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Advice for a college student trying to integrate his passions into his future career path

by | May 20, 2014 | affecting change, career, career path, career-life balance, global impact, Non-profit, professional advice | 0 comments

The message below was sent by a college student that I met a couple of years ago while giving a keynote speech at his university, which is a top undergrad business school. He sent his message back in February after he’d locked down his summer internship, which is in the public service / not-for-profit sector. Realizing that he might be painting himself into the non-profit corner career-wise, he had a couple of questions for me about how to go into the full-time job search one day, given that he’ll likely have to transition from an area about which he is passionate over to something corporate.

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JS wrote:

Hi Marquis,

[…]

I have finalized my summer plans and I will be in the Dominican Republic for 12 weeks working for the Caribbean Sustainability Institute. […]

Now, I took your advice from our last talk very much to heart. That I should look for something corporate so I don’t get labeled as a non-for-profit guy. Also, I do understand that my decision for this summer is a bit counterintuitive to that advice, but I did this with intention. I am clearly making life decisions here about what direction I want my career to go. I don’t know if corporate life is the direction for me. Yet, I do know I have a good resume for something, probably in the realm of maybe research and sustainable development. Now, I am finding myself searching for what exactly that is.

Especially with your change from computer science/ programming to business, what did you not know going into that process of how to find a job that pleases you that you wish you did? Also, what were some key aspects that I should be keeping in mind during my search?

Thank you for reading this quite long email. As always, Marquis, I truly appreciate your advice and time. It has positively shaped what I have done in my college career so far.

I hope you have a great start to your week and survive the rest of the cold!

Best,

JS

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My response:

Hi JS,

Thanks for checking in and giving me an update on your status for the summer. I’m glad to hear that you have what sounds like an awesome summer experience locked down. This is the sort of thing that will allow you to take it easy for the next month because you don’t have to worry about the summer job thing anymore. #WinForThePeople!!!

[My responses to some quetions unrelated to this blog post]

OK, now let me hit your questions:

  • What did you not know going into that process of how to find a job that pleases you that you wish you did? –> Great question and one that I wish I’d asked earlier on in my career. I could give you a laundry list, but I’ll just touch on a few quick points.

    1. If a job isn’t a fit and doesn’t seem like it’ll make you happy at the beginning, the chances that things will change and that the job will eventually make you smile are pretty slim
    2. There’s nothing wrong with taking risks, but they have to be truly calculated risks…It can often be really tough to come back from mistakes in navigating through your career
    3. Compensation is important, but it isn’t the only thing that matters…Learning, development, and relationships gained from an opportunity can sometimes be as important as how much you get paid
    4. Sometimes, a job that sounds like an absolute win for you can turn into a terrible dud based on the people that you’ll end up working with and/or for…Pay attention to the people that you’d be around because you’ll spend upwards of half of your awake time with those folks
    5. The career decisions that you make in the early part of your career will end up laying the foundation for what you can and cannot do later on in your career…Always be thoughtful about the moves that you make.

  • What were some key aspects that I should be keeping in mind during my search? –> There are so many things that I could tell you for this question, so I’ll try to keep it to a manageable list.

    1. Make sure that you only consider job/career options that TRULY interest you. Many people will tell you that you HAVE to look at certain opportunities because you’re attending a top undergrad business school and folks from schools like yours HAVE to go to a certain set of jobs. That’s just plain silly. Go for job opportunities that will make you happy an keep your interest on a daily basis because that will allow you to stay focused and get the job done on the days when the job really grinds on you.
    2. Try to keep the longer-term issues in mind while targeting the right shorter-term options. You have some awesome long-term plans, including getting an MBA and having a big impact on the world. The last thing you’d want to do is paint yourself into a corner and make it difficult to achieve those goals because you chased down short-term options that would block your path there.
    3. Look at this job search as an opportunity for you to learn and optimize on finding the BEST learning opportunities. You’ll come across several things that may pay you a ton of money or connect you with certain networks, but, If you aren’t developing the sorts of knowledge and capabilities that energize you, then you’ll have a hard time feeling truly fulfilled in whatever role you end up taking.
Take care and have a nice evening.

Marquis