Thank you for the opportunity to ask a question about career advice here.
I’m 35 years old and currently working in the field of human rights. I lead a project focused on human rights education for teenagers via social media. Recently, I also started a new role as project manager for a project that is developing an ethical AI chatbot.
I began my career as a social worker and, alongside my work, completed two master’s degrees—one in legal philosophy and one in law. During my studies, I worked at a university-based human rights institute, where I gained experience in legal research, created educational content for students, and co-authored a few articles.
After that, I transitioned into my current role, where I work on various human rights projects. For my final law thesis, I focused on AI bias and women’s rights, which sparked my deep interest in the intersection of AI, data protection, tech policy, and human rights.
Since then, I’ve continued building my knowledge in this area through various courses. I completed the AI Governance training by BlueDot, another training focused on the EU AI Act, and one that explored AI from a human rights perspective. As a final paper for the BlueDot course, I wrote a policy toolkit on applying a human rights-based approach to AI governance in content moderation -this really encapsulates my main area of interest. I also recently completed a policy writing course.
I would love to transition more fully into the fields of tech & law, tech policy, and/or advocacy in these areas. However, despite putting a great deal of effort into each application—carefully tailoring each one—I haven’t had any success so far. Over the past six months, I’ve applied to nearly every relevant fellowship and many early-career positions, including internships and traineeships.
I approach things with a strong intersectional lens, which I believe could be a unique asset in this field.
Could you advise me on how to move forward and where I should continue looking to make this career transition?
I’m currently based in Canada but working remotely for an Austrian NGO. I’m open to relocating to most European countries.
Hello!
Thank you for the opportunity to ask a question about career advice here.
I’m 35 years old and currently working in the field of human rights. I lead a project focused on human rights education for teenagers via social media. Recently, I also started a new role as project manager for a project that is developing an ethical AI chatbot.
I began my career as a social worker and, alongside my work, completed two master’s degrees—one in legal philosophy and one in law. During my studies, I worked at a university-based human rights institute, where I gained experience in legal research, created educational content for students, and co-authored a few articles.
After that, I transitioned into my current role, where I work on various human rights projects. For my final law thesis, I focused on AI bias and women’s rights, which sparked my deep interest in the intersection of AI, data protection, tech policy, and human rights.
Since then, I’ve continued building my knowledge in this area through various courses. I completed the AI Governance training by BlueDot, another training focused on the EU AI Act, and one that explored AI from a human rights perspective. As a final paper for the BlueDot course, I wrote a policy toolkit on applying a human rights-based approach to AI governance in content moderation -this really encapsulates my main area of interest. I also recently completed a policy writing course.
I would love to transition more fully into the fields of tech & law, tech policy, and/or advocacy in these areas. However, despite putting a great deal of effort into each application—carefully tailoring each one—I haven’t had any success so far. Over the past six months, I’ve applied to nearly every relevant fellowship and many early-career positions, including internships and traineeships.
I approach things with a strong intersectional lens, which I believe could be a unique asset in this field.
Could you advise me on how to move forward and where I should continue looking to make this career transition?
I’m currently based in Canada but working remotely for an Austrian NGO. I’m open to relocating to most European countries.
Thank you again!