Recruiting is generally divided into two buckets: mature (companies come to campus and have a clear recruiting timetable) and enterprise (do-it-yourself). Social impact definitely falls into the latter category and at first, it can seem daunting because:
- Companies do not come to campus – you have to find them
- There is no timetable – it’s up to you to contact the company to get the ball rolling and to follow-up
- Job offers tend to come in much later than mature recruiting – while your friends going for banking or consulting might sign by January, you could be waiting until March…April…May…or even June
However, I have quickly realized that the network of support is very strong:
- Jen Savoie in the career management office specializes in social impact and is a great resource for suggestions, information and tips
- Students are organizing social impact career treks to Washington DC, New York, San Francisco and even abroad
- Wharton has a great network of alumni in the field who are willing to help fellow Whartonites
However, the best support of all comes from my classmates. There are a number of us in the same boat, so we’re hosting an “immature” recruiting wine and cheese night!