WEBINAR RECORDING · 2024-10
Consulting and Working Independently in Trade Policy
In this conversation: Paul Baker, Elitsa Garnizova, Stéphanie Noël, Ben Shepherd, and Hanna Norberg.
Independent trade-policy work takes several forms: solo practice, a consulting firm, or a specialist team within a university. The panel explains how to find first assignments, become visible through substantive work, and choose a business model that fits the work one actually wants to do.
Session information draws on the recording and its original description. Affiliations and policy context refer to the time of the webinar.
FROM THE CONVERSATION
Three takeaways.
What they mean in practice.
Prepared from the session recording using automatic transcription and editorial review. Follow the timestamp links for the original wording and context.
A credible offer and a useful network reinforce each other
Watch 21:02 ↗Noël describes assignments arriving through people who knew her work but were not necessarily close contacts. Norberg recommends conversations grounded in specific substantive interests. Baker adds that consulting firms search for expertise through publications, LinkedIn, and project-relevant keywords, so being findable matters alongside personal relationships.
Practical implication: Make your specialization legible through a focused profile and concrete work samples. Reconnect thoughtfully with former colleagues and approach potential collaborators with a specific contribution or substantive question.
Choose deliberately between doing and managing
Watch 25:47 ↗Baker describes building a firm to scale work and develop colleagues, while acknowledging salaries, financing, and project-management responsibilities. Garnizova and Shepherd describe assembling teams or taking defined roles in larger projects without seeking permanent organizational growth. Independence need not mean working alone.
Practical implication: Decide how much technical delivery, management, and financial responsibility you want. For opportunities beyond your capacity, build partnerships and specify your role rather than assuming that expansion is the only successful path.
Early experience and mentoring make independence more viable
Watch 52:41 ↗Garnizova values practical experience demonstrating responsibility and delivery. Noël advises junior lawyers to secure strong training and choose supportive supervisors rather than relying on institutional prestige. Shepherd stresses clear, concise writing even for quantitative specialists, and Baker emphasizes breadth alongside a recognizable specialization.
Practical implication: Use early assignments to build evidence of reliable delivery, seek mentors who teach and introduce you to others, and practice translating technical analysis into usable policy writing.
From the discussion
At 30:53–33:51, Garnizova explains that her first major opportunity required institutional backing and partners: she could articulate her contribution but could not deliver the project alone. At 47:32–50:59, Noël qualifies generic networking advice with the economics of a specialized practice—business development consumes substantial unbilled time, so substance and relevant audiences matter. The panel’s different experiences show why copying another consultant’s exact route is less useful than understanding the relationships and capabilities behind it.
Recording references
- Recording: first clients and networks — 21:02–24:05; 44:56–47:05
- Recording: firm growth, teams, and independence — 25:47–35:57
- Recording: advice for new entrants — 52:41–60:21
