The raft of interviews and tests that would eventually land Evan Smith a job at McKinsey may have been extensive, but the process was no tougher than anything he experienced eight years earlier when applying to join Teach For America (TFA).

The fact that the teaching corp’s gruelling selection process results in a smaller chance of being accepted than at many Ivy League universities is something companies are picking up on. Banks and accounting firms, for example, are looking for talent beyond their usual feeding ground of top MBA programmes — and evidence of a candidate passing muster at TFA and other community service organisations helps them decide whom to recruit.

Recruiters say that the more rounded and diverse a candidate’s experience and skills, the more attractive they are — and many recognise that community service helps individuals build such experience and skills.