<p>I graduated from Cornell. What can't I find a job?</p>
<p>What degree do you have </p>
<p>I have a degree in sociology, and I have received dozens of interviews but no job. I have lost count of how many jobs I have applied to. It has to be over 500. I have recently been applying to less jobs and tailoring my resume and cover letter which takes time. But most people do not seem to care that I graduated from an Ivy League university. I have taken courses at a state school while in college to save money and I aced every class. I struggled to get Bs in some classes at Cornell. I wished someone had told me that your better off getting getting As at a state school than a Bs in an Ivy League school.</p>
<p>What kind of job do you expect to get with a bachelor’s degree in sociology?</p>
<p>a lot of research assistant/associate/analyst positions prefer a bachelor’s degree in the social sciences. Also, I know plenty of liberal arts majors from Cornell that have gotten high-paying jobs with top companies like Deloitte. But everyone that I talked to that has gotten a good job was able to get it because of a referral from a relative. I do not have any wealthy or well-connected relatives. </p>
<p>According to Cornell’s post-graduate survey, Cornell graduates make a median salary of $55,000 right after graduating from college. Other websites, report a similar median salary for Cornell graduates. That number is a bit inflated because the engineering, math and computer science majors make so much money. However, even Human Ecology majors make $47,000. I have been applying for jobs that pay between $35,000-$55,000 and usually don’t get a response even when I use my lifetime Cornell e-mail address to apply for jobs. </p>
<p>@Renomamma Sociology is a major with a lot of flexibility when looking for a job i think! Business and Industry</p>
<p>advertising staffer
banker
computer analyst
consumer relations worker
control engineer
data entry manager
human resources manager
insurance agent
issues manager
labor relations staffer
market analyst
merchandiser/purchaser
planning assistant
production manager
project manager
public relations staffer
publishing staffer
quality control manager
real estate agent
recruiter
sales representative/manager
technical writer
telemarketer
trainer
training assistant
Community and Social Services</p>
<p>case manager
caseworker/aide
child care worker
child development technician
community aide
community organizer
environmental organizer
family planning worker
fund raising assistant/director
group home worker
homeless/housing worker
hospital administrator
housing coordinator
medical records worker
occupational/career counselor
public administration assistant
public assistance worker
public health supervisor
recreation worker
rehabilitation program worker
resident planning aide
rural health outreach worker
substance abuse counselor
youth outreach worker
Education</p>
<p>admissions counselor
affirmative action assistant
alumni relations worker
college placement worker
extension service specialist
public health educator
student personnel worker
teacher
Government</p>
<p>affirmative action worker
employee specialist
foreign service officer
human rights officer
information officer
international worker
legislative aide
peace corps volunteer
personnel coordinator
program supervisor
special agent
urban planner
Justice System</p>
<p>correctional counselor
corrections officer
corrections staffer
criminal investigator
juvenile court worker
parole officer
police department staffer
police officer
rehabilitation counselor
special agentstate troope
Research</p>
<p>census research assistant
consumer researcher
criminology assistant
data analyst
demographer assistant
interviewer
market researcher
social research assistant
statistician
survey research technician</p>
<p>Found this list off of Notre Dame’s list of jobs for Sociologist majors lol</p>
<p>@JessicaHunter keep looking for jobs! You will find what you are looking for </p>
<p>How is it possible that Cornell is ranked so high if employers do not seem to hold it in high regard?</p>
<p>A lot of folks believe that everyone everywhere values an Ivy-educated grad. They don’t. In many workplaces and for many clients an Ivy degree is viewed as a liability. It might be best to seek employment with Cornell alumni. Nowadays, the folks without highly related degrees who are getting jobs seem to be getting them from “friends and family.” Also, the name of the job search game is to TAILOR your pitch. You cannot send generic resumes and other job search material. You MUST take the time and effort to tailor your material and your search. Use your Cornell email only for employers you’ve confirmed will definitely be impressed by your Cornell connection. For all others, use a new professional email addy. It’s reasonable to expect that might take about two years to find you’re perfect job, so make sure your doing some impressive freelancing or volunteer work NOW. — IMHO. </p>
<p>Perhaps you should consider that it is the way you interview. You are not having trouble getting the interview, right? They obviously consider your background and resume acceptable, right? Maybe Cornell has an office of career counselling or such that might help you with the interview process</p>
<p>I agree with @kandcsmom If you are getting interviews it may be about your interview skills. Ask someone in the HR world to do an honest mock interview with you. Do you have good work history? I am a recruiter and I am more impressed with a strong work history than the school that the degree is from - best situation is both!</p>
<p>Oh and there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with using connections to get interviews. Asking someone for help getting you an interview is not the same as “then giving you a job”. </p>
<p>Oops. Excuse your/you’re typos. </p>
<p>I just did a search on the Cornell website for Jessica Hunter. If that’s OP’s real name, there is no student by that name.</p>
<p>I did not use my real name.</p>
<p>Try to get some feedback from places that you interviewed but did not land a job…could your interview skills be lacking? </p>
<p>most employers cut you off completely if you have not moved on to the next round or are not offered the job. They have not answered any of my questions and ignore my thank you email for the opportunity. I have received a thank you letter in the mail after getting to the last round interviews for a job, but that is rare.</p>
<p>I have been volunteering for half a year now, and that has not helped me land that many more interviews. I am stunned students from Cornell and state schools can get such high salaries right out of the gate according to many websites and I can’t find a job that pays well-below average. </p>
<p>Not to sound like a jerk, but:</p>
<p>By creating this thread and based on some of your posts, you are whining and believing that you are entitled to a good job.</p>
<p>Is it possible that some of that is being shown in your interviews?</p>
<p>Advice:</p>
<p>1) Talk about what you have accomplished, not what you should have accomplished or what you considered accomplishing.</p>
<p>2) Explain how things you learned in school – in class and not – directly engance your ability to excel at the job for which you are interviewing. Start and remain on-point. </p>
<p>3) Do not (!) talk about social issues, or general job trends, or really anything unrelated to the position: if you cannot focus on that particular interview, how can an employer trust you to focus on your job?</p>
<p>Relax, smile, and stay on the topic at hand. Show that you care about the job and are truly interested. Be polite.</p>
<p>Finally, if none of the above works to help you get one of those $50k+ jobs, settle for one that pays less and <em>kick butt</em> at it. Many successful people started out working a $30k job (in today’s money). And in some ways, that is good: you will always be able to revel with those workers in the work you used to (and which they) do. That kind of camaraderie and trust can’t happen if you start in mid-management.</p>
<p>I do not feel I am entitled to a good job. I have been volunteering for six months now. Thus, I am working for nothing. I have stated earlier that I am applying to jobs that pay between $35,000 - - $55,000. I am casting a wide net. I will gladly take a job that pays $30,000, but my career adviser told me that you should not apply for jobs that you are overqualified for because employers will not consider you.</p>
<p>I am tailoring my resume and applying for jobs where I have met all of the requirements. Employers could not care less where I graduated from or where I have been volunteering. It seems that if you don’t know someone at a company, it is hard to even get an interview.</p>
<p>" It seems that if you don’t know someone at a company, it is hard to even get an interview."</p>
<p>That is so true!</p>
<p>Good luck though.</p>
<p>@JessicaHunter you’ve gotten some good advice. Seriously. Consider your interview skills. It’s not something that’s taught in college. But simple things–eye contact, rapidness of speech, handshake, attire, among other things–can make a huge difference. It’s not your fault. But its something you can work on. Use the tools Cornell gives you and look into it. </p>