During this commencement time of year, students are thinking about what they are going to do. If you’re not graduating with a Computer Science or Engineering degree or going into investment banking, post graduation jobs typically aren’t plentiful or well paid, so graduate school will often be next.

Of course, the fact is that the first job you take right after college is very unlikely to be your last, but it still seems like a daunting task, especially for those interested in doing something they feel will change the world for the better. David Brooks, who writes for The New York Times, explores—though I’m not convinced that successfully—whether students are asking the right question(s) when it comes to the seeming conflict between the private (especially financial) sector and the non profit in “The Service Path.” See also the Rob Reich discussion had with Stanford students on this issue: “Is the Liberal Arts to Blame for Sending so many Stanford students into Finance & Consulting?”

What do you think?

The Ripples to Waves Program on Social Entrepreneurship, created and sponsored by Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law (CDDRL), is bringing together a diverse group of entrepreneurs interested in social change, the Stanford Entrepreneurs in Residence (SEERS).

For more details, please read “Academia Meets Activism,” printed in the Stanford Daily on April 19, 2012. To learn more about each of the residents and the program, see “Four social entrepreneurs to join Stanford research community this spring” on CDDRL’s website.