Susan Hartwell has spent her summer internship in Washington, D.C. learning how to speak another language – a difficult dialect called government-speak, and its related vernacular, legal lingo.

Essentially, Hartwell became a translator, the intermediary between the businesses wanting to ship goods across international borders and the rules and regulations that might cause hiccups.

Hartwell has a knack for language. After completing a Mechanical Engineering diploma at NAIT in 2001, she worked in the engineering field but soon moved into sales thanks to her ability to communicate her product knowledge to potential customers.

After seven years in the workforce, she was ready to ramp up her career and enrolled in NAIT’s Bachelor of Technology in Technology Management (BTech) program, which aims to turn people with technical know-how into managers.

On the first day of the BTech orientation, Hartwell met a student who landed an internship through the non-profit Washington Centre, and was intrigued. The city is, after all, home to some of the biggest managers in the world, and can become the launching pad for an enterprising young person.

Less than a year later, Hartwell packed her bags and became the third NAIT student, and second BTech student, to take on Washington. Here, what Hartwell learned from the Capital City.
 
How does the Washington Center help you secure an internship?
A program adviser sends your application to potential employers. I was a candidate for the Brazilian Business Council, the Small Business Council, a lobby firm – really diverse places. The process opened up ideas to places I’d never thought of working, like a law firm. But I went back to school to try new things, so why not?

Where did you ultimately decide to go?
I work for a software company that specializes in international trade legislation and documentation. They provide a service for clients to negotiate trade without having their product get hung up at customs or the border. Their major clients are UPS, FedEx; they just got a contract with Walmart.

I review trade legislation and compare that to their data. It’s a lot of research, and I deal with where to find the information, how to interpret the information.

You take courses through the Washington Centre as well, yes?
Most students only take one course, but I decided to take two: Power, Politics and Prose, and Global Markets and International Business Strategies. I’m in class on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Some courses are more focused on learning soft skills that are inherent to D.C. – you can taste foods in the area, or do media studies – or something specific to countries like Mexico, the Middle East, China. It’s a very diverse experience.

What’s in the news?
The metro fares have increased twice since I’ve been here and have gone up almost $1, and I’ve barely been here a month.

Has anyone praised Canada’s banking system?
No, and they think the Loonie is the currency. They always ask, “How is the Loonie trading?” They all say I have an accent, which I think is funny because I don’t think I do. And they giggle when I say “eh.”

What is the biggest difference between Washington and home?
You definitely notice they are a rules-based society. Perhaps that’s amplified because we are in the policy-making capital. There are a lot of head offices in D.C. Whether they are big corporations or non-profits, they want to be close to the government because the closer you are the more likely you are to be heard.

How does being rules-based manifest itself?
They can’t see any way of resolving an issue without enforcing a new rule with a penalty. Often solutions can be found by other methods, but they say, “We need a new rule. This is the infraction, this is the fine,” instead of trying to work towards preventative measures.

What would you say to other students who are thinking about pursuing this internship themselves?
If you really want to grow and network yourself and you know what you want to do, this is a great experience. If you don’t know what you want to do, there are a lot of tools and systems in place within the Washington Centre that will help you figure out what you want, and how to get there.

Where to from here?
I definitely know what I want to do; I’m focused on project management and sales management. Engineering is an intrinsic part of how I am, and I may go on and complete my P.Eng [Professional Engineer] in the future.

Doing an internship in Washington is going to say to potential employers that I am willing to travel and relocate, and Americans are one of our biggest trade partners, so learning more about how they do business and how they work will give me a competitive edge.