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Career Center (CC): Where do you work and what is your current position? Describe what you do and the path you took to get to your current position.

Jordi Honey-Rosés (JHR): I graduated from UC Berkeley in May 2000 with a BA in Political Economy of Industrial Societies (PEIS) and History. Currently I am the Monarch Butterfly Conservation and Development Officer at the World Wildlife Fund Mexico Program Office in Mexico City. Our program seeks to protect the pine and fir forest habitat of the migratory Monarch Butterfly that arrives each winter in central Mexico. The World Wildlife Fund, with a generous donation from the Packard Foundation, has created the Monarch Butterfly Conservation Fund. This fund acts as an endowment that pays local land owners for forest conservation activities. The program interested me because it integrates local community development needs with conservation goals.

We are responsible for the proper functioning of the fund, making timely payments to the communities and assisting government officials with the management of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. The management of the Reserve includes monitoring and law enforcement to combat illegal logging, the gathering and reporting of scientific data, and training community members so that they may actively participate in Monarch butterfly and forest conservation activities.

I was fortunate to know that I wanted to work on international environmental issues by my second year at Cal. My first environmental internship was at Rainforest Action Network. With a new commitment to environmental protection, I found a position working with On Campus Recycling. My third year I studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain where I interned with Intermón-Oxfam International (English language site). My last year was dedicated to looking for a position or fellowship that would take me abroad working on environmental issues.

CC: How did you market your degree to your employer(s)?

JHR: History was useful because it showed I could write. Writing is a valuable skill that can be used in many fields. PEIS was also a fabulous program that prepared me to think across many disciplines.

CC: How do you use what you learned from your degree program on the job? What skills did you use during the study of your degree that have helped you in the job market - directly and indirectly?

JHR: Any degree program at UC Berkeley is academically rigorous. I learned to quickly read, understand and analyze complex texts and arguments. Also, to do well academically at Cal students need to know how to prioritize and how to attack problems. Being effective on the job has demanded the same skills.

CC: If you had to do college all over again, what would you do?

JHR: In my current position I need to know about forestry and ecology. PEIS gives an excellent background in the international economic forces that often drive deforestation, but is much weaker in providing practical solutions on the ground.

With more time, I would have learned another language like French. Having complete command of at least two languages is crucial for any international work.

CC: How proficient in Spanish do you need to be to get the kind of job you have? How did you learn Spanish?

JHR: Good question. My mother is from Spain, and I grew up in a Spanish speaking environment. Honestly, without my fluency in the language, there is absolutely no way I would have been offered this position. Of course, that is not to say gaining proficiency in the language can't be done by non-native speakers. A friend of mine (BA PEIS '98) volunteered for 6 months in Barcelona at Intermon Oxfam after graduation to perfect his Spanish and gain international NGO experience. That is what it took for him to get a job working on US-Mexico border environmental issues. Now he just got a full ride at the Princeton MPA program and was accepted to Harvard's Public Policy School. Learning a foreign language is key, and living in the country where the language is used is the best way to perfect it.

CC: What words of advice do you have for the students who are going to look for jobs soon?

JHR: Be persistent. Talk to as many people as you can about the field. Most people are open to helping young graduates and will give you a hand if they can. Understand what you really want and start there. Other easier or more common alternatives can be pursued later.

CC: Do you have any other comments or resources that you recommend?

JHR: From what I have seen, career paths are rarely linear, despite the fact that on resumes they may appear to be so. I applied to several scholarships and fellowship programs, only to be selected as a finalist. The most difficult part about the nonprofit world is getting on the inside. To do international development or conservation work one needs to demonstrate their commitment. That commitment usually must be combined with a specific skill, like a command of the language, or knowledge in a particular field before the door opens to nonprofit organizations. By preparing yourself and talking to people, opportunities will eventually present themselves.

CC: So, how do you like Mexico City?

JHR: Mexico City has its cultural advantages. But I miss clean air and running in the Berkeley Hills.

Additional Resources

What Can I do With a Major In - History

What Can I do With a Major In - PEIS