Design Your 20s,
Create Your Path
The question, "What should I do with my life?" is hard.
Our mission is to make it easy.
Learn more about our mission and research:
Breakfast
Ideas
Our Research Story
Our mission is to help young people navigate the most important decade of their lives. In service of that mission, we spent the past 3 years studying the do's and don'ts of the twenties. Our research was organized around the most-important question facing young professionals: "What should I do with my life?"
We began the research humbly, seeking to gather and develop the best lessons and wisdom on how to navigate the twenties. Nearly three years into this work, our body of knowledge is substantial: we've sorted through over 20,000 pages of qualitative literature, interviewed 500+ professionals across numerous career fields, and perhaps - most importantly - spent substantial time listening to the biggest worries and aspirations of college students.
We believe there is wisdom to bring to young people about how to choose, find, and navigate their early life. And so, we approach our work with inspiration and confidence that we can help students with their ActOne.
ActOne Insights
Practical Wisdom for Young Professionals
The Biggest Worries of College Students
Lessons from 500+ Career Professionals
O
A
Our Current
Work ​
Practical Wisdom for Young Professionals Entering the 20s
We believe there is wisdom worth passing down to the next generation of young people.
We've spent three years researching the lessons worth knowing as young people begin their lives after college. By now, the team has authored over 50 research memos, completed over 1,000 qualitative interviews, and - most importantly - has concrete answers on the do's and don'ts of the twenties.
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Career Worries and Aspirations of College Students
What we've learned from hundreds of conversations
We spoke with students around the country
and heard what they worry about most when launching their careers.
​​Things We Heard:
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The competition for ambitious jobs is intense; students are having to prepare for their career earlier and earlier.
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Students are acutely interested in satisfying and fulfilling careers in jobs that bring meaning and financial stability.
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Buzzword job descriptions and industry jargon obscure the reality of what ambitious jobs actually entail. Many students chase jobs they barely understand.
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Breaking in has never been harder, and the race to become an elite candidate has never been more important.
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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 *
* Figure may not be additive to total sample due to students mentioning multiple options
Inside the World of Top Careers
Interviews with Skilled Practitioners in 50 Competitive Career Paths
We conducted 500+ in-depth interviews with career professionals at the top of their game. Through these conversations, we uncovered:
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How top professionals spend their time.
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The key moments where professionals experience flow.
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The core gifts and talents that separate the best from the rest.
An Architect's Core Activities
1) Listening to clients and
translating needs into visual
imaginative concepts.
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2) Drawing and communicating
through visual means.
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3) Navigating the pragmatics and
logistics of physical
construction. ​​​​​
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Act One Research Memo on Architects, based on experts interviews and industry analysis
Consultant Experiencing Flow
"Where 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
The Gifts of an Actuary
The best actuaries are highly analytical. They must have the ability to process large amounts of data, cut through the noise, and pinpoint the one or tw0 key variables that tell the story of that data.
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Act One Research Memo on Actuaries, based on experts interviews and industry analysis
Our 2025 Work
Though ambitious, we seek to design a sequenced learning journey for students. We envision a elegantly comprehensive curriculum to help college students confidently navigate top careers and successfully launch their professional lives.
Three Pillars of the ActOne Curriculum
Practical Wisdom
for Choosing a Career
Insider's View Into Investment Banking, Consulting, Technology, and Entrepreneurship
The Art of Breaking Into
the World's Most
Competitive Firms
Collaborating with Insiders to Bring Career Wisdom to Students
Learning the Job, the Recruitment, and the Behind-the-Scenes from Current and Former Employees
​​We are Seeking Answers to Important Questions Such As:
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• How does the culture at JP Morgan differ
from the culture at Morgan Stanley?
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• Do McKinsey and Bain consultants work
the same hours? Do the same tasks?
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• Am I a better fit at Microsoft or Apple?
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• How should I approach a case interview
at BCG vs. Deloitte?
Investment Banking
Management Consulting
Technology
Begin Your ActOne Journey
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