Public Service Jobs offer Their Own Brand of Success

To editor:

In "Blame Harvard for Cold Hearts," (Nov. 24) Alexander Nguyen touched upon a common anxiety among graduating seniors: the lack of viable career options presented by the University. Too often, the employment world is portrayed as a choice between which corporation one wants to work for. The public interest sector is simply not given the same attention. When I was a senior, I wanted to take the ideals, convictions and "search for truth" I had learned in the classroom to the working world, rather than leaving them behind.

My job search led me to the State Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG). PIRG provided me-and, every year, provides hundreds of recent college graduates-with a mechanism to bridge the gap between working for the common good and being successful. It just depends on how you define success. Personally, I have been able to dramatically increase recycling in Massachusetts, train hundreds of Citizen activists in lobbying techniques, educate thousands of Massachusetts residents about pressing social issues, and more.

To those of you on the brink of graduation, consider spending a year or two (or a lifetime, for that matter) working for our future, either at PIRG or elsewhere. The opportunities at PIRG are varied and exciting-check us out at the Office of Career Services or at www.pirg.org.