We’re often told that extracurriculars, networking, and pursuing skills outside of courses we take at school reaps rewards. After we move away from the MUN circuits of high school and college, how can we apply these skills to our future endeavors? How are delegates succeeding in their new careers and how flexible are MUN skills used in a professional context?
Personally, MUN has provided me with a cornucopia of opportunities from meeting new people in all facets of life and around the globe, formulating better research skills, and gaining a feeling of confidence whenever I need to advocate for myself. However, I have not graduated yet. I too wonder what lies beyond MUN and for those of you just becoming interested in MUN or are curious about the future, this article is for you.
Where do former delegates end up and how has MUN helped them in their careers? I had the opportunity to speak with former delegates and discovered there is a wide range of successes to be had after completing MUN and just a few examples include the US Supreme Court, careers in the performing arts, and project management.
Jill Bendlak, currently a Marshal’s Aide at the US Supreme Court in Washington D.C. says that her experiences in MUN have helped in guiding her career goals.
“MUN has helped shaped my goals, ultimately, I want to continue work in the Federal Government and go into the foreign service and hopefully work for the State Department, it has definitely helped to shape what I want to get out of a career,” Bendlak says.
She also mentions that public speaking and organizational skills developed out of MUN have helped her become a better team player in her professional career.
“Learning how to explain programs in the best way possible, all of these communication skills are essential. Teamwork and collaboration are important too, being able to say I put together a conference for thousands of thousands of students to come together is what people are looking for when hiring candidates” she adds.
While U.S. Supreme Court or government roles seem like a natural fit for delegates pursuing careers after MUN, there are also opportunities beyond the traditional scope that some would not assume MUN skills apply to.
Mona Maarabani continues her professional career in the Performance Arts, Maarabani shares that impromptu speaking and the confidence she was able to build through MUN lends itself well to a successful career in the performing arts.
“It is crazy how translatable those skills are, in terms of autonomy and focus, the ability to communicate on an improvisational basis and having to make a place for yourself in the room, translates very well into the field that I’m going into as a performer and as an actor,” Maarabani tells Best Delegate.
Maarabani has been a member of numerous projects and further noted that MUN provides an advantage that some entertainers do not have in cultivating effective leadership and research skills necessary for becoming a stronger performer.
“It worked out really well and it translates well and it’s not the typical work someone in the arts would produce and it makes me feel like I have a bigger role behind the scenes as well,” she adds.
It is clear that MUN provides a breadth of skills that can translate well to any career that delegates choose to pursue, it is not limited to those interested in the foreign service or bureaucracy, all of us could benefit from more practice in creative thinking and public speaking especially in the Arts.
Project management is another profession where former MUN delegates shine, Madeleine Northfield, currently a program manager at Best Delegate, shares her own experiences that MUN has provided in accelerating her career.
“MUN skills have provided me leadership opportunities, from a younger age I’ve learned that I like project management and I’ve gotten the chance to lead teams of 100+ people. Outside of student politics, there are not many opportunities to do so but the way that MUN is so student-oriented allowed you to be a leader and really be on the ground and truly have an impact and create something,” Northfield says.
Whichever career MUN delegates choose to pursue after retiring from the Model UN circuit, it is clear that they continue to succeed and bring those same skills honed in the unmoderated and moderated caucuses to the courtroom, performance stage, and the board room.
MUN Delegates have a bright future ahead of them, the chaos of committee, the intensity of research, and the confidence needed to excel in Model UN and navigate the average collegiate committee equips delegates well to face the world and lead successful careers. No matter what we pursue, we all could use a little bit of MUN in our lives to strengthen our skills and build our confidence.
