How To Pick A Job (Tips for New Graduates)
My widely varied career path lends the opportunity of unique reflection. Upon looking back, it is now clear to me that exposure to career opportunities is the primary determinant of what you’ll choose to do first. Why? Most people identify someone they trust or want to be and basically try to copy them.
What your parents did
I followed this path. I grew up in a household with successful and opinionated people. They explained to me how the world works, in their view, and gave guidance on what they thought I should do given my skill set and what they had taught me. I trust them, so they were a heavily weighed variable in my calculus.
What your idols did
I didn’t have strong convictions on what I wanted to do and I knew I wanted to make money while doing something I enjoyed. I literally found every successful seeming adult and asked them what I should do. ~60% of them said the same thing and that’s what I ended up prioritizing and doing.
What your friends are doing
When I was graduating college, my smartest friends were all going into banking and consulting. While I considered this, I wanted to be more of a rebel and not take the “conventional” path. I think this young logic was flawed but it has worked out regardless.
What you should do
The point here is, if you haven’t seen it, it’s hard to know that it exists. The truth is, though, that as a job, you can quite literally do anything. What you SHOULD optimize for is finding the smartest person you can and working for them. I don’t think I’ve met any person ever who has never changed a job. Therefore, it’s highly likely your first job isn’t your last. Therefore, you shouldn’t optimize for what “you’ll be happiest doing” because you don’t know what that is yet. You should optimize for where you’ll learn the most, because you’ll become more valuable to the real world more quickly, be worth more and become more attractive to employers. Then, you’ll have your choice of what you want to do (eventually) and will be well compensated for it.
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