<p>After a vaguely business-related internship, almost two semesters in an IT-related campus job, and only one quarter of freshman year left at a top ten school, I realize I enjoy pleasing people. I know -- it took a while to figure out. There is very little more satisfying to me than devising a flexible, creative solution to a problem for a customer/client. I do this every single day at my campus job, and I just get giddy every time I see a customer/client pleased with my work. I am obsessed with ensuring that when someone brings a problem to me that I bring 110% to the table. If I see my co-workers not effectively solving a problem for someone, I get upset knowing that the person we are supposed to be helping is getting sub-par treatment. We have all been on the side of incompetent professional help, and it annoys me awfully. </p>
<p>I'll be working this summer as an economics research assistant, but I am afraid that academia may not be the best fit for my personality. It takes a special type of person to tolerate the Academy, and I am not entirely sure that I am comfortable with pursuing academia. What exactly do should I be looking at? I love the cerebral aspects of work, and I wholeheartedly want to design solutions to problems. It's a vague notion, I understand. I've been looking at consulting, but are there any other avenues I should explore?</p>