A Course Correction Accelerated Learning Resources

A Course Correction

Last year as a junior in college, I had made plans for my employment trajectory for senior year. I was going to network with Bates alums in the finance world, work closely with the career center and follow the footsteps of recently employed students who had been my close friends in college. All that changed after I interned in a completely different world of government affairs the following summer.

I have written about how much I want to pursue research and policy-making after college. My previous posts have shown both my strengths and weaknesses. I think my strength lies in knowing what I want to do after college and passionately trying to get into the field. My weakness is exactly that—I narrowed my job search to just what I thought I wanted to pursue and didn’t give other exciting and not-as-exciting opportunities any thought. As a result, I am now about five weeks away from graduation and still unemployed. People often tell me that I took this job search too lightly and didn’t expand enough. I should have been sending applications by the dozen instead of complaining about how there weren’t enough opportunities for undergraduates in policy-making.

Looking back, I think I could have been more active in my job search, but I’ve also realized that it is not too late. I have applied for some internships already and I am ready to interview for some positions this week. I have also found a few job opportunities in the energy sector and I am waiting to hear back from them. Most of these opportunities have come by because I reached out to my previous employers and the people I met during my internship in Washington, D.C. I’ve realized the importance of knowing someone who can send my resume straight to the hiring manager with a personal note. We should not underestimate the importance of having even second- or third-degree connections. I’ve been lucky enough to have the opportunity to speak with experienced professionals through my personal contacts and those conversations have been instrumental in moving my resume along.

Despite my state of urgency, I have come to realize that it is not a bad idea to start with a valuable internship and look for a job in the meantime. Sure, it is not what I had in mind, but it does not seem like a worthless path to be on. Besides, I am not abandoning my job search altogether for the coming month. So as I continue look for jobs now, internships may be able to provide a smooth transition.

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