Chopping Vegetables Leads to Job Opportunity

When Scott Harrison met the director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), he was not wearing a tie. He did not have his resume in hand, nor had he prepared for an interview. When Harrison met the director, he was up to his elbows in tomato juice—yes, tomato juice.

Harrison, a peer advisor, was supervising a 1L Orientation Service Project at DC Central Kitchen (DCCK). The students chopped vegetables that were used in some of the 4,500 meals DCCK prepares daily. Midway through his chopping duties, Harrison met OPM director John Berry.

“The director was touring the facilities,” said Harrison, “He came and talked to all the students. The 1Ls mentioned that I was a 3L. [Berry] handed me his card and told me to contact him.”

Since then, Harrison has emailed and met with Berry. They have discussed possible opportunities, and Berry has offered to help Harrison with his job search.

In the current economic climate, with firms cutting their summer class sizes and deferring offers, more students may inadvertently turn to this kind of non-traditional job search. Firms often partner with pro bono or community service agencies. Thus, students may make valuable professional connections while completing important pro bono and community service projects.

Harrison has volunteered and completed several community service and pro bono projects during his years at Georgetown. He has worked at Christian Legal Aid DC, helping the homeless with various legal issues. This summer, while working at Clifford Chance, he volunteered at My Sister’s Place, which provides services for battered women and God’s Love We Deliver, an organization that deliver nutritious meals to New York City residents living with HIV/AIDS.

Harrison does not yet know what he’s doing post-graduation. In the meantime, he says that he will certainly continue doing community service and pro bono projects—projects that help those in need, and which, as previous events have shown, may just lead to a job.