Christine Chen

By day, I am a recruiter who leads inclusion and diversity initiatives for the campus recruiting team at a large, global management consulting firm in New York. This basically means I give young, wonderful, awesome people a job that will challenge them straight out of undergrad. By night, I do some singing gigs at local clubs in New York City and volunteer with various non-profits.

I studied Neuroscience at Wellesley and was on the pre-med track. My major was a mix of biochemistry, chemistry, biology, physics and psychology. When I went to school, if you were a science major, you’d either go into academia or become a doctor. I knew I did not want to go into academia, so I decided to pursue the pre-med track.

When my senior year rolled around, and I realized that being a doctor was maybe not the best fit for me, I decided to look into becoming a teacher through Teach for America. I was very interested in that career path and aligned with their mission. When I got into the program, I called my parents and let them know I was going to become a high school teacher in Chicago. They were terrified. First, they tried to get me back onto the med school path. Then they asked if I could move back home and do some research position job at a hospital I probably would have hated. Even though they said they were concerned about my safety during my tenure in Chicago, I knew they disapproved. [Teaching] was not very highly regarded [by them]—and probably still isn’t due to its salary—even though it was probably one of the best experiences I could’ve done straight out of college. I learned so much about myself and the world beyond my comfort zone.

I did everything in my power to dedicate myself to my job and drove to excel in my work. This step wasn’t necessarily to gain support or show others, but more for myself. During phone calls with my parents, I was able to quantify my success and tell them I was actually making a difference in a community that could utilize my energy and skills. They didn’t really have much to say back to all the things I mentioned I was doing.

Nothing is more empowering than making a decision, going 100 percent in, and excelling at what life has given you. There were some nights—probably more than some—when I would come back from a hard day at school and just think about what life would’ve been like if I had applied to medical school or chosen a different career path. I remember I was talking to a friend, complaining about my day, and she told me that everyone, no matter what job they have, gets discouraged and has those days. It’s true. No matter what path we take, there will always be discouraging moments and frustrations, but I realized the best we can do is keep moving forward and trust that the path that we’re taking is the right one and will lead us to a successful future.

Now I’m a recruiter in the private sector, which may seem like a far cry from my Teach for America days and experiences in non-profits. However, my background in neuroscience and my work in education has brought diversity of thought, skill-sets, and strategy to my current team. I’m able to add a fresh perspective on our processes or analyses. I certainly think that I am making more impact in my current role because of my atypical background. I don’t feel like a fish out of water, even though my major in college and work experience might not be the best precursor to my current role. I’ve learned it’s important to utilize and highlight transferrable skills, especially when making a career switch. And well, the singing’s on the side.