Caroline Kaeb | Policy Officer - European Commission

Caroline made the switch from being a thought leader and academic on IT and human rights into the heart of EU policy-making on digital innovation.

THE CHALLENGE

I wanted to translate my varied career into a compelling storyline.

After more than a decade of human rights work with leading US universities, the UN, and American IT companies, I was looking for my next professional step that would propel me into an impactful role at the cutting-edge of global tech policy and digital transformation that would foster innovation in line with fundamental values and rights.

The challenge for me was how to streamline my career narrative—spanning experiences in private and public sectors as well as in Europe and the United States— in a coherent and compelling way.

Also, I faced the critical task of translating my issue expertise from my academic tenure and my international United Nations policy experiences on human rights issues in business and IT in terms that are relevant for a role shaping concrete policies and standard-setting, particularly within a regulatory context.

THE SOLUTION

"Shannon helped me reconnect with my purpose and translate it to be relevant for practical roles in the field of tech policy."

Looking for a mid-career change, Shannon helped me, through her Shift Careers + Land the Job program, to re-position my background as a human rights lawyer and scholar in a way that projects my skills and passion into an applied context of policy development and strategy.

With candour, industry insight, and humanity, Shannon provided me with a new perspective on how my background was relevant to address industry and policy challenges and shepherded me through a process of mid-career self-reflection.She helped me re-connect with what drives me, i.e., the protection of fundamental rights and a passion for digital social innovation, and give it concrete meaning and relevance for practical roles in the field of tech policy.

Through the process of fleshing out tangible accomplishments statements for my various roles in academia, the UN, and legal practice, Shannon was instrumental in helping me to take stock of my past experiences on both sides of the Atlantic and see the common thread in my career journey and where to take it next.

THE RESULT

I landed my dream job at the European Commission addressing industry and policy challenges in the digital space.

Shannon helped me develop and fine tune my brand and re-focus my career in a way that leveraged my different experiences across sectors and countries and improved my competitiveness with the private sector, top think tanks, and regulators in my field of interest.