Matt Gass has worked on secret Brexit preparations, was part of the first trade negotiations led by the U.K. in decades and is now a senior lawyer investigating allegations of unfair practices. Fifteen years after graduating from Northeastern University, Gass is employed in a job — working for the Trade Remedies Authorities, an arms-length government body—that did not exist when he was attending lectures in Boston. The British Council suggests that as many as 65% of those currently at university will be employed in jobs that have not yet been formulated.
For Gass, the spark behind his career was not the growth of artificial intelligence or the like. It was due to Brexit—the narrow vote in 2016 by the British public for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union. In fact, his current employer, the TRA, was established only after Brexit had been enacted. Gass credits his degree program and extracurricular activities, including being part of the Model United Nations society, for preparing him for his future career trajectory.
