Seth Harris
Washington, D.C. USA
"There is real value in doing hard things to remind yourself that you can."
Career Roadmap
Seth's work combines: Politics, Law, and Upholding a Cause and Belief
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
The days of going to college and then working the same job for the next 40 years are largely gone. If you have the economic ability to choose to do something you're passionate about after college, do that for a while and see how it goes. Remember that it doesn't have to be what you do for the rest of your life. Find mentors who have been in that field or industry to counsel you. Take their advice if it makes sense to you. The most important thing is that it needs to feel authentic to you.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Labor and Industrial Relations
Cornell University
Doctorate
Law
New York University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
I come from a family that was very involved in social justice, so I grew up having a passion for it as well.
2.
I was also very interested in politics, and started volunteering in political campaigns in my community when I was just 10 years old.
3.
As a kid, I decided I wanted to become a lawyer after being inspired by the stories of Clarence Darrow, a lawyer who became famous for representing progressive causes.
4.
In college, I studied industrial and labor relations, and became much more engaged in working class labor and social justice issues.
5.
After graduating, I spent five years working in the labor movement before going back to school for a law degree.
6.
I worked as a law professor for about a decade at New York Law School in lower Manhattan.
7.
I served for almost five years as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Labor under President Obama—including six months as the acting Secretary of Labor.
8.
I now work as an attorney, business advisor, and visiting professor at Cornell University, where I teach leadership and public policy.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Society in general:
Join a big law firm because that's where the money is.
How I responded:
I spent some time working for a large law firm but quickly realized that was not for me. It's one of those jobs that society pushes you towards and that people gravitate to because of the money and sense of "success." However, I was not at all happy with the work. I've learned that the most important thing is that you do something that is authentic to you. Happiness comes when you're doing what you authentically love to do.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I struggled with anxiety for a long time. On one hand, anxiety and fear of failure drove me to work hard, but it also caused me to never really feel satisfied with myself. I didn't start to overcome my anxiety until I got professional help.