Looking for 'The One'

I am a senior. This means that my life is basically spent juggling my thesis, school work and job applications. Much like the conundrum of sleep, social life and grades, you can only choose two out of three in this senior-year juggling act. I recently had an interview on campus. I suited up and walked over to the U-store to the third story where my group interview was convening. It is a strange feeling interviewing with your peers. In my group were friends who I saw daily, acquaintances I hadn’t seen since freshman fall and complete strangers. What struck me wasn’t how fancy everyone looked in their suits and matching Princeton folders, but rather it was our conversation before the interview and during the break. Inside the interview room we were all self-assured and positive that “this” was our goal and our dream career, but outside we each expressed self-doubt and a lack of direction. It was reassuring to realize that I wasn’t alone and yet at the same time frightening. It was not the interview but the prospect of a looming decision that concerned my peers and me.

In my three and a half years at Princeton I have taken classes in almost every department and chose my major based on which courses I enjoyed the most. I was engrossed in medieval history one semester, psychology the next, and with each of my JPs I widened my exposure to the world of knowledge encased in the NES department. The common thread has always been the pursuit of knowledge and a love of learning. But for next year I won’t be picking classes, but picking a career. I can’t dabble in creative writing on Tuesdays and attend a seminar on jihad on Wednesdays. For the first time, I have to pick a single path. For that choice, I feel completely unprepared.

I am not alone in this predicament. Yes, there are those who were born with a scalpel and stethoscope in their hands or with dreams of court room procedures. I can barely sit through an episode of “House” without getting queasy, and I can’t spell jurisdiction without checking a dictionary. We are told that we have the world at our fingertips, but I do not know what part of it to grab. Princeton has exposed me to so many things that I am not sure what to pick. I always knew I would need to make a choice at some point, but now that the moment has come, I can’t help but feel frightened and insecure. How will I know that I am making the right decision?

My inbox is flooded with emails from the Career Services. “Interested in a career in publishing?” Yes. “Interested in a career in government?” Yes. “Interested in a career in marine biology?” I never thought about it, but yes, sure, why not? In a sea of appealing options, it is scary to realize that we must choose just one. The more I read, and the more panels, fairs and information sessions I attend, the more confused I become. Tiger Tracks lists thousands of jobs, but I can’t apply to them all.

It was comforting to discover at my recent interview that I was not alone. It was good to know that the nine other candidates were each facing a similar dilemma. We each had our game faces on, but we weren’t sure if the prize was our first choice. Was this the dream job that would satisfy all of our desires and curiosities? None of us knew for certain. Perhaps that is something that as a community we could work on. Amid all of the counseling for how to prepare for an interview or how to submit a killer application we could also have time to discuss what is next and how to make a decision. Until recently I thought that I was alone in my confusion and that everyone else just knew what they wanted. Now that I realize I am not, I hope that we can work together to at least acknowledge that this is an issue and perhaps to find ways to fix this.

Yes, figuring out what I want is my problem, but I am not the only one facing it. Having panels where people discuss how they made their decisions or the processes by which they discovered the direction they wanted their careers to take could benefit students and help them embrace the uncertainty with less fear and more confidence. We also need more resources at Career Services devoted to helping us figure out what we want, not just how to get it. I have had overwhelmingly positive experiences with interview preparation and resume building at Career Services, but I feel lost and confused about which organizations I should be sending that resume to. There are tests and simulations that can help narrow down the search, and perhaps assigning a specific advisor to the process of figuring out which career would be a good fit for each student would make this process run more smoothly. The Career Planning Guide is a great start, but what is needed is more support for students in the process of narrowing down options, not only exposing us to what is out there. We are lucky to have such a talented and experienced Career Services team, but it seems that this is one area in which we need to expand our joint efforts so that students know both where to look and what to look for in the wide expanse of job options out there.

Kerry Brodie is a Near Eastern Studies major from Potomac, Md. She can be reached at kbrodie@princeton.edu.