What makes for a unique work environment here, according to Anderson, is "working with such great people who put in all their energy and their skills."

Reaping the Rewards

Recent graduates who have chosen to start their careers at Harvard say it's an opportunity that many seniors overlook.

The benefits are better than most: three to four weeks of vacation and 12 sick days per year; discounted tuition for undergraduate and graduate courses at Harvard, and reimbursements of up to $2,000 per year for job-related courses taken at schools other than Harvard; medical and dental plans; and if you're in it for the long haul, there's a full retirement plan.

David T. Nuscher '94, who has worked at Harvard since he graduated with a degree in English, says the benefits and perks attract people with a wide range of interests and intellectual pursuits.

"I had a fantastic experience and I decided, this is a good community I want to be a part of," Nuscher says, adding that it was difficult during senior spring, when seniors were comparing job offers.

"Here I was going off to make some ridiculously low salary. People would look at me and their faces would screw up and they would be like, you're really going to do that?" Nuscher says.

He certainly didn't have the most glamorous job. He started off as a staff assistant at the University Development office, doing data entry, photocopying, and answering phones. Since then, he has worked as an on-line editor at the Graduate School of Education (GSE), the undergraduate admissions office, as a non-resident first-year adviser, and is planning to continue working until he is conferred the title of "officer" within the Harvard administrative system.