Around the Table with Taren Sylvester

Around the Table is a three-question interview series from the Make Room email newsletter. Each edition features a conversation with a peer in the national security community to learn about their expertise and experience in the sector.

Taren Sylvester is the Research Assistant for the Military, Veterans, & Society Program at CNAS. Their research interests include issues of civil-military relations, societal perceptions of the military, military ethics, and biodefense.

1. What inspired you to pursue a career in national security, specifically civil-military relations and military ethics?

I grew up in a military family. As a child my life was dictated by the little sign jokingly hanging in our kitchen proclaiming ‘home is where the Air Force sends you.’ It wasn’t until I went to college that I became truly cognizant of how little contact most Americans had with the military. I remember being in a course where each class period was staged as a mock National Security Council meeting and being shocked at the kinds of problems my fellow students thought they could just throw the military at to solve. I saw a disconnect between how some conceptualized the role of the military in both defense strategy and as part of American society compared to how the military could actually legally and logistically function.

I had questions about the military’s place in society and how a society interacted with its military. Deeper research only begot even more questions. So my original interest in civil-military relations began there. I am fortunate to now get to ponder these questions for a living and in a context where they might have a practical impact on policy.

2. What advice do you have for someone who is early in their career?

When you’re just getting started no one expects you to be an expert. For internships and entry level positions being able to demonstrate a general grasp of the field you're applying to work in is generally enough. Expertise takes time to build and people who have been steeped in the national security world for decades are going to see right through false bravado. At the entry level being able to demonstrate enthusiasm, professionalism, and an openness to learning are more important and will be more applicable to your job on day one.

For example, while I was in graduate school I was working full time at a sports facility to pay the bills. One of the regulars there always made friendly conversation with me. In one of these chats I mentioned I was in a security studies program which happened to be their career field. They put me in contact with other regulars they knew who held jobs across the national security sector. None of them knew me for my expertise but they saw my work ethic and professionalism first hand; that was enough for them to want to help me. Now, when I’m hiring interns it is these attributes I look for primarily.

3. How has mentorship influenced your career?

Mentorship has helped me most in improving my confidence. There is something truly indispensable about having figures in your life that know you and respect you as a professional. For many people just coming out of university imposter syndrome looms large, it certainly has for me, and having a voice that says ‘I’ve seen the work you’ve done, your ideas have merit, and I acknowledge you as part of this community of scholars/practitioners’ was transformational to me. When I doubt myself it’s my mentors’ belief in me that I fall back on. It might sound odd but knowing they have nothing to gain by lying to me about my own skills or ideas is comforting. Wanting to prove that this trust in me was not misplaced encourages me to face new challenges and pursue new experiences when I’d naturally tend towards passivity.

Subscribe

Sign up to receive the Make Room newsletter every month in your inbox.