Since I started my time at the University of Connecticut’s School of Business three years ago, there has been a dramatic change in the career recruitment process. Each year, top- and mid-tier firms have become increasingly predatory and pushed recruitment timelines earlier into our academic careers. The situation is so dire that it has become a joke among business students that if you haven’t been networking out of the womb, you’re already too late.
While UConn and its students have no control over the external pressures and must adapt accordingly, we’re beginning to experience internal ramifications. Because of the recruiting creep, students are prioritizing activities that will shine brighter on resumes, pushing out other passions and pursuits that they might have. The need to become a competitive applicant is real, but we can’t give up our creativity for our career.
The results of earlier recruitment timelines are extremely apparent in the emphasis on pre-professional development for students, which can often make it feel like you are competing for a job before you’ve even graduated. Much like Ivy League universities, many student organizations in the UConn School of Business require applications to become a member, including the highly esteemed Hillside Ventures, The Opportunity Fund Project, the Student Managed Fund and UConn Consulting Group, among others. Application processes for these organizations can include initial submissions, interview rounds and pitches which narrow down candidates to only the most committed students with the most time to dedicate.
It isn’t just the application process that takes a lot of time. As a participant in some of these organizations, I know that they require a large time and energy commitment from members to make the most out of them. They often offer out-of-state or international trips and have additional expectations hidden in the fine print, such as aiding in the following recruiting process.
None of these organizations are bad for students on their own. They do, in fact, provide students with unmatched professional opportunities. The problem arises when students are so captured by their future career that they choose to ignore genuine interests for the sake of their resume. Instead of pursuing exploration and deepening existing passions, students who put these organizations on a pedestal end up spending their time working to be someone a recruiter would want to hire — not someone they really want to be. During some of the most formative years of life, this trade-off is not worth it.
There comes a point when pushing toward a goal no longer becomes productive and symptoms of burnout begin to fester, leading to reduced academic efficacy and feelings of depression. Without a creative outlet or an activity that is viewed as “just-for-fun,” it is too easy to slip into an obsessive and emotionally damaging space that can hinder your passion about anything at all.
Beyond the emotional aspect, there are career implications that come from overcommitment to a certain goal. Ironically, pre-professional clubs may be pushing students away from what employers really want. While student managed funds and similar activities are important additions to a resume, their increased prevalence begs the question of how much they really differentiate applicants. Rather than elite pre-professional experience, recruiters look for candidates who are adaptable, curious and creative, according to a Harvard study.
Through clubs that align with your personal interests outside of your career, you can demonstrate the traits that employers are looking for and show versatility, as well as the ability to match a company’s desired culture. Whether you choose to join the Cheese Club or the True Crime Club, branching out makes you a more interesting and layered candidate who offers more humanity to fields that really need it.
Curiosity may benefit your career, but you also owe it to yourself to take advantage of the low-stakes exploration that college offers. You should create opportunities to move out of your comfort zone or try something new, even when they might not offer a networking opportunity or leadership position. The goal of college is to prepare you for your career, but it is also to develop thoughtful and multi-faceted individuals whose identities go further than their major.
Chuck Edwards, former Corporate Vice President of Human Resources at Microsoft says it best: “the enemies of curiosity are speed, volume and pressure.” Don’t let the speed, volume and pressure of pre-professional organizations drive you away from what will really fulfill you and set you apart. Your brain and heart need language, art and creativity, and your resume needs it too.