Students have multiple opportunities for career exploration over break

Students in the College of Arts & Sciences had five opportunities to meet with alumni for career advice during winter break, along with a special recruiting day for summer internships and full-time jobs. They are also able to take part in virtual job search preparation sessions in January.

The five January networking meetings were hosted by Arts & Sciences Career Development, Arts & Sciences Alumni Affairs & Development and the Arts & Sciences Career Connections Committee (ASCCC), a group of alumni who assist students in exploring careers by organizing networking events during winter and summer breaks.

The New York Recruiting Consortium (NYRC) event also took place Jan. 10, a collaborative effort of Cornell, Bard College, Brown, Trinity College, Connecticut College, Swarthmore College, Union College, and William & Mary, that connects students to employers for a day of interviews. That event focuses on employers who don’t usually send recruiters to campus – in areas such as law, communications, marketing, education, government or scientific research. Students interested in participating in the New York Recruiting Consortium applied in November.

"Winter break is often the 'quiet' period in the recruiting cycle, as the holidays really dampen companies' hiring initiatives," said Jen Maclaughlin, director of Arts & Sciences Career Development. "Unfortunately, it’s often the time that students have committed to applying for summer experiences and full-time jobs, without school work getting in the way. These networking experiences and job search prep workshops can really help students to make the most of their winter break."

The ASCCC “Jumpstart Your Career” events, Jan. 6-9, offered students the chance to explore careers in finance, healthcare, government and policy, law and media. All of the events featured a panel that sought to educate students on the industry, and each event finished with open networking. The 2020 events were grouped together during one week so that students could attend more than one event. The events were:

• Government & Policy, Jan. 6, 6-8:30 p.m., R Street Institute, Washington D.C.
• Finance, Jan. 7, 1-2:30 p.m., Jefferies, New York, N.Y.
• Media, Jan. 7, 6-8 p.m., NBC Universal, New York, N.Y.
• Healthcare, Jan. 9, 6-7:30 p.m., Weill Cornell, New York, N.Y.
• Law, Jan. 9, 6:30-8 p.m., Skadden Arps, New York, N.Y.

Students can find more information about these and other career events if they sign up on Handshake.

A travel fund made up of contributions from A&S alumni helped students pay for transportation and lodging – more information about that fund is on the Career Development website.

For students seeking job search guidance from the comfort of home, Arts & Sciences Career Development is teaming with other career offices across the university to offer “Job Search Prep” virtual sessions from noon to 1 p.m. Jan 13-16.

The sessions will allow students to tune in from wherever they are, hear tips from career development professionals and get their questions answered in real time. Tentative topics include:

• Resumes
• Interviewing
• Networking
• Planning your job search

More details on those prep sessions is also posted on Handshake.

Lastly, the A&S Career Development office remains open during winter break (except between December 21-January 1), and students can make phone or video appointments to speak with a counselor at https://calendly.com/a-s-career-development.