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The trends and truth about life after college
February 15, 2008 - 1:00amAs the saying goes, college is the fastest four years of your life. As the transition between high school and the real world comes to a close, most Cornellians attempt to discover what the next phase of their lives will bring. While some turn to graduate school or take time off, still others delve into the work force America or programs abroad.
According to the 1,799 Cornell graduates who responded to the Postgraduate Report survey complied by Career Services, almost half of last year’s graduating class is employed. About a quarter are currently in graduate school while the remaining portion are pursuing other endeavors.
Of those who chose to continue their education, engineering was the most frequently selected field, with medicine and law following closely. Those who chose to enter the working world upon graduation found jobs in a variety of fields as well. The employers who hired the most Cornellians from the graduating class of 2007 included Goldman Sachs & Co., Merrill Lynch, IBM and Steve and Barry’s University Sportswear. The median salary of Cornell alumni who entered the work force was $53,000.
Although one might be intimidated by the vast opportunity that lies beyond the hills of Ithaca, there are numerous resources on campus that can help students plan for the future. About 60 percent of the surveyed graduates reported finding their current employment through Career Services at Cornell. Cornell Career Services provides information, counselors and materials and prides themselves on being an academic support network.
Post Graduate Preliminary Report
“We serve all the students and alumni of our college regardless of whether they are very, very clear about what they want to do or very, very unclear about what they want to do,” said Amy Benedict-Augustine, director of CALS career development office.
Services offered to help students in their job search also include on-campus recruiting and CornellTRAK, a web-based program for Cornell students, highlighting employers, events, alumni information and other resources. In 2007, over 33,000 jobs and internships were listed on the website.
“Anyone could go [on CornellTRAK] and find a job posting that they would be qualified for and that they would find interesting,” said Rebecca Sparrow, director of Cornell Career Services.
According to Sparrow, on-campus recruiting typically works better for larger companies that are looking to fill many entry-level positions. Therefore, certain sectors, most notably financial services, are more visible during recruitment. However, consumer product companies, retail, engineering, food companies and service organizations such as Teach For America are also well represented.
“I think we’re pretty lucky because our school really helps us with all these firms and to build relationships with them,” said Ali Baig ’08, who went through on-campus recruiting this past fall and will be working as an analyst for Deutsche Bank after graduation this spring.
Tristan Zuber ’08 also successfully used CornellTRAK to find employment.
“[CornellTRAK] was useful because [employers] are actually looking for college graduates … When they come to campus, they know you are an entry-level person,” Zuber said.
Some students, however, are not pleased with the lack of diversity among the fields represented.
“CornellTRAK has nothing for me because I’m a design and environmental analysis major … They have limited options and everyone is fighting for the same jobs,” said Sydney Malawer ’08.
Malawer, not looking to go straight into the DEA field of ergonomics, instead turned to AIESEC, an international non-profit organization that secures internships ranging from two to 18 months for both undergraduates and recent graduates. She will be working in Colombia through the program after graduation.
Max Henderson ’08 has also struggled with the pitfalls of CornellTRAK and on-campus recruiting.
“CornellTRAK has not helped me at all. I haven’t gotten a single lead ... Everything I’ve had were things I found on my own,” Henderson said. Henderson, who was abroad this past semester, feels that he was misled by counselors who assured him there would be opportunities when he returned.
Henderson, an Applied Economics and Management major, is not interested in the finance positions that many students in his major follow and has found it difficult to find anything of interest through CornellTRAK.
Many choose to not rely on Career Services at all, and instead branch out and develop their own network through internships and contacts. William Chang ’05 started his career at Goldman Sachs & Co. after interning with the company during summers. After working two years at Goldman fulltime, he now works at Roaring Brook Capital, a hedge fund shop launched last year by former Merrill Lynch executive Judah Kraushaar.
There may be hope for the class of 2008: According to CollegeGrad.com, hiring of recent graduates by employers is up by 11.8 percent. Companies are looking to expand across the board.
What the future of the job market will hold for you students of the classes of 2009, 2010 and 2011 is uncertain. The trend we are seeing now, however, with the 11.8 percent increase, should have you feeling a bit optomistic.
Whether college students are facing a thriving work place, welcoming them with open arms, or should start looking elsewhere, either way, they should be prepared. Benedict’s last message of advice?
“Start utilizing Cornell Career Services, resources, events, services and people the minute you step on campus — no matter what your career plans are.”