| Topic Name: |
Need Advice in Choosing Career |
| Message Name: |
Need Advice in Choosing Career |
| Date Posted: |
11/21/2004 |
| Message: |
Hi everyone,
I recently discovered the Vault website and have found it to be a wonderful source of information about future career options. I am currently a senior at Tufts University majoring in Economics with a 3.53 GPA. I have been researching both consulting and financial planning, and of course there are pros and cons to each path. Perhaps I can start by telling you what I am looking for in a job, and hopefully I can receive some advice from those of you who have more experience.
I have much experience in sales and customer service from my summer jobs, and I really enjoy working with people. I also have sharp mathematical skills, though I decided to pursue economics instead of math because I prefer practical problem-solving. I would like a job that makes use of these skills so that I am challenged but not frustrated. I am also willing to work long hours (I already have experience with 70-80 hour work weeks) as long as the hours decline after a couple of years. The nature of the work should be interesting and dynamic, with much room for leadership and growth. A long-term goal of mine is to start my own business (maybe a restaurant), so I would like to work in a field that somehow prepares me for this venture.
Consulting seems like it would be a good fit because of the need to work well with people and to employ creative problem-solving. Also, it would likely teach valuable lessons related to business management that could help me in the future. The downsides, though, are the amount of traveling and endless work hours. On the other hand, personal financial planning seems to be more flexible in that I can become an independent advisor and set my own schedule. When doing research on advising, though, there seems to be a lack of information and in general, negative sentiments about the field.
Any advice you can give me would be much appreciated. I am looking to work in NYC and would like to start applying now because I will be in the area for winter break. I want to compile as much information as possible before making any decisions. Thanks for reading this, I am looking forward to replies.
Justin
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