6.

2 Making My First Post-College Decision

Going Corporate

TUESDAY, APRIL 7
COMMENTS 16

[paragraph 1]
As college graduation approaches and I
prepare to enter the working world, I've had a
hard time deciding what I should do with my
life. On the one hand, I wonder: am I an
entrepreneur─the sort of innovative person
who could start and grow my own business?
Then at other times I think: would it be better
to accept a position in a large corporation and
climb the ranks? As I get ready to make the
transition from student to full-time employee, I
find myself thinking about these questions
quite often. The good news is, I think I've
finally got some answers.

From Internship to Full-Time Job

[paragraph 2]
I've always been interested in accounting
and technology, and for the past year, I've
been interning at a large telecommunications
company. It's been a great way for me to get
some work experience and to see if this
particular field is right for me. My internship
has shown me that telecommunications isn't
really the kind of work that I want to do long
term. Nevertheless, I've learned a lot about
communicating, collaborating, and dealing
with office politics in the workplace. I know
that I'll be able to use these skills in whatever
job I do.

[paragraph 3]
When I began my final year in college last
fall, I started perusing the job postings,
looking for a full-time (paying) position in
accounting. At the time, I noticed job ads for
all of the public accounting firms, and though I
thought they were interesting, I ignored them.
I assumed they were for the December
graduates. Was I ever mistaken! It turns out
that they were postings for regular May
graduates like me! When I realized my error, I
quickly put together a resume and contacted
professors for recommendations. I eventually
interviewed with several companies, and
within a week I'd gotten a job. I felt relieved; I
had taken care of my future. It was November,
and I wouldn't even be starting until the
following July.

Learning Is Key

[paragraph 4]
Though I interviewed with different
companies, I decided to accept a position with
a large accounting firm, primarily because I'd
already interned in the corporate world and
wanted to gain more experience working for a
large institution. Also, compared with the
telecommunications company I'd been at,
accounting firms' employees tend to work
fewer hours for more pay.

[paragraph 5]
Why did I feel the need to get a job so
quickly? Maybe I was anxious about earning
an income and supporting myself after
graduation, but I prefer to think I accepted the
position because of what I could learn. At this
point in my life, I believe that working for a
large accounting firm will enable me to meet
different people and utilize the skills I've
acquired in school and during my internship. I
also think it will provide me with the
experience I need to grow in this field.
However, once the job becomes
predictable─once I stop learning and being
challenged─then there won't be any incentive
for me to continue with this company. At that
point, I'll have to make some decisions about
what I want to do next.

Creating Opportunities

[paragraph 6]
 Ultimately, I see myself doing one of two
things in life: becoming an executive
somewhere or starting something successful
on my own. Do I have lofty goals? Sure I do.
Do I know how, when, or where I will achieve
them? Not at all. For this reason, I'd rather
start out at a big company and see where it
leads me. Eventually, I will either develop
something on my own or continue to learn and
do well as an employee. In any case, I know
that I'll be given many new opportunities in
my job with the accounting firm, and I'll do
my best to take advantage of those.

[paragraph 7]
With all that said, I'm only 20 years old: I
have time to make decisions. At this point, I'm
reluctant to make a permanent career choice,
and in reality, I may never make such a choice.
In the end, I might become a corporate
executive somewhere and start my own
company. Whatever happens, I'm sure I'll do
fine. Anyway, it's impossible to predict the
future, and so for now, I just want to see how
it goes with my first job out of college.