ActOne
Studying the Best Practices for Your 20s
Thirty students researching how to discover, choose, and navigate their career launch.
Learn more about our mission and research:
Breakfast
Ideas
Our Story
ActOne began in the fall of 2021 with a small cohort of Princeton University students researching the largest issues facing people in their 20s. Though the cohort has evolved throughout the years, the search continues.
Student Base
Princeton University
Founded
Washington, DC
Literature Review
Fall 2021
Like most 20 year olds facing the uncertainty of career and life decisions, we started with questions, big ones. We knew we weren't alone. Thousands of students wrestle with the same doubts, the same anxieties about choosing the right path.
Determined to find answers, our cohort spent a year on Princeton's campus and in Washington, D.C, conducting a comprehensive literature review on the twenties. We poured over 20,000 pages of research, studying career satisfaction, decision-making, dating, and happiness.
Authoring Research Memos
Spring 2022
Building on our literature review, we authored seventeen original research memos, distilling key insights on the most pressing questions young professionals face.
Our work explored topics like "Achieving Happiness in a Career" and "The Role of Meaning and Purpose in Work."
Learning from Career Professionals
Summer 2023
To bridge academic research with real-world experience, we conducted over 500 in-depth interviews with career professionals across industries.
These conversations revealed key insights which sharpened our understanding of what truly matters in navigating the twenties. ​​​​​​​​​​​
Listening to the Needs and Worries of Students
Fall 2023
Assuming every young person asks themselves at least once, "What should I do with my life?", we began to close in on exactly what kept students up at night.
We spoke with students at the following universities:
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Universities of Students We Interviewed
UCLA
Georgia Tech
Marquette
Texas A&M
UCI
UCSD
UVA
U of Florida
Penn State
Florida State
UNC
UIUC
Michigan
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Searching for Gifted Students and Faculty Advisors
Spring 2025
In our next stage of work, we are searching for undergraduate student interns and faculty to help bring our material to life
Through the work of our interns and the teaching of our star faculty, we plan to deliver our insights to students across the country, helping students navigate their 20s with purpose and confidence.​​​​​​​​​​​
20 Teachings for Your 20s
Examples of Practical Wisdom for Undergraduates Students Choosing a Career
Foundation
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Small decisions in your 20s can have lifetime consequences
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However, life is fluid; you can try different identities and careers
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Approaching 30, there is a sense of narrowing, the wall closing in
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Pursuit of pleasure fails as to lasting happiness
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Eudaemonia (human flourishing) is a better path to lasting happiness
Gifts
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People love what they are wired to do, expressing their gifts
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Think verbs not nouns; expression of gifts is an act, not a field
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Essential pairing: match the thing you were wired to do with a role that needs it
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The tighter focus on gifts, the more powerful is its deployment
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In other words, people are happiest when in a "state of flow"
Career Planning in College
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Goals are profoundly important - but there is an advantage in "atelic" goals: the evolving path, not the destination
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Y0u can't possibly know your lifetime career while in college
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College career choices are too narrow - there are 10,000+ paths
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Fear and settling are more a failure of imagination than realistic
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For top students, there is a risk of competing rather than choosing
Dead Ends and Detours
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"Follow your passion" is poor advice - presumes too much understanding of self and the world of work
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Wisdom is gained through back-and-forth testing of gifts
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Graduate school can be stalling, unless planning to enter the field
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Problem with languishing: process is harder after 30
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Travel and adventures can give you "identity capital"
Uncovering Students' Needs and Worries
As jobs get more competitive and recruiting cycles get earlier and earlier, we're bearing down on what students want - and what keeps them up at night
Increasing Competition
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Competition is more intense than ever before, and deadlines are often over a year in advance
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The race to becoming an elite candidate is top of mind for the majority of students
What keeps you awake at night the most?
66%
of students mentioned
"Breaking in to the first job"
What topics interest you the most?
Student responses
Finding Career Satisfaction
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Students are interested in deep career satisfaction over any particular field
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Buzzword job descriptions and jargon are misleading - students often chase jobs they barely understand
Learning from Career Professionals
Because we are all in our 20s ourselves, we lacked real world experience, which is necessary to enrich our insights.
We spoke to professionals in the following fields in order to learn more about their path, their gifts, and their discovery of a state of flow:
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University Professor
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Pilot
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Corporate Lawyer
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Mgmnt. Consultant
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Architect
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Politicians
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Judge
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Social Worker
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Teacher
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Psychologist
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C-Suite Executives
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Actuary
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Plastic Surgeon
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Marketers
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Real Estate Agents
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Dentist
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Cardiologists
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Economist
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AI Engineer
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Entrepreneurs
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Psychiatrist
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Journalist
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Anesthesiologists
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Data Scientist
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Constitutional Lawyer
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UX Designer
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Orthopedic Surgeon
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Trial Lawyer
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Art Director
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Biologist
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Detective
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Dermatologist
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Digital Marketer
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Physical Therapist
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Wealth Managers
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Veterinarians
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Nurse Practitioners
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Pharmacists
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Investment Bankers
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Neurosurgeons
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Detective
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Software Developer
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Nuclear Engineer
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Family Lawyer
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Chief of Staff
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Diplomats
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Civil Engineer
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Interior Designer
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Hedge Fund Manager
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Audit Consultant
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Talent Acquisition Specialists
"When I feel like I've been in flow is during the moments when you have the audience completely captivated, when you're being so helpful to somebody because you know a lot and they don't. It's those situations where you feel a surge of unbelievable confidence because all the things you've learned come together in that moment and there's no question you can't answer, there's no insight that you can't provide, and there's no word that they're not going to hang on. It's a good feeling."
​Act One Research Interview with an Oliver Wyman Consultant
Searching for Faculty
and New Team Members
As we begin 2025, we are looking for paid staff to help teach our material to hundreds of ambitious students during an immersive summer experience, as well as new team members to help recruit students looking for career wisdom.
Faculty, Advisors, and Career Professionals
We are searching for experienced MBA or PhD students, Assistant Professors, or other Career Professionals who have an interest in teaching material or sharing their career experiences with undergraduate students.
Investment Banking
Management Consulting
Technology
Summer 2025 Internship with ActOne
We are also searching for earnest team members to help recruit students to join us for our summer program in 2026
Our Offer
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Entrepreneurial Training: Work directly with David Bradley, who has coached 5,000+ young professionals
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Revenue Team Experience: Real-world sales and marketing responsibilities​
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Who We're Looking For
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Emphasis on strong academic record​
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Evidence of leadership, EQ, extraversion, social skills
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Personal Spirit of Generosity
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We value talent over experience
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Stay informed on our research
If you'd like to stay updated on our research findings, provide your email below