“And what do you want to do with your life?”
If you’re like me, you’ve spent most of the last 20 years dodging that question. Sure, I’ve had to think about it a little at times—when applying to colleges, choosing a major, and looking for summer jobs—but it’s been all too easy to put off thinking about life post-Carleton. I had the idea that I wanted to do some sort of work dealing with climate change and that I might want to be an engineer, but my plans were awfully vague. Carleton is so much fun, I thought—why not just enjoy it while I’m here and worry later about what happens when I graduate?
Then, this winter break, I had the opportunity to participate in the Clean Tech Scholars Program organized by the Career Center. Over the course of four days, we visited 14 different institutions around the Bay Area, everything from universities to start-ups to established industry behemoths. We got to examine the switchgrass used for making biofuels at the Joint BioEnergy Institute, see how Calera makes carbon-negative cement, hear about BrightSource Energy’s plans for huge solar thermal power plants in the Mojave Desert, and even pose for pictures in an electric Tesla Roadster. Along the way, we talked with representatives from each organization about what their organization was doing and also about their own personal career paths. It was a great experience—it was fun to hear the ideas each organization had for using its specialty to attack climate change, and it was incredibly helpful to figure out what different careers look like.
In addition to the visits to different organizations during the day, there were two evening receptions where we received advice from alumni and parents. One of the tidbits I learned was that most jobs are the result of networking, not the result of applying for job listings posted online somewhere. The importance of building a good network was stressed again and again, and the program helped us meet lots of key people with whom we could build relationships.
So that brings me back to my original question. What do I want to do with my life? After seeing all the exciting projects that these organizations are working on, I’ve decided that I want to be an electrical engineer and work on finding ways to balance electrical supply and demand through the Smart Grid. Maybe that sounds as exciting to you as it does to me, or maybe not; either way, I’m just happy to have a career goal to work toward and a better understanding of the steps I need to take to get there.
Learn more about Carleton’s Scholars programs or sign up as a Career Center volunteer.
If you would like to help organize a Scholars event or have ideas for future events, please contact Jessica Mueller at jmueller@carleton.edu.