Career Pathway Video Series Interview: Anya Shutovska

Anya Shutovska
Analyst, Office of Legislative Affairs
California Health and Human Services Agency
Management, 2019

Like many college freshmen, Anya Shutovska wasn’t entirely sure what career she wanted to pursue when she first enrolled at San Diego State University. However, she entered college with a plan designed to put her on the right path. 

Her plan, which included joining student organizations and approaching other students for help, allowed her to find a job that was a perfect fit for her once she graduated from SDSU’s Fowler College of Business in 2019. She talked about it with fellow Fowler management grad, Andy Esparza (’81), as part of Fowler’s management department Career Pathways video series to share her strategy for success both as a student and post-graduation. 

Anya Shutovska

Esparza: Could you tell us a little about what you’re doing today and the roles and responsibilities of your current job?

Shutovska: After graduation, I moved to Sacramento where I started the Senate Fellowship Program where I got hands-on learning experience working in the state legislature. Now, I work as an analyst in the legislative affairs office at the California Health and Human Services Agency. In that role, I oversee and track hundreds of bills that affect our 17 departments that fall under our agency, which can range from public health to social services to managed healthcare. I review the cost and impact on Californians before making decisions on whether or not this is something we want to pursue. 

Esparza: I know you had some different career options, so could you tell us your decision-making process and how you ended up where you are today? 

Shutovska: I came into the Fowler College of Business not really sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I enjoyed working with people, I liked problem solving and I felt that a business degree would apply toward anything I decided to do with my career. At the same time, I joined a lot of student organizations like Associated Students, Rotoract, and the SDSU Dance Marathon where I got to dive into different leadership roles. I love volunteering, I love utilizing my own background as an immigrant and as a woman, so I enjoy being able to apply those experiences toward helping other people. I realized I wanted to do this work as part of my career. 

Esparza: Could you tell me a little more about how SDSU helped to prepare you for your current job?

Shutovska: The classes were helpful in the sense that I learned about management, marketing and accounting since all of those skills have become useful in analyzing legislation. I have to be able to look at things with a limited amount of information and figure out where my focus should be. Also, as I’ve already mentioned, I was involved in different clubs on campus that helped me to gain the “people aspect” that I need to be successful in my job. 

Esparza: How do you find those extracurricular opportunities? 

Shutovska: I came to this campus not knowing anyone, but I knew I wanted to be involved in student government. So, I went to the Associated Students website, found a meeting that interested me and I just showed up. It was a little nerve-wracking at first, but ultimately, you are welcomed. And if you don’t like the first organization you get involved with, there are tons of other opportunities on the Student Life and Leadership website that you can try. 

Esparza: Do you have any advice to students about how to find the courage and wherewithal to get involved? 

Shutovska: If you are new to an organization, just walk up to someone who seems to have been involved for a little while and introduce yourself. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of asking if they’re willing to grab lunch or coffee with you so that you can ask about their experience. Since I was an immigrant and the first one in my family to go to college, I had to rely heavily on other people to guide me and give me advice about their experiences. 

Esparza: Can you describe how your time at SDSU prepared you for your career, particularly in areas where you didn’t have prior experience? 

Shutovska: I’ve just been thinking about the classes I’ve taken that have been, surprisingly, really transferable. For instance, the sales and marketing course I took for my minor has helped me to market and pitch proposals — which in a way is selling. Also, the management courses I took helped me to understand the foundations of business in a global environment. So, working with people that come from different places have different rules and learning how to interact with these people has been helpful. The business ethics classes were also important, and we should take those lessons with us wherever we end up. 

Esparza:  You’ve mentioned that you are interested in the role of women and immigrants, and the fact that you chose to get involved in the public sector. Tell us a little about how those things shaped you.  

Shutovska: When I was involved in campus clubs and Associated Students, I used to propose ideas for events that would help to promote their voices and thoughts. I was curious to know how that would work in the real world. I was lucky enough to have three internships while I was a student: one in the nonprofit sector, one in the private sector and one in the public sector. It gave me the opportunity to try on these different hats in a relatively low-risk environment to see what I liked best and helped me decide what direction I wanted to take. 

 Esparza: What open-ended advice would you give third-year management majors that are looking for career opportunities?

Shutovska: First, I want to say that it is totally okay to not know exactly what you want to do when you graduate. The nature of business is that there are a whole lot of careers you can pursue, so if you want to switch what you’re doing halfway through your career, it’s not all that hard to do. I’ve heard that, on average, people change careers 5 – 7 times in their lifetime, so you don’t have to do one thing for the rest of your life. 

The second piece of advice I’d like to share is that when you pay to attend SDSU, you don’t just pay for the classes, but you pay for the whole campus experience. You can join campus organizations, you can meet people to help you with internships, or you can get a job on campus. Use this opportunity at SDSU to find unique ways to gain the skills and knowledge that you want, because you can get so much if you really apply yourself outside the classroom.