Monday, December 26, 2011

Looking beyond my fellowship

I'll be home with my family for the next week, and one of my main goals during this time is to start a job search for post-fellowship employment.  I'm considering a LOT of options and I have questions about each of them. 
  • I could go to grad school.  Hey, I've already taken the GRE, so I'm set.  But do I go for a master's or a doctorate?  What should I study--Environmental studies/sustainability?  Anthropology?  Food studies?  And when is the best time to go back to school?
  • I could look for another job.  I would like to get another year of experience in another field/focus area before making any big decisions.  But, what kind of job do I want most?  Should I stay in the non-profit world, or would I like government work or the commercial sector better?  Where is the best place to find a job?  When's the best time to start the job search?
  • I could take a risk.  Maybe I should pursue my dream of starting my own vegan bakery by moving out of office work altogether.  But, do I have all of the skills and tools necessary to start my own business?  Is this the right time to do so?  What would I do if I failed...or succeeded?  
You get the idea.  I know that these are the types of questions that everyone asks, and I know that I have plenty of time to figure things out.  Nonetheless, I'd like to make some progress while I have some time to think/plan during "winter break."

I know that I'd like to try something different than what I did this year during my Project 55 fellowship; still, I do know that the fellowship year has helped me take steps in the right direction.  Working at CEP has given me a really solid idea of what it's like to work at a small non-profit, and I've been really lucky to develop relationships with my coworkers to learn from them.  We've also had/will have some useful Project 55 fellow seminars about working environments and jobs.  Just talking with other fellows, my mentor, and the extensive network of AlumniCorps Princeton alumni about what it's like to work in their field--whether that's at a clinic or a school--has also given me insight into other working environments.  I have a lot to think about, but I know that this fellowship has really been valuable as a first-year-out-of-college learning experience. 

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