Stories From 4 More Recent Grads About Jobs That Aren’t Consulting
Pursuing Diverse Job Options Post-College
Coming out of college, it felt as if there were only a few career options: one could be a consultant, a financial analyst, a software engineer, a doctor, or a lawyer. As far as the Office of Career Services and my peers were concerned, that was the end of the list. None of these options spoke to me. I faced a challenge: how do you take the next step if you’re looking to veer off the beaten path? I didn’t know that the menu of career options extended far beyond what was put in front of me.
I was watching my peers default to consulting and finance. I even found myself looking into consulting, even though I had no desire or interest in working in that role. Of all my friends who became consultants only a few did so because it was something they were truly excited and passionate about. So, in an effort to promote awareness of the oh-so-many job options out there, I’ve joined Ratna Gill in collecting stories from recent grads about the roles they took on coming out of college.
Allison Morrison, Legislative Aide at Senator Michael Bennet (Washington, D.C.)
“After graduating in May 2016, I moved back to my home state of Montana to conduct opposition research for our governor’s reelection campaign. That fall, I chased my interest in policy and public service to Washington, DC where I landed a position on Capitol Hill in Senator Michael Bennet’s office, a Democrat from Colorado. I am currently on the policy team, working on a portfolio that includes tax and tech policy as well as rural economic development issues. Most of my job entails conducting research and interacting with constituents and policy experts to write background memos and legislation for the Senator in those policy areas.
Working on the Hill has been an incredible way to learn about the policymaking process and also explore areas of policy I didn’t even know existed prior to entering this world. Having started this job in the fall of 2016 has also provided me an interesting perspective as Democrats navigate a Trump presidency and full Republican control of Congress. People are worried that our political system is broken and the American people’s faith in our democratic institutions is wavering, but I have also met some of the most dedicated and compassionate people who are fighting to restore that faith and championing a more equitable, sustainable, diverse, and better future for everyone, and that gives me hope!
I don’t know how much longer I will stay on the Hill but I know my experience there has helped me understand what issues I really care about and will undoubtedly guide my career decisions moving forward.”
Carolyn Gigot, Environmental Health Assessment Support at US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (Washington, D.C.)
“During the fall of my senior year, I applied for Harvard’s traveling fellowships as well as a few teaching positions abroad. Because I had been working part-time as a research assistant for Dr. Maharaj Pandit, who studies evolution, biodiversity, and conservation in the Himalayas, that region of the world in particular captured my imagination.
After receiving the Michael C. Rockefeller fellowship, funding for a year of purposeful postgraduate immersion in a foreign culture, I decided to spend my time studying the Himalayan artistic tradition of thangka painting. I had taken a few studio classes in college and read a little about this art form after seeing Himalayan art in writing classes at the Freer and Sackler Galleries in Washington, DC where I grew up. I spent the year pursuing exactly what I was interested in, not necessarily what I had an innate talent for or what I thought would lead me towards a career- taking Hindi classes, studying at a small studio in Himachal Pradesh, and bicycle touring in the mountains over the summer. In addition to learning a new language and skills totally different from what I had focused on for the previous 22 years of my life, I appreciated the opportunity to build relationships and learn how to work in a self-directed way.
At the end of the year, I moved back to Washington and looked for opportunities closer to what I had studies in college. I started working at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a contractor for ORAU, supporting the development of Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) chemical health hazard assessments. I enjoy how the work is more applied than basic research, but uses the same investigative and quantitative skills.
I am most interested in the epidemiology work group’s material and tasks, and am considering going back to school in the next few years for a Master’s in Public Health to develop the skills I would need to do more independent environmental health/epidemiology work. I am also still drawing and studying Hindi (and watching Bollywood films). DC has a wealth of organizations offering affordable language instruction, arts instruction, and creative community.”
Isaac Dayno, Community Health Worker at Project Home (Philadelphia, PA)
“Right after college, I worked at a large tech company where I focused on national security projects. In that setting, I felt wholly unconnected from problems that mattered — which, in 2016, seemed to loom over everything (and still does!). I left Silicon Valley to organize for Democrats before that election, and afterward joined a medical clinic for the homeless in Philadelphia.
Now I work as a Community Health Worker at Project HOME. My work at the clinic focuses on connecting those who are homeless with medical care. In particular, I work with our injection drug user population to link them with medication for HIV and Hepatitis C. I so highly value the relationships I have formed with my patients. They are strong beyond belief, and keep me grounded each day.
My time at the clinic has absolutely shaped the I career I see for myself. I want to focus on providing legal services to those in prison who have been denied medical treatment — narratives shockingly common among my patients at the clinic.”
Sophie Randolph, Chief of Staff at Xola (Houston, TX)
Now back to me. After graduating, I made a short-term plan to be the Hospitality and Events Manager at Haiti Communitere, the non-profit where I had lived two summers before. While I was there I worked closely with the Operations Manager and Board and realized that some of my strongest skills were organization, communication, and problem solving. While I’d spent a lot of time working with non-profits in college I wanted to find a role at a startup or smaller company in the for-profit world in order to learn about business with the idea that some day I will bring the two together in the realm of social entrepreneurship.
The fall after that summer in Haiti I moved to San Francisco and started my search for a job as an Executive Assistant. I found a role at Xola, a company building software for businesses offering tours and activities. I was drawn to the mission-driven culture and felt an immediate rapport with the CEO. In this role I worked closely with my boss across all business units. I have learned so much about software, business, tours and activities, the travel space, and more! It’s hard to fathom how much I’ve been able to grow in this role. I’ve also gotten to tackle big problems and roll out new processes within our company.
I received a promotion after about a year and now serve as Xola’s Chief of Staff. I work closely with our CEO on strategic planning, team management, and take on a project manager role for whatever needs to get done. This has involved building out and conducting our new hire orientation, helping with a product launch at an industry conference, running our alpha and beta product releases, and now working on initiatives to increase product adoption amongst our customers. This role has allowed me to learn and grow so much and has equipped me with skills that will serve my whether I stay in software or move into another industry.
When it comes to looking for that first job out of college consider the following:
- What are my strengths and skills? What can I bring to a role and team?
- What am I interested in? What can I get excited about working on daily?
- What do I want to learn and get out of my first role? What opportunities will help me continue to learn and grow beyond college?
Considering each of these questions, and taking the time necessary to figure that out allowed me to land in a role that has served me well. If I had let myself fall to the pressure to know exactly what I was doing after college by graduation, I wouldn’t have found myself where I am today.
