Questions from Ephblog

When Senior Mom e-mailed me, I wasn't too sure if I wanted my words back on Ephblog's front page, but given that I would have answered anyone else's questions, it seemed unfair to single one blog out.

What career paths are you considering?
Williams has been very good at showing me what I'm good at (innovating policies and practices in pursuit of some goal, listening to people, making decisions responsibly, enabling others to pursue their goals by connecting them to resources, learning the intricacies of an organization and leveraging that knowledge for good, helping people, keeping confidentiality) and what I'm bad at (stepping back and getting perspective during moments of focus, saying what I mean without communication foul-ups, stressing out with incorrect feelings it's all on me, getting enough sleep). Unfortunately, none of this points to a clear career path.

At the present moment I want to end up doing some sort of governmental work. I believe that technology offers a huge opportunity to increase efficiency and reduce the costs of governmental administration, but only if those policies are pursued with intelligence, and I want to be someone who raises different ideas and possibilities that allow our governments to do a better, cheaper job, especially for a citizen with a grievance but little institutional knowledge of the body s/he must appeal to. All of the potential of technology disappears if people don't use a system's capabilities.
If all of that indicates a clear occupation, I would appreciate knowing what that is, because I surely haven't a clue. :P



What are some of the job options you feel would contribute to this path?
Some possibilities include lawyering, or working in fed/state/local gov't. But those are guesses.

Dream job?
I think being a federal inspector general would be amazing, as long as I was working in a cooperative agency with a strong initial culture of ethics. There are all sorts of horror stories to be read about experiences of whistle-blowers in some of the more problematic environments.


What's your first priority - where you want to live, or what you intend to do?
What I want to do is much more important, at least initially. However, the internet can be a temptation: we think that Skype and co enable strong and lasting connections, but my practical experience indicates that proximity is still very important. I would hope to end up back in my hometown at some point - I have too many roots in Atlanta and Washington's allure may not be that strong.

Job Fairs?
A few, they were helpful experience in conversations and such, but I haven't seen much to pique my own interests.

Has the Alumni Association played any part in your career planning?
Not beyond the career mentor network, which has been helpful in terms of advice.


Any particular mentors you'd like to talk about?
At Williams? Not particularly. I've appreciated my mentors because unlike my peers, they have offices I can wander into, but I don't know if they've been particularly helpful career-wise.

Are personal connections proving particularly valuable?
Not really. I value each of the contacts Williams has provided, but "particularly valuable" for a senior equals "provided direct job-help," which hasn't happened.


How valuable has your Williams degree proven thus far, in preparing you and in opening doors?
 I would say that my experience indicates that the Williams name is very valuable in some fields (esp. when a firm sells itself by saying its staff all went to top-tier schools), and has gotten me a few neat interviews via the OCC, but certianly isn't everything.


How do your cohorts seem to be faring in their job searches?
The only people who talk about it are those who have jobs, so my only impression is that I'm the last to get a job, which obviously isn't true. Most consulting/banking stuff was done with in the fall, and grad schools decisions are coming now. Each field has a time of heavy hiring.


Do you have plans for an advanced degree?
MPP/MPA, mayyyyyybe JD, but I think we have too many lawyers and that a good LSAT score does not a happy law school experience (or wise law degree) make, despite how much I enjoyed Mock Trial.


Any musings about the fact that you will soon be leaving Williams?
This spring has been about handing over responsibility: explicitly handing over my slight powers over Goodrich and the Bell Tower, charging underclassmen to continue some of my efforts, and passing on the knowledge I've gained (and storing it, for the next freshman who procrastinates by reading archival documents). The reality of leaving, though, hasn't really set in. Williams is obviously something that I will appreciate more in absence - we only notice the mountians when they no longer surround us, and the people who are no longer nearby.
Then again, I've had my time in the petri dish and there are '15s out there who need a college to call home. I'm proud of what I've done here, and will gladly take my leave to allow them their own Williams experience.