Why First Jobs Shape Our Future—and Why We Need to Rethink Them
When Jack Waxman, a government major at Cornell, hit his senior year, he had a big decision to make. He could step into a coveted role in Senator Chuck Schumer’s office, building on his summer internship there. Or he could spend two years teaching in a school in East Harlem through Teach for America.
Jack was drawn to the classroom, but he hesitated. The prestige of Capitol Hill pulled hard, and he worried about lagging behind friends heading to Harvard Law or similar paths. Yet his most powerful college experiences—teaching math to inmates and fighting flavored e-cigarette marketing—had come from working directly with affected communities. A chat with a Teach for America alum in government sealed it: too many decisions get made in "bubbles of power and prestige," far from the people they impact.
Jack chose the classroom.
As someone who’s spent nearly 40 years inspiring young people to dive into low-income communities—first through Teach for America (which I founded in 1989) and now through Teach for All’s network in over 60 countries—I’ve seen how tough this choice is. And it’s only getting harder.
The Power of Proximity
While teaching in Harlem, Jack witnessed how resource shortages made failure feel inevitable for his students. But he also saw their resilience, along with that of families and fellow teachers. He grasped how deeply entrenched educational inequity is—and gained real confidence that he could help fix it.
Today, Jack’s in his first year at Columbia Law School. After graduation, he plans to litigate for better school funding and stronger enforcement of anti-discrimination and disability-rights laws.
Research backs this up: Early work tackling social issues reshapes beliefs and trajectories. Studies comparing Teach for America applicants who barely made the cut versus those who narrowly missed it showed big differences after two years. Those who taught in under-resourced schools were more likely to see inequity as systemic (not just personal failings), believed more in students’ potential and their own ability to help, and shifted priorities.
Across the Teach for All network, about **75%** of alumni dedicate their careers to addressing systemic challenges for kids—whether as educators, policymakers, entrepreneurs, or more.
Similar patterns show up in Peace Corps alumni, who gain deeper cultural awareness, acceptance of diversity, and a stronger sense of shared humanity. Other roles—like case management for unhoused people or EMT work—likely build comparable perspectives.
The Corporate Funnel Is Stronger Than Ever
Back in 1989 at Princeton, my generation was labeled the “Me Generation.” But the real driver wasn’t values—it was aggressive recruiting by banks and consulting firms. I wrote my senior thesis proposing that Teach for America create a real alternative.
When given that option, students proved more idealistic and civically minded than assumed. Over 70,000 have joined Teach for America, and 50,000 more through Teach for All partners.
Yet two decades later, little had changed. A 2011 Yale op-ed lamented that ~25% of employed grads went into consulting or finance. Today, it’s worse: In 2024, 35% of Yale’s senior class entering the workforce chose finance and consulting; add tech, and it hits 46%. At Harvard, Princeton, Claremont McKenna, Vanderbilt, and others, at least half head to those three fields.
Meanwhile, jobs close to inequity and injustice seem to be declining.
Sure, some students cite finances—they can’t afford lower-paying paths. But if that were the main barrier, wealthier kids would take more public-service roles. Instead, the highest-income backgrounds are least likely to pursue them and most likely to go corporate.
With my own college-age kids, I see the machinery firsthand: Companies recruit freshmen with high-paying internships. Preprofessional groups socialize students early. Nonprofits and public-sector roles lack resources to compete in visibility or prestige.
Colleges talk civic leadership but rarely push back—many benefit from corporate funding for career services.
A Silver Lining in the AI Era?
Students worry about AI eating entry-level jobs. But this could flip the script. Corporations will need fewer routine workers but still crave leaders with human skills—like empathy, resilience, and problem-solving in complex environments.
Those skills grow fastest when young people tackle real social challenges early. Companies could delay recruiting, encouraging formative experiences first. Future CEOs would gain immensely from that proximity to problems.
Let’s Change the Norms
High schools: Inspire students to step outside comfort zones and engage real issues.
Colleges: Live your civic missions—guide students toward public-interest first jobs.
Public and social sectors: Create more accessible, visible opportunities with better support.
Corporations: Recruit after these experiences, not from day one on campus.
All of us: Help young people see that first jobs don’t just shape careers—they predict our world’s future.
If we want leaders equipped to tackle poverty, polarization, climate change, and conflict, we need more Jacks choosing proximity over prestige early on.
What do you think—did your first job after college change how you see the world? Share in the comments. And if you're a student or recent grad wrestling with this choice, know there are paths that build purpose *and* long-term impact.