I ended my last blog on a rather inspirational note and a revived sense of confidence; something I hope you also felt as a reader because the more I explore of the world, the more I realize the endless number of possibilities both inside and outside the career world. Lesson: Don’t fret. We are all in this together.
I am not embarrassed to admit that I place a lot of emphasis on the importance of success personally and within a social context. Achievement is almost like the unofficial motto of Scripps College. Regardless of what a student pursues, we are given the resources to make magic happen without the messiness of fairy dust. However, I have realized that without a goal in mind, it’s a little more difficult to receive the golden trophy of success. So ten blogs and couple of Skype sessions later, I’m starting to see the makings of a goal. It’s just a baby skeleton right now, but it’s a start.
Interestingly enough, most of my career aspirations have spawned from Hollywood blockbusters. I call it “creative research”. The most groundbreaking may have been my newfound love for law after watching Reese Witherspoon’s Legally Blonde. I got over that phase pretty quickly. This week, I watched the new Wall Street movie starring Shia Labeouf and Michael Douglas.  The movie does not give the finance industry the best name to put it constructively. However, there was one part of the movie that really stuck. Throughout the movie, Shia (yes we are on first name basis) is attempting to convince the board of Keller Zabel to invest in a fusion research project which could potentially be a viable source of alternative energy. BING light bulb. But before I impart on you this grand ah-ha moment, I want to take a stroll down memory lane.

For as early as I can remember, I have been involved in non-profit work. Yes, it is the staple for any college application, but I have genuinely always loved having the ability to generate change within my community. My outlet for this energy was work within the non-profit sector. I can’t express the joy it brings me to be able to create positive change when sometimes I feel like my life is a little out of my control. However, work in non-profit is no piece of cake. A little more devastating: you may not be able to afford a piece of cake! Now, now you have to understand that I am kidding about that part. My father works in non-profit, and I have been lucky enough to live a comfortable life. But the reality of it is that non-profit work does not bring in the big bucks that some other industries can. After my time abroad witnessing the astronomically high unemployment rate in Spain, I have realized the importance of having financial support. As a woman, this financial independence has always been something that I have grown to hold importance for. I find that it is a rather taboo subject at Scripps to speak of wanting to “make a lot of money.” Scripps shapes strong women who will use their skills and leadership to make a difference, but there is very little emphasis placed on the dollar bill signs. However, my time abroad has taught me not only the importance of financial stability, but also that I want to have the means to travel and see the world. I feel like this experience abroad has so holistically influenced my life that I want to be able to relive it again in the future. So non-profit was an option, but it has its setbacks as well (side note: here is a wonderful document about the myths of working in non-profit that I came across for anyone who is interested http://www.idealist.org/ioc/learn/scc/Myths.pdf). As the pdf states, there is money in the non-profit sector, but it may not be in the six digits. Combining my love for positive change and positive numbers in the bank was an issue I struggled with constantly. However, Shia to the rescue!
After watching Wall Street, I was intrigued by investment banking mostly because the movie illuminated every scar the industry has to offer. It’s not a great date movie for sure. So I sat down (via Skype) to talk to one of the Career Planning and Resources representatives at Scripps to get a little more information about what Hollywood was trying to tell me. I had a very, very enlightening conversation about her work in Investment Banking and the different sectors within the industry. But, I couldn’t help but ask about Shia’s role in the movie. I was told that Shia’s attempt to find financial support for fusion research is something called venture capital. Though this was portrayed terribly in comparison to what the real would of venture capital looks like, this sector looks for new, innovative projects to provide financial support for. I have yet to do much research on my own, but on the surface venture capital seems to provide the variety of projects and innovation that I have practically been begging for. Nevertheless, it’s not child’s play. Venture capital involves a fair share of risks, but also rewards. I was told that as exciting as it sounds, venture capital is not for a novice in the finance industry. Usually, one needs years of experience to understand the industry as a whole before stepping up to the big leagues of venture capital. I could feel myself get excited while just hearing about the possibilities. And it was then that my skeleton started to form.
The more I research about finance in general, the more fascinated I am by what it has to offer. If I had been asked six months ago about a career in finance, I probably would have laughed out of lack of another response. But that just goes to show that you should never rule out any option too quickly. Playing dress up never gets old.

Change can be difficult. Whether it is in the physical or emotional sense, change tends to bring forth many new situations that never once were in the realm of possibilities. However, change is exhilarating and without it, I would not function. I am a lover of variety, which I consider a strength as a student or employee. Pushing the boundaries is what my life is all about. However, when things change course, I can’t help but play the what-if game. So when I woke up yesterday morning with a career revelation, I wasn’t sure if I should be jumping for joy or heading for the hills.

I’ve started to use an elimination method to figure out what career experiences I would like to have before I graduate and what I ultimately want to do. I’m going to start with the recent internships and work my way back to understand what career options will offer the qualities that I seek. After all, a career is a mutual relationship. You have to like it as much as it likes you in order to perform your best in my opinion. My summer “relationships” were both interesting and informative. But with every relationship, there is a chance of heartbreak.

As a psychology and economics major, I have options. With a diverse major like many liberal arts majors tend to be, there is never a shortage of potential paths, but often a shortage of time to figure out which is the yellow brick road to Oz. This past summer, I look the road less taken by doing psychology research at a large state university. I call it the road less taken only because research in a large university is not something I considered until presented the opportunity by a faculty member at Scripps (Lesson- talk to your professors about internship options. They can work magic). So off I went with a rather large suitcase and some ruby red slippers for a six-week internship experience in a social psychology lab.

Continue reading →

The scent of sweet summer barely lingers in the cool night air as I stare aimlessly at my computer. Unfortunately, internship recruiters don’t think so…I barely have bid adieu to summer freedom and here we go again. So it’s time to dust off that résumé and get crackin’.

One of the most challenging tasks for me is the mere issue of trying to figure out what stays and what goes. More importantly, what is even in the running. The number of extra curricular options available during the first week of school is pretty much as close to “heart attack overwhelming” as it gets. There is that medical school prep club and that awesome non-profit that works to raise money for kids in Uganda along with that a cappella group that is famous for its high notes. Whatever your passion may be, there is some way to bring it to life on a college campus. My biggest problem was not trying to find my passion, but rather trying to narrow it down. It would just be so much easier if my future job would just spell out EXACTLY what it wanted (and if you decide to future employers, you know how to reach me!). Unfortunately, the art of decision-making is something that I have been forced to do on my own much more often recently. As of now, it’s mostly the furious battle between chocolate/churros and paella, but every decision has its pros and cons.

In high school, my life was centered around a need to get involved in all that I could. I wouldn’t call it résumé builder’s syndrome, but it was just a need to feel occupied, so I knew that my future would have options. Nonetheless, I was that girl who was chanting outside the cafeteria or hustling you for the upcoming fundraising effort. The cause: well I didn’t discriminate. If it had a purpose to better my community, I was there. Rain or shine, 4 am or 11 pm. Though I thoroughly enjoyed each activity I was involved in, I soon realized that my passions have limits. By the end of my senior year, I was burnt out. I was burnt out, confused and still had no idea what my “focus” was besides what seemed fun to me. Little did I know at the time, that’s all I really did need to know.

Continue reading →

This “oops” moment I’m having now has nothing to do with the international pop sensation. In fact, this issue is like a reoccurring nightmare. It tends to hit when I am most venerable, most comfortable; just as I have become in my current (and maybe even future) home in Madrid.

Here it is: Maybe I want to be a doctor.

“WHAT?! I mean really, Shailini. A doctor?” my subconscious rants. My friends would say it is a miracle if I don’t faint when merely sitting at the doctor’s office (just the sight of blood alone makes me a little squeamish).  “How is it possible that you would even survive the profession and don’t even get me started on med school,” my logical inner self blurts out without hesitation. Clearly, I have rehearsed this before.

It’s at this time I realize that I have lost it. Completely and totally. As I was explaining to one of the many fabulous career counselors at Scripps, I tend to be easily inspired by my environment. After a short time in Madrid, I no longer felt like a small-town Oregon dweller. The city has a vibrant energy that is both captivating and motivating. So, live in a city? Check. Live in the city with scrubs in my locker? An interesting thought…considering this may be the first time it is crossing my mind. I may need to take some time to decide if I’m going to check that one off.

Madrid, the city of siestas and fiestas allows my dreams to go wild. Wild in this case translates to unrealistic. But Inspired Shailini has toggled with the idea of firefighter, musician (I don’t play any instruments mind you), dog walker and Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel. When inspired, my aspirations have no bounds. I have to say that this is a double-edged sword for me. I love that when I am in the right environment, nothing stands in the way of my success (in my head, at least). But it also drives me crazy that options I once closed the door to suddenly reopen with my own personal doorbell ring and business card. So tempting…

I’m not sure how many people experience this problem, but I feel like my liberal arts education has prepared me with the tools and confidence for achievements in a variety of fields. So when asked, “Do you see yourself in [insert profession here]?” the answer typically is something along the lines of, “Yes, with a pot of coffee in hand.”

So the question becomes, what do I want? I want to be inspired. Luckily, I suffer from the problem of chronic-inspiration rather than the opposite. What I have realized from this self-diagnosis is that I am a reflection of my environment, so my workspace plays an important role in my quality of work and my satisfaction with it. I want to be motivated by people who seek to be as equally inspired and fulfilled by their work. As silly as that sounds, this self-realization was a big step for me. The importance of one’s environment is, more often than not, overlooked whether it is in terms of college, pleasure or a career. So it has finally been decided- I’m going to the city. Now, how about a skyscraper with an ocean view?

My host mother’s fridge is like Christmas morning. Yesterday, I opened up a yogurt container in hopes to find some dairy refreshment only to find a bar of chocolate. I had a similar experience when reaching for the tin can labeled “butter cookies” only to find a carrot, egg and corn salad. I’m starting to doubt the integrity of these labels.

As I’ve mentioned before, finding the correct label for me has always been a matter of debate. During college, I feel like one of the most prominent labels tends to be one’s undergraduate major. That is where the respected science majors are separated from the talented dance majors and the intuitive humanities majors stray from the inquisitive math students. However, I’ve found it to be respectable if a student even makes it far enough to declare something. My officially declared major: Psychology and Economics. The number of times I’ve doubted it: countless. But for reasons that even surprised me.

Finding the perfect major is like finding an arrangement of perfectly wrapped presents- there is always something that you could exchange, but it’s always an exciting surprise. It’s like deciding between a Furby and a GigaPet. Both great options, but it’s a matter of finding what will keep me occupied and engaged for the longest period of time. Like many students at Scripps, I am a lover of variety. However, Psychology and Economics were both subjects of interest before school even began. Both provide me with the perfect balance between structure and diversity, and for that reason, I barely blinked an eye when unofficially declaring my major by spreading the news by word of mouth. However, after two years, I am beginning to doubt the practicality of my passions.

Continue reading →