I came to Dartmouth to get a world-class education and eventually, a great job. And as much as I am loving every minute as an undergraduate, I'm SO excited for the options that abound after graduation I can go through corporate recruiting and work in consulting/finance, OR take the LSATs and go to law school! Man, the world is my oyster!
OK, OK, so I'm being really sarcastic. Now I'll go all admissions video on you and tell you what I really do know that my Dartmouth liberal arts education is providing me with the confidence and skill set to be able to work in any field of my choosing. Except finance, because I sucked at Econ 1.
But the point is that many Dartmouth students forget that they have options besides the beaten path.
"Honestly, I think all of my friends are going through corporate recruiting. This is weirding me out," Ben Gettinger '11 said.
This year, over 400 students went through the first round of corporate recruiting according to Monica Wilson, Acting Co-Director of Career Services at the College, the number has "generally increased over the years by a small amount."
Consulting and finance are the most popular career fields for Dartmouth students.
"We've seen an increased interest in consulting and a decreased interest in finance," Wilson said, adding that marketing and advertising communications have garnered significant student interest, but these industries don't recruit until the Winter and Spring.
Pursuing law is also an oft-taken route. Last year, over 70 seniors took the LSATs, according to Wilson. The exact number is larger because not all students choose to register their scores.
So what's with corporate recruiting and taking the LSATs? Yes, they lead to noble and profitable careers, but don't try to tell me that over 470 11s are just wild about finance, consulting and law. A lot of it has to do with the fact that these are pretty clear paths (if you're successful) take the LSATs, go to law school, start working at a firm, put in crazy hours, have no life; go through corporate recruiting, start working at a firm, put in crazy hours, have no life. And, maybe we are drawn to these paths in the first place because we are Dartmouth students. We beat the admissions odds to get in here in the first place we're competitive, we're driven and corporate recruiting and standardized testing, be it the LSATs or MCATs, reward these impulses, ranking us clearly in relation to our peers.
But please remember: it's OK to think outside the job box. Seriously don't just go with the flow if the flow is not what you really want to do. Don't be like that '14 girl I overheard last Friday night on the Green, inquiring to her surrounding 'schmob: "Wait, so like, is booting just what everyone does?" (Replace "booting" with "consulting.")
Pen Vineyard '11, went off the beaten trail and followed his passions. After graduating one year early, Vineyard now works in Madrid teaching English at two public bilingual schools. Vineyard discovered the job through another alum who had done a similar program in France.
"I wanted to spend more time immersed in Spanish and I am very interested in language learning and teaching," he said. "Once I encountered the program last December, I knew it was what I wanted to do."
He plans to work at the schools until July when the school year ends. After that, Vineyard is unsure of what's next, but said he knows he wants to continue teaching.
"But who knows what will happen you gotta be open minded and flexible," he added.
Vineyard did not consider going through corporate recruiting or taking the LSATs.
"Seems like a grind," he said. "But I'm sure those people will all be making more money than I."
After graduating from Dartmouth and working on Wall Street as a derivatives trader for two years, Maia Josebachvili '05 quit her job and started her own company in 2008. New York City-based Urban Escapes plans and guides outdoor adventure trips for young professionals. Kind of like DOC trips for corporate types and hopefully way less awkward. Some of the trips listed on the site for this fall are "Apple Picking & Foliage Hike" and "Shootin' & Drinkin." (Sign me up for that one!)
Urban Escapes was the outcome of "taking a passion and blending it with the need for an industry in the market," Josebachvili said. An extreme outdoor enthusiast, Josebachivili's experiences include 650 skydiving jumps and hiking to Everest base camp.
"I always wanted to be outside and there wasn't really a good way to get out of the city on weekends," Josebachvili said.
Urban escapes now has 10 full-time staff members, four of whom come from Dartmouth, as well as branches in Boston, Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.
"My two years on Wall Street were pretty invaluable," she said. "There's something to be said for getting work experience, but that's not for everyone."
Fair enough. I guess my point is, don't forget that you have other options.
"Chill out and do whatever you want to do," Vineyard said. "There is a lot more out there than corporate recruiting and law school, if you take the time to do your homework and network."
Now doubting your current career options? You should probably still go take the LSATs and then mid-test stand up and scream "I HATE LOGIC! I DON'T WANT TO BE A LAWYER!!!" while ripping the test to shreds and then running out. Or go to that recruiting interview anyway and awkwardly hit on the interviewer, e.g. "I wouldn't mind putting some money in your stock."
Or, it may be beneficial to turn to the wise words of one of our own literary greats (No, I wasn't thinking Dr. Seuss). Robert Frost's most famous lines: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."
Frost was too outside the box to even graduate.
