To the Editor:Re: “Post-Graduate Startup Plans,” Opinion, Oct. 5
The article, “Post Graduate Startup Plans,” in the Oct. 5 issue of The Cornell Daily Sun makes some good points about entrepreneurship as a career option. I am concerned, though, that it may mislead readers to over-estimate the impact of on-campus recruiting on the post graduation activities of Cornell bachelor degree graduates. While it is true that roughly half of our graduates enter the workforce when they leave Cornell (including as entrepreneurs), only a little more than 20 percent of them find their jobs through on-campus recruiting. Cornell students use a variety of methods to obtain full-time employment, as can be seen by visiting our website and clicking on “Surveys and Salaries,” the last item on the left menu bar. While our on-campus recruiting program is undoubtedly a valuable service — particularly for students interested in certain career fields — the majority of our students find employment through other means. They will be better and more appropriately served by one or more of the many other services offered by Cornell Career Services.As one example, I advise students who are interested in nonprofit, government and teaching careers. I also meet with students who want to take a gap year. For the latter, our career library database offers more than 200 options, several of which involve entrepreneurship. We invite all students to visit a career services office to learn how we can help you achieve your post-graduation goals.
Bill Alberta, Associate Director of Cornell Career Services