One of the biggest challenges college students face is reaching an understanding of what they want to do with the rest of their lives. It’s an impossible question to avoid, especially as students move quickly through their years at Brown. I personally have been struggling with this question as I approach my final year. Students here are often reminded that we can do whatever we want if we work hard enough and are passionate about that work.
But there’s something to be said for the currently precarious job market and student loans that many of us worry about. With those considerations in mind, “dream jobs” often don’t seem feasible. Some of us find ourselves wondering whether to choose a job that we will love or one that will make us enough money.
Of course, there isn’t a right or wrong answer to this question. Each person you ask will have a different opinion, and chances are that most people will be somewhere in the middle. Regardless, both sides are important to consider. To me, it seems the best approach is to find a job that excites you, pays the rent and can provide a foundation for working toward your “dream job.” As three authors wrote in a 2012 joint Harvard Business Review blog post, “every small smart step you take should leave you alive to take the next step.”
One of the biggest mistakes college seniors make is accepting the first job that gives them an offer, regardless of whether the job excites or interests them. I know this has been true for many of my classmates applying for internships this summer, and it makes perfect sense. If you turn down the offer having not heard from other companies, you run the risk of not being employed at all. There is something to be said, however, for looking past the immediate salaries and benefits and into the long-term goal of finding jobs that bring both pleasure and financial security. Many of these can also help you take the right next steps.
And let’s be real, how many jobs obtained by recent college graduates are “dream jobs”? Even for students who graduate with jobs at Google or Apple, or in the World Health Organization or at Boston Consulting Group, first jobs are often entry-level ones that aren’t thrilling. If you’re going to be accepting an entry-level position wherever you go, why not make sure it’s in a company or field you love? In that case, you at least have a foot in the door and can connect with professionals in the industry that could help you carve the path you really desire.
At the beginning of this year, I was particularly interested in what my classmates did over the summer. I found out one of them had worked for NASA programming satellites. I remember saying, “Wow, that’s incredible, you must have loved it!” To my surprise, he shook his head. NASA was a great name and paid a lot of money, but the work was dull and there was little room for upward mobility. When offered a chance to return for the following summer, he declined.
This is a good example of how balance is key. NASA might be a great way to pay the bills, but if you’re dragging your feet out of bed every morning to go to a job that bores you, what are you gaining from the experience? The same is true in the reverse direction. Usually, being a freelance food blogger doesn’t pay the bills. But if you love food and writing, working for a food magazine or on a culinary show might be a great substitute. Sure, you’re not the one tasting the food, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.
All of this is predicated on the assumption that we all know what our “dream job” is going to be. This is rarely true, but that’s where internships come into play. Particularly for first-years and sophomores, taking advantage of internship opportunities early on can be a great way to get a glimpse at many different professions. Don’t be picky about your internships, either. You might find a new interest or a new way to engage in a field you’re already interested in. And if you just want to see what a job might be like without committing to a whole summer, consider job shadowing someone for a day. Brown has many resources that can help you test the waters in your search for a potential career interest. For example, try creating an account with BRUnet on the CareerLAB website. BRUnet can help you connect with thousands of alums in dozens of fields to get a better understanding of what their work is like.
The job market is a frightening place, particularly when the onslaught of real-world life comes crashing down on you — usually sometime in your junior or early senior year. But remember, it’s often a wise idea to be patient in your job search, rather than jumping on the first offer you get. It won’t be the last one, and you’ll be better off in the long term if you make a long-term decision.
Daniel Delaney ’15 still doesn’t know what he wants to do and is open for conversation. He can be reached at daniel_delaney@brown.edu.
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