Alright, I graduated from college a few months ago, just entered Corporate America, have a small family at home. I got pretty good grades from a pretty good school and spent quite a bit ot time trying to figure out what to do with my life. My plan is to blog about my thoughts on success, work/life balance, and any other insights (good/bad) I have about the corporate world I have just joined.
Here is the issue: many of the kids I went to school with were dead set on getting a job on Wall Street or with one of the top consulting firms. Naturally, as a young college kid, I thought that it would be awesome to snag a high profile, high-paying job right out of school, so I jumped on that bandwagon. However, after a year or two of preparation, research, and hard work/study (during which time I got married), I realized that being an investment banker working 100 hours per week or a consultant who travels 5 days a week does not provide the best lifestyle (nor is it conducive to a healthy marriage).
Instead, I work as a business consultant for a fairly large firm (not one of the major strategy shops though). The hours and travel are significantly less, as is the pay. I don't know how many people are in the same boat as me, but here is my situation: I have a somewhat steady job that pays me well enough to provide for my needs, but I can't help but think that I should be doing "something more" with my career. I set high expectations for myself with the whole investment banking/consulting idea, and while I do not regret my decision not to pursue that, I still wonder how far I can or should go. On the other hand, I love spending time with my family and do not have the desire to work the 80 hour weeks usually required for greater success in Corporate America. Is there a happy balance? Can I have a "successful" career while still spending enough time at home? What is a "successful career?" Can I achieve success and flexibility at the same time? These are the questions I think about all the time as I begin my journey in Corporate America.
