Year 4 of Challenge Detroit is nearing it’s end and we are on our final group challenge before we head into our own individual impact projects. While it’s been a great year meeting new people, working at host companies, and leadership skill building on Friday’s with all of our partners, as we enter June all of us are asking ourselves the same question right now: “What do I do after?”.

Regardless the fellowship ends at the end of August (technically sooner since our impact projects are done at the end of July and for the month of August we work Friday’s at our host companies) , and therefore our jobs end in August. For the last couple months this has been in the back of all our minds but now that it’s June it is at the forefront. As a result, here are the 3 major dilemmas most of us are facing:

1. Where do I work? Do I stay at my host company?
   1. Some of us got jobs in our fields and some of us got jobs in an area where we have no experience. Neither is good or bad we just have to evaluate what is best for us. Many fellows in the past have stayed at their host companies and are still there. Others stay for another year and then leave. The options are numerous. The other hard part is timing. It’s hard to apply for jobs in April/May when you aren’t really available until August. June seems about the right time though and we’ll see what happens.
2. Where do I live? Do I stay in Detroit?
   1. We all live in different parts of the city, and for the fellowship we had to live here as part of our job description. Now it is up to us. Did we have a good experience living in Detroit? Did we have a good experience living in our specific neighborhood? Do I want to move for the sake of seeing another part of town? For the out of stater’s, do I go home? The main mission of Challenge Detroit is to attract and retain talent in the city. Now we have to choose if we will fulfill that mission.
3. How much do I want to make?
   1. The golden question. What Challenge Detroit Fellows make is public, at $36,000 for the year. We all knew what we were getting ourselves into when we applied. We all have different skillsets, backgrounds, ages, and are at different points in our lives as far as careers. Some are just out of school, some have worked for several years, and some have masters degrees. The economy is getting better and for some of us, myself included, August marks the first time we get to negotiate a salary. It is scary and exciting at the same time and we’ll all find out soon enough how much we can jump up in earnings after the fellowship.

3 months, that’s all that’s left…