Building Community Work and Money

I imagine that I’ll work in the private sector immediately after graduation.  The reason is simple: I want to make money, and I want to set myself up for a lucrative career.  I understand that this is a very blunt representation of my career goals, but at the end of the day, it’s the truth.  I don’t want to sell my soul to an investment bank, I don’t want to profit off of the underprivileged, and I don’t want to work 20 hours a day doing something that I’m not interested in.  However, I’m honestly not interested in teaching or working for a nonprofit health clinic.  That's a reductionist representation of the "public sector," so maybe I could benefit from learning more about social entrepreneurship or career options at the CCE!

Money isn’t my ultimate goal in life, it’s certainly not everything.  But being comfortable and stable financially allows individuals to live where they want, eat what they want, and travel where they want.  I realize that I sound like a greedy snob, but I want control over my life.  Maybe my perception of “the public sector” is flawed.  I would love to work to help people.  But I want to live with my family comfortably, I want to make my sure my children are provided for and can attend whatever school they’d like to.  So if those goals can all align in a way that other people directly benefit - great.

I want a career where I’m surrounded by very smart people, the kinds of people I meet at Amherst.  I’d like to interact with people regularly, and be able to make and maintain friendships in the office.  I may return to graduate school and pursue either and MBA or a JD.  If I’m comfortable financially, I’ll be able to spend time or resources to give back as I see fit.  With any luck, I won’t turn into a cynical, materialistic person, and I’ll remain humble and generous.  I have a feeling that I'll look back on this piece soon - ,maybe as soon as tomorrow - and want to rephrase some of what I've written.  I honestly have no idea what I'll be doing five years from now, let alone 20 years from now.

After graduation, I plan on working in the private sector. Both of my parents work in the private sector, and I have had significant exposure to the culture of many private businesses. Over the past five summers, I have been an intern at private law firms in Manhattan. I have grown to love the diligent work associated with representing customers and clients in different areas such as real estate, corporate law, and trust and estates. There is something intellectually stimulating about the intricacies woven in the fabric of the legal system that I find fascinating. Ideally, I would like to work in contract law with sports firms, as it combines my passion for sports with my love of the law. 

The choice to work in the private sector is not an easy one, and I do have somewhat of a dilemma selecting between the private and social sectors. I think it rightly reflects the theme "work and money" and the perceived wages of both. Although money can be a sensitive subject, I believe that is influential in choosing where we want to work. As college students, we gain exposure to pressing social issues and we combat the ones that we staunchly oppose or wish to change. While I am a representative of a charity and a huge, huge proponent of social change work, I find that as a student coming out of a $50,000 a year college, it is extremely difficult for students to pay back college loans and make a decent living working for a social cause. In general, social sector work is morally rewarding, though not terribly lucrative. In the private sector, I must admit that the salary range for someone starting in a field is appealing; many of the starting wages are well above the salaries for the average American. Being involved in both sectors, I believe that as passionate as anyone is for a certain social cause, there must be sufficient capital and resources in place to be successful. I think that the connections in the private sector can be a vehicle for social good. I know many successful businessmen who have accumulated substantial amounts of wealth and have started organizations or given donations that have affected the lives on thousands of people. Ultimately, I plan on utilizing my networks and finances in the private sector to change the social issues that I find most troubling. 

My intention is not to divide the social and private sectors. There is overlap between them that will soon blury the division. I believe strongly in the power and change-making ability of social entrepreneurs who leverage business practices to attain sustainable social outcomes. Social entrepreneurship can bridge the perceived monetary gap because it addresses a social problem, while simultaneously utilizing market forces to gain profit. Many entrepreneurs become who they are because they find problems that personally bother them and try to fix it. They can have that "feel good" moment while also making money. I think social entrepreneurship is a growing field that will drastically alter the way we think about "sectors".