To do or not to do

Autumn: it brings to mind the changing fall leaves and air that is finally crisp and dry. One of the most noticeable indications of autumn at Duke however, is not the vibrant foliage, but instead the sudden plethora of besuited students in von der Heyden. That’s because autumn—the season for all things pumpkin and thick sweaters—is also the season for consulting and finance recruitment.

The reasons for going into jobs in consulting and finance are many and compelling. Applying to a consulting firm in particular is relatively easy and carries little investment of time and risk. Consulting and finance firms hold scheduled recruitment sessions on campus and do a scarily excellent job publicizing themselves among students. Moreover, careers in consulting and finance offer high salaries for entry level positions, while promising recent graduates an exciting chance to facilitate transformational deals in government, business and finance.

Yet the reasons for going into consulting and finance careers, while valid, are often inapplicable to a worryingly large portion of students who do apply for such jobs. Consulting and finance market themselves as careers which impart flexible and highly transferable skill sets that will prepare employees for the job they really want a few years down the road. Preserving this optionality—keeping all doors open—is appealing for a cohort of highly ambitious but ultimately indecisive graduates that Duke churns out each year. Finally, consulting and finance jobs undeniably act as indicators of capability to future employers, academic institutions and the social powers that be. Experience in consulting and finance industries are credentials which are powerful not because they may necessarily be true, but because they are universally understandable and well-received.

Of course, consulting and finance jobs—like every type of job out there—can offer meaning and valuable experience to its employees. Consulting and finance companies offer necessary services to economies and governments, even if their value may be overinflated. Yet the large number of students who go into these jobs is disproportional to the number for whom these jobs are actually the right fit.

If you want to gain experience and the resume that will get you the dream nonprofit job later on, do not add a level of separation by consulting on it—just do it. Right now is the perfect time to take risks and try new things. For those employees for whom consulting or finance is not the right fit, the time, energy and opportunities that college graduates sink into these jobs are not retrievable. How much would society gain if those graduates had gone directly into their preferred professions?

Looking for the right pathway after graduation is hard. We often times know what we would like to do but finding someone else who is willing to pay us for that takes lots of research, some networking and some exploration. Choosing consulting or finance can seem like the path of least resistance, and for some people, it will be the right career. As the job-hunting frenzy begins among seniors for jobs in consulting and financing, just remember: It’s okay if you do it, but it’s also okay if you don’t.