Finding work that fits you

During our time at Princeton, investment banks and corporate consulting firms were the first groups to help answer questions about the future. Emails promising “networking luncheons” and “professional development” from unfamiliar corporations with Wall Street addresses came as early as freshman fall. As Ezra Klein pointed out in a recent column, “it begins by mimicking the application process ... students have already grown comfortable with.” Landing a job in the fall, just any job, seemed like a reassuring anchor in a sea of changes.

Yet we were both looking for something a little closer to the heart — a little more along the lines of “in the nation’s service and the service of all nations.” We were hoping to find jobs with non-profits, in the public sector, with social enterprises or with development organizations. Unfortunately, social enterprises and their non-profit cousins lack the time and resources to compete with the recruiting machines of large corporations. We found that it was a lot harder to pursue a career dedicated to the public good than it was to interview with banksters.

As intrepid and dedicated Princetonians, we continued our job search, haphazardly searching online. Anyone who has ever filled out an application to work with the U.S. government can attest that jobs in public administration can be difficult to find and even more time consuming to apply for. We spent our precious senior days combing the Internet, clicking every link on jobs boards, only to see another deadline that had passed. It was apparent that many of the websites were designed for employers, not jobseekers. With every day of searching, the feeling of futility grew stronger, and the draw of neatly packaged corporate job opportunities seemed more and more appealing. Maybe, we thought, we should just bite the bullet, take one of those jobs and finally concentrate on our theses.

After countless hours of searching on our own and perhaps a healthier dose of risk-taking than we would have liked, we both found employment opportunities that fit better with our aspirations of doing well by doing good. The experience gained on that journey could have been helpful for others attempting to cut through the same underbrush again the following year, but there was no place to record it.

Services like TigerTracks can help link do-gooders with do-gooding jobs, but these resources don’t specifically focus on providing socially conscious jobs. These sites lack frank, user-generated appraisals of job opportunities. Few sites illustrate the difficult decisions and unique choices people make when settling into a career or profession.

So we decided, along with a few other alumni, to help create the resource that would have been most useful to us — NationsService.org, an online community forged by the experience of those who have searched for long hours and filled with socially-conscious, career-oriented information and job postings. The site is already growing rapidly, and we’re looking for more talented contributors to build up a virtual repository of advice, not just for your “career” but for your life. By building on the collective wisdom and passion of thousands of students and alumni, we’re creating a curated collection of relevant data and resources for those looking to follow their passions to transform society.

The site is powered by its users: What you get is provided by what others have given. Join us, share your story, and we’ll work together so the next time someone asks, “What will you do next?” you’ll be a little better prepared.

With the advent of NationsService.org, we’re hoping the process of searching for work will be a little easier, a little less chaotic and a little more orange and black.

Michael Collins ’11 is an AlumniCorps PP55 fellow working with North Lawndale Employment Network, and Jane Yang ’11 is a Princeton in Africa fellow working with the International Rescue Committee in Nairobi, Kenya. You can reach them at michael.julius.collins@gmail.com and janeyang@alumni.princeton.edu.