Former Student Spotlight - Joshua Erickson

Joshua Ericks

on began his career has a US Commercial Service export assistant in January of 2018. Previously, he served with his church in Brazil and Mexico, where he became fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. These experiences inspired his studies at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. He graduated with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in global business in 2017. After moving to North Dakota, Joshua applied for jobs in the finance/banking sector with the idea that he could eventually leverage his language skills to work in an international institution. Instead, he pursued a degree in International Agribusiness. As part of his program, Joshua worked as an export assistant with the US Commercial Service / North Dakota office. In this role, he conducted international market research for North Dakota
companies. After graduating with an MBA, Joshua was hired on as a market research analyst with the brand-new Rural Export Center (REC), conducting market research for rural companies on a nationwide scale.

As a research analyst, Joshua works with companies all over the country to help them decide what their research needs are. Joshua says that it is interesting to see what makes each company unique and how they used that advantage to create a successful business. About his current role, Joshua says, “There are so many innovative and determined companies in the U.S. that can benefit from exporting. It was enjoyable to help open that door to them.”

Because of his time as a CS student, Joshua learned many skills necessary to pursue a career with the REC and also guides new interns while managing and moving projects along. He credits his time with the CS / North Dakota office for the opportunity to network with local businesses and help with the initial launch of the REC. When asked about what advice he would give to students, he says, “Take the opportunity to meet people. Those relationships could lead to finding good friends, business ideas, future jobs, help on school projects, opportunities to help others, and much more. It’s easy to focus on yourself, schoolwork, your relaxation time, or your favorite hobby, but taking 3 or 5 minutes to visit a professor will make a big difference in how things turn out.”