In terms of preparing for a career in the public sector, panelists suggested gaining experience through volunteering.
Panelists also said passion for a cause is a prerequisite.
Panelists said students seeking jobs in non-profit organizations must be aggressive since there is little active recruiting.
Jonathan D. Silverman '95, a consultant with the Atlas Communities Project at an educational research organization, emphasized the importance of networking.
"You really need to rely on the people you know, the people you met through the work you're interested in," Silverman said.
Panel Moderator Rebecca Onie '97, founder of Project HEALTH (Helping Empower Advocate and Lead Through Health), warned students that finding a job in a non-profit organization may not be easy.
Panelists also discussed the lack of emphasis during careers week on careers in the public sector.
Onie acknowledged that because of the "general push on campus for careers in the profit sector," students' concerns about their future income and the tendency of undergraduates to view "careers in the profit sector as more challenging than those in the non-profit," students are often unenthusiastic about choosing a career in the public sector.
Sanchez, recalled his own dilemma when attending the Career Forum.
"I was wondering if I was going to lose the battle and end up at one of those consulting or banking firms," Sanchez said.
He called his experience at the Career Forum, where there were only four or five non-profit organizations relegated to a corner of the room, "depressing."
PBHA President Elisabeth A. Tomlinson '99, who attended the panel, also commented on the lack of representation by non-profits at the annual Career Forum.
"I'm dismayed to see at the Career Forum on Friday, [investment bank] Goldman Sachs has as many tables as all the non-profit organizations," Tomlinson said.
Reaction to the forum was positive.
"I thought it was inspiring and informative," said Katherine L. Hable '01.
Hable said that having one out of the four panels during Career Week focus on careers in the public sector was "significant.