Envisioning a life in the public sector

One of the many valuable lessons I learned at Wellesley was a commitment to service. Whether this meant volunteering to mentor children, joining a professional or academic organization, or pursuing opportunities in government or the public sector, the Wellesley brand, “women who will make a difference in the world,” stuck with me. During senior year, recruitment season was a confusing experience—I sat through my first informational session with an economic consulting firm bored to tears and sifted through job postings in human resources, finance, and advertising trying to envision myself in each role to no avail. “What was missing?” I often wondered to myself.

It took going through the motions of applying and interviewing for several for-profit jobs, before I finally realized why my heart just wasn’t into it. I couldn’t force myself to take on a job at a company with a mission I didn’t identify with and that didn’t instill in me a sense of purpose, so I refocused my search towards the public sector. Having pursued previous work and internship opportunities in the sector, I knew that I derived an intrinsic satisfaction from working for an organization that served a social cause and made me feel as if my contributions were valuable and meaningful.

The job I have is not glamorous. As an administrative assistant at a small non-profit and start-up organization, my salary only barely supports my lifestyle, my work hours are long, and the work I do can be tedious and thankless. I should mention that I also double as the assistant to the CEO, which is a full-time job in itself given the intense demands of her schedule, the enormous flexibility that working in this emerging field requires, as well as the glaring differences in personality and work style preferences the CEO and I have. While a typical path into the public sector is to make a mid-career transition from the private sector, I have deliberately chosen this unconventional path. I don’t have all the answers but this is what I’ve learned.

1.) Cheers to the W Network
People aren’t kidding when they talk about how amazing the Wellesley network can be—something I never truly felt the impact of until I graduated. I have found solace in a group of Wellesley women and peers who have supported me through my struggles as a recent graduate. We talk about our frustrations with the daily grind, about our goals and about our successes. We confide in each other about our insecurities and motivate each other to be better people. Three months into my job, the lack of structure and streamlined processes, instability of the firm due to rapid growth, as well as the enormous frustration I experienced on the job made me want to quit, but my friends helped me survive this tumultuous period, and ultimately, to find the resilience to stay. Being a woman in the workplace is hard, being a recent graduate is hard, being a responsible bill-paying adult is hard, and working life is hard. Maintaining a support network—Wellesley or not, female or not—is the best thing you can do for yourself. With someone by your side, helping you work through all of your struggles and pushing you to be the best you can be, the transition into working life is that much easier.

2.) Leverage is Key
Leveraging the role you have, no matter how big or small, is crucial. I may be one of those oddballs who derive an enormous sense of satisfaction from making photocopies and organizing the office and other people’s lives, but even I am subject to the law of diminishing returns from performing such tasks day after day. What keeps me stimulated and satisfied is the intellectual piece that my job doesn’t always provide, so I find opportunities to learn. I try not to pass-up on opportunities to learn about the fundraising, communications, or product development work that my organization is working on no matter how swamped I may be; I take pride in knowing what is going on beyond my specific position and how my work complements and services the larger organizational mission. I am taking advantage of the flat hierarchy of our small organization by identifying mentors who can guide me through professional and personal decisions. Oftentimes it can be as simple as asking someone out for coffee. I also am constantly thinking about how I am creating value within the firm and for my life, and what I bring to the table, even in my capacity as an administrative assistant. Understanding how my job fits into my larger professional goals gives me a larger sense of purpose.

3.) Keep Everything in Perspective
Finally, keep a healthy sense of perspective. Take each day a step at a time and set realistic goals for yourself, personal or professional.  Changes you want to see will not happen overnight, but over the course of months or years with a lot of hard work and commitment to realizing that goal. Forgo New Year’s resolutions in favor of monthly or bimonthly goals and refocus your efforts if they don’t happen the first, second, or even the third time. When I graduated with my Wellesley-infused idealism and my eagerness to conquer the world, it was difficult to reconcile my lofty ambitions with the reality of my day-to-day. I constantly felt stagnant, especially having taken a job that didn’t have major deliverables, concrete deadlines or a considerable degree of autonomy. To combat this feeling of stagnancy, I often take the time to reflect on my progress. This reflective process entails a combination of talking to members of my support network, attending young alumnae events, or engaging in plain old introspective thinking. Having perspective on your accomplishments and growth can do wonders for your outlook.

Ultimately, I am satisfied with my choice. Taking this job has allowed me to make meaningful strides towards my long-term professional goals which align more closely with the public sector than the private sector. There are some intricacies involved with navigating this realm as a recent graduate in an entry-level position, but I am confident that I can weather them with the arsenal of tools I have developed throughout this experience.

-Anonymous ’13 

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