Even in the face of recent downward economic trends, members of the Class of 2001 remain determined to find a job.
Students have been seeking alternatives to on-campus recruiting and job fairs, as many continue their independent job search.
Tara Benedict ’01, a history major, hopes to find a public relations or publishing job in Boston.
“The public relations industry is indirectly dependent on the economy as a whole because it is a luxury expenditure for most companies,” Benedict said. “Once I’m actually [in Boston], I’m sure I’ll be okay.”
“I think the strength of the hotel school’s alumni network and reputation have prevented too many students from being drastically affected by the slowdown,” said Alpesh Patel ’01, a senior in the College of Hotel Administration. “I think it went from every student having five job offers to having only two.”
Patel said he did hear of a few cases where companies receded the offers they extended to students initially.
Of the 200 seniors in the Hotel School, approximately 60 percent found jobs through on-campus recruiting, according to Millie Reed, director of career services in the College of Hotel Administration.
“We’re here to help and assist, but students must pursue jobs in a timely manner,” Reed added. “Because of the small number of students, we can customize our approach; we can be more focused.”
Reed said the Career Services Office makes its presence known early on, letting freshman know of the services available to them when they need them.
Pat Moran ’01, an English major, remains undecided about his plans after graduation.
“Luckily, I was offered a number of teaching positions, and haven’t yet decided if I will teach or return to school,” Moran said. “My roommates and friends from other schools have been having a real difficult time getting jobs. A number of them have decided to take jobs that they are over-qualified for.”
According to Amy Benedict-Augustine, director of the Agricultural and Life Sciences Career Development Office, only 20 to 25 percent of the students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences find jobs through on-campus recruiting.
“There are always going to be jobs and Cornellians do fabulous out there,” she said. “The majority of our students find jobs through personal networking.”
Archived article by Tanvi Chheda