Jessica Ku Kim
Vice President of Economic & Workforce Development
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC)
Los Angeles, CA USA
“Just do it, but be happy while doing it.”
Milestones
My road in life has taken me all over.
In high school, I wanted to do it all—I was involved in sports and dance, I had a part-time job at a flower shop, and I still devoted extra time at night to study.
I went to UC Irvine and studied criminology because I thought I wanted to become an attorney.
After completing an internship with the D.C. Prisoners’ Legal Services Project and then coming back and working at a law firm, I realized that I didn’t actually want to be an attorney anymore.
I decided not to go to law school and started looking for a job after graduation instead—I applied to hundreds of jobs but just couldn’t land one.
I eventually joined AmeriCorps VISTA and then ended up at a nonprofit organization that had just been awarded a workforce development grant, which is how I got started in workforce development.
Through networking, I found a job in case management, where I worked directly with people who were trying to find jobs—I stayed there for eight years and worked my way up to director of operations.
After that, I was recruited to a workforce development board where I spent some time before finally joining the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Bachelor
Criminology, Law and Society
University of California, Irvine
Criminology, Law and Society
University of California, Irvine
Graduate
Public Administration
California State University, Dominguez Hills
Public Administration
California State University, Dominguez Hills
Career
Vice President of Economic & Workforce Development
I aim to make sure our economy is growing in an inclusive and equitable way.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Government
Non-Profit Organizations
Helping People
Day to Day
I wake up early to get a couple of hours to myself to get ready and read up on things. When my son wakes up, I get him ready for school. I get to work around 8 a.m. I'm typically in meetings back-to-back throughout my work day. I'm part of planning and strategy meetings, team meetings, and external meetings. If I have time between meetings, I catch up on emails. From 5:30 to 8 p.m., I stop work to be present with my family. Depending on the day, I may have to work again for a few hours at night.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for high school students
When you find something that piques your interest, read up on it. Find resources to learn more about it and see what's currently happening regarding that subject. This is how you'll start to figure out how that interest can play into different careers. From there, you'll be able to narrow down the careers or industries that seem to align best with you.
Recommended Education
My career is related to what I studied. I'd recommend the path I took:
Bachelor
Criminology, Law and Society
Criminology, Law and Society
Graduate
Public Administration
Public Administration
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Parents:
"You're not going to law school? I'm disappointed in you."
Challenges I Overcame
School Stress
Work-Life Balance
