversation, and she gave me great advice on the perennial question of whether to specialize or generalize.”

Undergraduate Policy Day

At the same time, about 30 undergraduate students had the chance to visit Capitol Hill and the Brookings Institution. Most are sophomores who are considering a SPIA major.

“Our goal was to expose Princeton SPIA students to opportunities and help our sophomores gain exposure to the School in advance of declaration,” said Undergraduate Program Director Elizabeth Choe.

On the Hill, the students met with Congressional staffers. At Brookings, a panel of fellows and researchers shared what it’s like to influence policy through data analysis, book projects, and public and private engagement with policymakers and politicians.

The undergraduates also attended a lunchtime panel with Princeton SPIA alumni who held various roles in local and federal government, as well as at nonprofits. They advised the students to take risks early in their career and explore options. Working in local government can feel fulfilling because you see the impact of the work you do, they noted, and small nonprofits offer the opportunity to take on greater responsibility at a young age.

“That panel was the most pertinent to me. There were a variety of career pathways that each of the alumnae had pursued, and it showed that things are not always set in stone,” said Russell Fan ’26.

On the same day as the students’ visit, the Princeton SPIA DC Center hosted a workshop for alumni to explore how psychology shapes policymaking. All three groups – undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni – then gathered at the center’s Spring Soiree that evening together with faculty and staff. 

“The event reflected the School’s efforts to cultivate a rich, engaged community,” said Zach Vertin, Director of Princeton SPIA DC, before echoing what many alumni said throughout the day. “The Princeton SPIA network is strong and we’re delighted to see alumni help illustrate for students the many kinds of, and paths to, careers in public service.”

Ongoing Community Support

As students and alumni continue to navigate the job market, Princeton SPIA has also held programming to help them. In Washington, D.C., alumni gathered for an informal networking session following the soiree, and many have joined a digital initiative, Alumni Supporting Alumni, to share job opportunities or seek help.

In Princeton, more than 150 students gathered on March 6 to hear from Ali Nouri, a lecturer at Princeton SPIA, and Deborah Pearlstein, Charles and Marie Robertson Visiting Professor in Law and Public Affairs at the School and director of its Program in Law and Public Policy.

Nouri and Pearlstein shared their advice on how to pursue a career in public service at this time. Both reflected on their experiences after 9/11, a formative time in their careers that led them each on unexpected paths.

“A lot of really important public policy initiatives get done in the most challenging times,” said Nouri, who has held positions in the White House and on Capitol Hill. He framed Washington as a place that consumes ideas, and universities including Princeton as places that generate them.

“To the extent that we can generate ideas here, we will find folks who are receptive on the Hill who want to take those ideas and implement them,” he said.