Forming your own professional identity is one of the most daunting responsibilities that you take on in your new adulthood. Even after deciding which career path to pursue, there is still the issue of taking your first steps forward, and despite all of our pre-college research and planning for our post-university careers, many of us still find ourselves paralyzed when thinking about the “right” steps or choked by self-doubt when our first jobs don’t exactly meet our expectations or fulfill us in our current stage of life. So, thinking about how to begin fleshing out your resume and introducing yourself on the professional playing field, I decided to interview my friend, Eric, a rising junior at NYU and one who, in my opinion, is smart enough to get not only an early but also a strong head start.

A public policy major and prelaw student, he shared with me that the root of his professional interests lay with his high school speech and debate team, where he participated in an event that required him to briefly familiarize himself with different policy areas—like those related to the environment, energy, healthcare, and homelessness. He discovered a desire to delve deeper into a handful of these issues and began looking for organizations in his home state of California with youth advocacy programs. His search led him to an opportunity to “[work] closely with a couple offices in the California State Legislature,” with one of their notable accomplishments being the signature and passing of an environmental law. This experience, as well as those with other advocacy groups he connected with, introduced him to legislative networking and the acts of writing and lobbying for bills.

However, beyond high school, Eric has undertaken two internship positions—one that allowed him to interact with policy on a more political level and another more centric to the practice of law. His freshman-year Congressional internship in Washington, DC, may not have been his favorite job thus far—due to what he described as witnessing “the political division firsthand” and being delegated very few tasks. However, he still recognizes its value in that he gained heavily credible connections. For example, by maintaining “contact with [his] intern supervisors,” should he ever ask, he may be provided with very strong letters of recommendation, especially with the signature of his congressperson. He also had the chance to learn more about which specialties he isn’t interested in pursuing. Originally, he had considered work in politics but has now discerned that he’s no longer interested in the political side of policy, which he described as “an important clarification to get out of the way early on.” Meanwhile, his current internship for a small plaintiff-side law firm has allowed for him to closely observe attorneys at work, serves as motivation for his LSAT and law school preparation, and has helped to further refine his career goals.

Speaking on the coexisting external and internal motivators propelling him forward, he explained that, throughout his life, he has been advised to act according to the “natural next step,” but “when [he] got to college, [he] realized…[he doesn’t] have [his parents, mentors, or coaches]…to tell [him] what to do next.” So, he allowed his competitive nature to spur him onward. He finds that when he “[surrounds himself] with ambitious people,” the sense of “peer pressure” drives his productivity. However, he’s not blind to the limitations of this method, noting that though “comparison of yourself to others is inevitable, your way to close that comparison gap in your mind is to learn to push yourself forward every day.”

This, of course, may be perceived as a skill, but in my opinion, it is a mindset sustained by identifying one’s reason for attaining a goal—and, even now, Eric is actively investigating his own. He shared that his current internship “has taught [him] that there are problems only resolvable by legal means,” and, for him, “this is such a powerful realization as [he tries] to figure out why [he wants] to go to law school.” 

Often, we concern ourselves with wondering how to overcome tendencies to self-disqualify, which strategies to employ during the job search, or how to cope with professional rejection, but as a forward and goal-oriented thinker, Eric has adopted not only a practical but also a refreshing view on these concerns. For example, while completing applications, he keeps the stakes low by remembering that he is “only applying for undergraduate roles.” And thinking ahead at the outset of each semester, he arranges his class schedules to allow full, separate days for classes and working and establishes a routine for weekly occurrences. Mainly, he has highlighted the importance of involving oneself with a community, as his own has introduced him to opportunities, allowed him to talk through turn-downs, and reassured him that he will end up where he was always intended to be. He leaves other students who feel like they are “falling behind” with this advice: to remember that “[their] university wants [them] to succeed,” so they should delve into the insights, resources, and new initiatives their colleges and professors have to offer their areas of interest.

It seems, then, that the key to beginning to make your way in the working world truly is to, as Eric suggests, “be curious”—to be open to missing out on deeply desired opportunities, be on the lookout for more informative and potentially better aligned ones, and be less concerned about getting it “right” in favor of getting it right for you.

By Lauren Gascon 

Lauren Gascon studies Media, Culture, and Communication at NYU and enjoys discussing people’s relationships with each other and themselves. When she’s not on campus, you can find her café hopping, browsing bookstores, or enjoying lunch in one of New York City’s many beautiful parks.

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