This picture has nothing to do with the subject of this post…
During a recent career information session, I had the opportunity to chat with some high-level directors and vice presidents of major financial institutions. Two of these conversations – one with a Vice President at Goldman Sachs and the other with a Managing Director at UBS – have provided the inspiration for this post and a future post.
I recently pulled out a pen and notepad and listed everything that I do here at Georgetown. I was pretty surprised to realize that, in addition to classes, I’m involved in 8 different activities, clubs, and organizations. Simply put: I’ve been a jack of all trades and a master of none. I wasn’t so much running myself ragged as I was shortchanging the clubs and organizations by not being able to devote more of my time and attention to each.
The solution, as recommended by the Goldman VP? Treat your extracurriculars just like your classes: pick a major and a minor.
Spend some time figuring out which of your activities you get the most out of – which ones do you enjoy most? Which ones interest you the most? Which ones have led to meaningful relationships with other members? Narrow your list down to 3 or 4 and pick your majors (max of two) and minors (1 or 2, max). For your majors, look to take an active leadership role and excel in that club. For your minors, make it something you enjoy doing for fun. My minors, for example, are club baseball and the school spirit organization that supports Hoya athletic teams. Both of these allow me to take part in something I enjoy, without too much extra time spent on my part.
So what happens to the other activities? If its an activity that you’d be able to dabble in when you have the time – and the club is OK with that – do just that and take part in activities when you can. What about the others? This may be the hardest part, but you’ll have to say no. That’s why its important to really think about which clubs are most beneficial to you and rank them in order.
The end result: You’ll be able to put more time and energy into the activities you truly vale and, as a result, get more out of them.
