Widening students' job horizons without ever leaving campus

Almost a year ago, I was sitting by the fire in the great room at Charter, reading for a seminar the next day, when a friend who had just returned from an information session at the Nassau Inn sat down next to me. I asked her how the presentation by (insert name of consulting or investment banking firm here) had gone. As expected, she gave me an unenthusiastic answer about how it went "okay" and that the next step was to sign up online for an interview.

We sat in silence for a short time and then I asked her a far more important question: "Is that really what you want to do next year?" Her face became overwhelmed with confusion as she searched for an answer. Finally she replied, "Well, I don't really know, but I think it's my only option."

Could she be serious? I knew that she was a talented student about to graduate from the top university in the country with honors in the politics department and impressive summer internship experiences and extracurricular activities. I only wished that she would continue to look for a job that she was really excited about rather than settling for the first position she came across.

I looked around the place where I was sitting — an 85-year-old mansion full of resources and history. I wondered how any Princetonian with these advantages and opportunities could settle for the "easy way out." Certainly those positions are challenging and demand a high level of skill, but how could a Princetonian not look beyond those jobs that are most highly publicized?

I knew that there must be options outside of the standard business world that might fit my interests more closely and provide me with an opportunity to share with others what I had learned during my Princeton career. I knew at that point I would have to put extra effort into satisfying my desires and aspirations for my post-graduation plans.

During my four years at Princeton, I had volunteered through my sorority and my eating club, but I had not participated in any organized community service groups. I was therefore not a shoe-in for a job in the public sector. As a result, I spent a fair amount of time answering curious classmates' inquiries as to why I would want to invest my time and energy in a position with a nonprofit organization. I was not one of those "do-gooder" people who volunteered at the soup kitchen every week and I wasn't a big sister to a local middle school student. So why wasn't I going through the protocol of Tiger Tracks and e-recruiting in search of that perfect position with McKinsey or Lehman Brothers?

The truth is that I became interested in community building and civic issues even though I was not deeply involved in a formal service organization at Princeton. Some students may not realize that the eating clubs are under the jurisdiction of the Princeton Borough and are not officially part of the University. As the president of Charter, I had the opportunity to meet with municipal leaders and through that, my eyes were opened to the infinite number of assets that the community surrounding the University has to offer. With so many avenues for involvement in community action right here in Princeton, I could not even imagine what was waiting for me in Chicago, Washington D.C. or New York City.

When I became aware of the opportunities that Princeton Project 55 offers to graduating seniors, I was awestruck. The sort of life-enhancing and community-benefiting experiences that I desired were readily available through Project 55's Public Interest Program (PIP). Organizations that worked with educational, legal and environmental issues were all options. If I decided that I wanted to work with a nonprofit that addressed poverty issues or assisted women and children or the elderly, I could find that opportunity at one of Project 55's hosts around the country.

The amazing thing is that although I had the chance to move away from the University and to be on the "front lines" of community building, I made the decision to accept a position here in Princeton. In my capacity as program manager for Project 55's Civic Values Initiative (CIV), I can make an important contribution to my alma mater. Although it would have been wonderful to address social issues elsewhere, I knew that by working with University issues, I would be addressing topics I really care about and with which I feel a personal connection.

Project 55 is unique among the country's universities in that no other alumni group is as actively involved as Project 55 in helping the public and tackling important social issues. CIV is working with members of the University community to explore how the University emphasizes civic skills and community participation. CIV believes that to be consistent with the University's motto — "Princeton in the nation's service and the service of all nations" — the University must assist its students, alumni, faculty and staff to develop their civic values and skills and to use them for the public good throughout their lives, regardless of their career path.

Whereas Project 55's PIP creates a network for students who want to be employed in the public sector, CIV hopes to encourage Princetonians in all fields to be aware of the assets they possess that could easily be used for the good of their communities. For example, a doctor might assure his community that he would be willing to provide assistance in an emergency, or a librarian might start a book club on her block to encourage neighborhood children to read.

Looking back at the last year, I realize that my job search has truly come full circle. The position I chose to accept following graduation places me in the midst of helping current students at the University to widen their horizons when deciding what to do after they leave campus. There are many jobs to be had aside from those that seem most readily available to Princetonians — you just have to look a little deeper. Lindsay Michelotti '02 is the program manager for Project 55's Civic Values Initiative. She can be reached at michelti@alumni.princeton.edu.