Chuying, Community Management and Events Specialist at the World Economic Forum

I work in the team of Institutional Communities at the World Economic Forum. The community that I manage composes of about 120 CEOs of the Forum’s Partner companies, who are also the leaders in their own industries and regions. It is one of important communities of the World Economic Forum because of the high level of its members and the influence it may exert on key topics and projects. The community organises its meeting twice a year for the discussions on global topics and for peer exchanges. 

My job is to manage this community, including onboarding and offboarding members, monitoring and improving members’ engagement in the community. Another significant part of my job is to organise the biannual community meetings, from curating the content of the events to supporting the logistical delivery of the sessions.

On this position, there are a lot of chances to collaborate with others, both internally and externally. Therefore, it requires important soft skills, among which the important ones are communication, relationship management and partner engagement. When leading the event, the skill of project management is needed as well, to work smoothly with other stakeholders and deliver the event in time. 

I got the opportunity to work in the Forum firstly in 2022 as a trainee, thanks to the Early Career Program. This six-month traineeship allowed me to understand the mission and the work of the World Economic Forum and equipped me with the knowledge and the network resources to achieve my second role in the Forum in a different team as a full-time employee. 

Meanwhile, I have been checking the newsletter from Sciences Po Alumni and discover other alumni who are also working in the Forum, which helps me to network and to collect more insights.

The most fascinating part is the opportunity to support the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos! I am lucky to be on site and support the Davos meeting in January 2024, and I met a lot of CEOs and public figures in the meeting venue. 

In addition, internal transition is common in the Forum. Employees are encouraged and always have opportunity to move to another team and take a new role. Even though I have been working in the Forum for only two and a half years, this is already my 3rd role.

I gained almost all my first knowledge of international organisations at PSIA. The classes I took has trained many of my soft skills, such as researching, teamwork, project management and even writing, which are crucial for my work today. More importantly, the study at PSIA has contributed to my mindsets as a world citizen. Those spirits of inclusiveness, diversity, sympathy still impacts my day-to-day life. 

The Gap year also allowed me to gain experience in different sector and industry. I had three different internships in private sector, during the gap year (despite lockdown in 2020), in NGO and in the UN respectively. These experiences help me understand what I like and dislike and build up my skills and lead me to my current role. 

And the degree I gained on international development is recognised internationally, which definitely opens the door for my experience in a lot of organisations, including the UN.

Networking can be helpful. Talk to as many people as you can to get their insights (and even recommendation) for the industry/position that you want to work for. 

I would also recommend you have internships in different sectors, and even in different topics. You may discover yourself and understand your interest better. And all these experiences will be helpful somehow. 

Lastly, if you are struggling in finding jobs and getting into your career, please be patient and do not give up. Sometimes it just takes longer and more steps to achieve what you are dreaming for.