Walking Backwards to Work

For the next two weeks, I hereby certify you in walking backwards. Your mission as a current student, should you choose to embrace it, is to serve as an instant tour guide to the prospective members of Cornell’s Class of 2011. As an ad hoc ambassador, you will be stopped in the morning on your way to class by parents who ask, “How do you like it here?” Later in the day, sporting their Big Red apparel, these future Cornell families will tour the residence halls, questioning occupants about sleeping, studying and socializing in cozy quarters. And at dinner, you will endure longer than usual lines while these guests taste-test award winning Cornell Dining, breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing the wok at Mongo Grill, but worried at the possibility of their children eating waffles topped with ice cream for breakfast.

Be patient students, because you were once one of these visitors during Cornell Days. Before committing to attend Cornell, you conducted extensive research and developed your own ranking as a personalized supplement to U.S. News and World Report’s. Sun Podcast: A podcast is available for this column. Click here [1] to listen to or to download it. Four years later as college concludes, you will once again return to the research and rankings, applying them to a new purpose — the job search. This time of year, the college decisions of high school seniors hang in the balance and the career choices of college seniors are imminent; walking backwards to revisit the college search might propel you forward as you contemplate career options. When looking at job opportunities, examining your choice of employment in the same way you would consider colleges can shed light on the decision process.

Beginning with location, what attracted you to Cornell? For me, walking by waterfalls en route to class epitomized the ideal environment. Sure, as a Southerner, I wondered if I would freeze during the winter. As a blizzard survivor, I barely factored weather into my job search, instead seeking to transition from rural to city. In addition, the working environment where you can spend more than 60 hours a week merits evaluation. Not whether or not you will have a corner office, but instead, are the surroundings dreary or modern? Basically, what is the corporate feng-shui? Your interview offers a limited glimpse of the corporate campus. Regrettably, you can’t wander off to explore like on your college visit.

You also can’t round the corner to a cubicle to ask future co-workers, “Do you like working here?” Just as you considered who your peers might be at Cornell (I was excited by the international student body and Colleen Lynch ’06 by the number of languages spoken on campus), you should evaluate whether or not your co-workers are friendly or competitive. Will you be entering with a freshmen class of recent graduates? Moreover, your manager matters significantly. During a 30 minute interview, it’s difficult to evaluate your supervisor’s management style, but will she be a mentor or an obstacle? And while the glamor of working for a big name company is exciting, sometimes you can gain more experience as the big fish in a small pond.

In comparison to the vast phonebook- sized courses of study offered at Cornell, it’s difficult to visualize the learning opportunities you might gain from a job. However, simply asking about daily responsibilities sheds light upon growth potential. “Just as the primary goal in college was to learn how to think,” shares Dan Kasell ’02, “similarly, my firm’s generalist philosophy — which I was perhaps attracted to because of my experience at Cornell — is meant to produce creative lawyers who know how to think.” Broad skills such as those acquired in first jobs allow you to gauge what you do and don’t like, serving as stepping stones for future pursuits. Before accepting a position, consider asking yourself the following question which my dad asked me: how will this job prepare you for the next? Yikes, that’s planning ahead, but, contemplating your future direction clarifies present goals.

While studying was a top priority in college, so too was ensuring a well rounded environment with extracurricular and social activities. “At my information session I was amazed to learn Cornell had so many student organizations. If you wanted, you could create your own,” shares Rachelle Butt ’06. From a cappella wars to dance performances, student productions at Cornell were so numerous that often two were scheduled per night, assuring me that I would never be bored. Once you graduate, these activities don’t have to be tossed aside because of your job — all work and no play leads to burn out. “A lot of people think that they’re willing to work ridiculous hours because it’s somehow ‘glamorous,’ but they are ending up pretty unhappy. Money versus free time, I know it sounds like a no brainer, but you really have to think about what matters to you,” William Chang ’05 explains. In a roundabout way, you need to find out the average hours, weekend and travel included, before accepting.

Once employed, instead of subtracting from, we are now adding to our bank accounts. Despite our prestigious degrees, the career paths we pursue span wide income ranges. Unless the Bank of Mom and Dad is an option, a wage which covers expenses is essential. “When deciding on a college, I wanted the best college experience I could find, no matter what the cost,” shares Brennan Veys ’06. “After accruing debts for those four years of college, however, money was a much bigger factor in the job decision.” And although retirement seems years away, what are the benefits associated with your job? Is there a 401K, stock, health insurance and vacation?

Returning to that college checklist in the job search reminds us of the broad factors we must consider — location, people, learning, work/life balance and finances — they each matter in similar and new ways. However, when we applied to college, we chose — Early Decision or Regular Admission, committing in December or comparing all our options in April. The second time around, the job application process is more like Rolling Admissions with a binding agreement at the first or best opportunity we receive. Not always able to evaluate all offers at once, we take the plunge, and move forward with the hope of one day walking backwards to lead others down similar paths of success.

Julia Levy ’05 graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences. She currently works as a Research Assistant at Tanner & Co., Inc. She can be contacted at jml82@cornell.edu. One Year Out appears alternate Fridays.