<p>Jessica…could you unintentionally be projecting an attitude of entitlement at your interviews re: your degree from Cornell? They have your resume in front in them…no need to mention Cornell at all. Just talk about your skills and enthusiasm for the job at hand. Research the company and the job thoroughly before your interview. Have some good questions ready for when they ask you if you have any questions. Your questions should show that you have taken the time to research the position.</p>
<p>I am not projecting an attitude of entitlement. And most of my interviews are over the phone, so things like eye contact, handshake, attire do not matter. I have moved on to late stages of the interview process so I do not believe my interview skills are the problem.</p>
<p>Also, I am not complaining. I am stating a facts. My last semester at Cornell, I took a statistics course where the professor discussed a study that came to the conclusion that high school students with high scores and grades are better off going to state schools than Ivy League schools. He told everyone that we misplayed our cards. I wish I knew this when I was choosing schools. I hope others can be more informed when they choose schools. </p>
<p>What that stats professor was probably pointing out was the financial return on investment on an Ivy League education versus one from a public university may not make sense, depending on several other factors, your major being one. But certainly going to an Ivy League school is not itself preventing you from getting a job. You have graduated into a tough job market with a non-specific degree (and I am not putting down a sociology degree at all). It is going to take a lot of networking, which you can do without connections. Yes, it is harder, but it is not impossible either. Other posters have given you some suggestions; contact the Cornell placement office as well if you have not already.</p>
<p>No, the stats professor was talking about the success high-aptitude students have later in life when they choose state schools versus ivy-league schools irrespective of the grants/scholarships they receive. </p>
<p>I have tried using Cornell’s “mentoring” program. I have sent a dozen requests for mentors and one person has emailed me back. Then, I emailed her and she didn’t respond to my email. </p>
<p>I have spoken to pretty much everyone at the Cornell career services office and they have been utterly useless. They do not tell me anything I do not already know and offer bad advice. The career advisers have told me to network with people I know and to use LinkedIn to contact Cornell alumni I do not know. As I have said before, everyone I know who has gotten a job through networking has told me that a powerful well-connected relative has gotten written them a referral. I do not have a powerful well-connected relative. Contacting people I do not know has been a waste of time. No one responds.</p>
<p>Well, again, the only thing I can point out to you is that the reason you are not employed is NOT because you went to Cornell. There may be many reasons you cannot get a job, but graduating from an Ivy League school is almost certainly not one of them. </p>
<p>I’m sorry to say this, but it just might be your particular degree in this particular economic climate that is making it so difficult for you to find a job. My older cousin went to Ivies for both undergrad and grad school and like you, also majored in Sociology. Also like you, she had a lot of trouble finding a well-paying job–it seems like you really have to cast a wide net with this degree. </p>
<p>I doubt your Cornell degree is what’s hurting you in the job hunt process. Are there ways you can polish up your resume or interviewing skills? Keep on looking, and best of luck! </p>
<p>At this point, is graduate school an option?</p>
<p>This is an interesting thread.</p>
<p>“Why can’t Sally get a good job with her college degree.”</p>
<p><a href=“"Why Sally can’t get a good job with her college degree" - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums”>"Why Sally can’t get a good job with her college degree" - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums;
<p>Is dumping $100k on grad school going to help her find a job in sociology? </p>
<p>“How is it possible that Cornell is ranked so high if employers do not seem to hold it in high regard?”
“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>I served in many search committees and hired many staff in my organization. I can tell you a Cornell degree never hurts.</p>
<p>However, let’s face it: The economy was depressing in the past years; there were very few jobs openings and corporates lay-off people to prepare for the worst to come. You have four years of graduates before you that are fighting for the jobs. Every job openings are with 4 times of graduates to apply in recent years.</p>
<p>When you had the interviews, you were one of the top candidates on paper (including your impressive Cornell degree). Then those who interviewed you want to see two things:</p>
<ol>
<li> What you said you did in school, in internship,… etc. are true and you developed analytically skills through them (specific skills can be built through future company training)</li>
<li> Your personality will work well with their team</li>
</ol>
<p>They determine whether you are their top candidate among the three (or 4 or 5) they interviewed. If you were, they hire you.</p>
<p>You had dozens of interviews, so I believe your credentials are solid. The reason that you didn’t get a job offer is probably more to do with whether your personality match their working environment.</p>
<p>“I have spoken to pretty much everyone at the Cornell career services office and they have been utterly useless. They do not tell me anything I do not already know and offer bad advice. The career advisers have told me to network with people I know and to use LinkedIn to contact Cornell alumni I do not know.”</p>
<p>From your posts, I didn’t feel the optimistic side of you. The long job hunting process might have an impact on this but try to be optimistic in all of your interviews. Show your personality that you will be a great team player (no jealousy, easy to talk to, not a know-it-all, will be on-time for work and value any little thing you will be assigned as opportunities to learn…) and relax when talking with interviewers.</p>
<p>I believe you have a great chance to get a good job if you make your personality shine in interviews. Good luck.</p>
<p>All an education can ever do for you in this context if get you an interview. You have to take it over the finish line and, as someone who hires people out of top schools, the person with a Yale degree isn’t getting a job just because she has a Yale degree. </p>
<p>For my first job, I didn’t have connections (just applied to a job posting) and received my first position when I was up against people with a lot more experience and education by two core means:</p>
<ol>
<li>Laying out a specific plan in writing for what I could do for the organization;</li>
<li>Being knowledgeable, enthusiastic and passionate about their organization and the job.</li>
</ol>
<p>I never used the plan I made, as I learned more once I was inside the position, but it was enough to set me apart, show them how I could innovate and problem solve. Having a sociology degree obviously doesn’t really give you a skillset like a more technical field would, unless you specifically go into research rather than consulting and such, so you’re going to have to show them what you can do for them - not just what you’ve done, where you’ve gone to school, etc. I think you might be relying on your background too much and not enough on your potential future.</p>
<p>These are the missteps I see many recent grads make:
-not deeply researching the job title and type of employer/company
-not bothering to tailor their pitch to the specific job/employer
-not using the phone; relying on email too much
-not relating to the employer HOW they’d help the employer go home without a headache
-not max out LinkedIn
-not network in a savvy way, remaining too coarse or needy
-not being strategic about volunteer and freelance work, aiming for payoff later
-not aiming to be one of the top three candidates; not realizing it’s a numbers game at that point unless there’s a real problem with interviewing/personality
-neglecting job shadowing as a job search tool
-not projecting an image of someone it’d be nice to go out to lunch with
-not understanding how to shine in clerical work and in follow-up when working</p>
<p>UPDATE:</p>
<p>I have had interviews with four companies in the past two weeks. They all went well. I have gotten two the second round of the interview process for one company. Interviewers for the other three companies have told me that they enjoyed speaking with me and that they would like to schedule me in for an in-person interview, but none have responded.</p>
<p>I do not understand why companies would waste my time by convincing me to make room in my schedule for potential interviews, and then never call. I have solid experience, references, grades and an ivy league diploma. They could simply send me an email that says I am no longer being considered instead of lying to me.</p>
<p>How do you know you’re out of the running? Is there a way for you to follow up and schedule the interviews? </p>
<p>I have followed up at one of the companies. I have called the hiring manager, who asked me for my name and number. I gave it to her and she never called me. I am not even going to bother calling the other companies. From my experience, if a company stops corresponding with you, they are not interested in you. HR people are usually annoyed when you call them, and request that you not call them again.</p>
<p>@JessicaHunter For the two companies from which you had a good 1st rd interview “I am not even going to bother calling the other companies.”</p>
<p>You’re giving up too easily. There’s no way you can ever convince someone that those companies do not merit 15 seconds of your time to call. You feel rebuffed and your ego is bashed. We’ve been there. </p>
<p>Please call. If you’re past the first round, they are juggling all the others. Maybe you’re 1st on the short list. Maybe you’re 3rd. But after nos. 1 and 2 come in for round 2, they turn out to be jerks that the company doesn’t like. It’s the end of the Federal Fiscal Year. Maybe they’re swamped. Then they call you. You have no idea why they haven’t called.</p>
<p>Please follow up (not nag or stalk) but reasonably follow up UNTIL they tell you you’re out of the running. To be getting interviews is SIGNIFICANT. Please hang in there. </p>
<p>I dropped my resume w/a rep at a job fair. Heard NOTHING for 3 mos. Then was asked to come in for a 1st rd interview. To be frank, the interview coordinator was VERY unprofessional and I thought “Is this how this company is run?” My initial interaction and impression was very poor. It turned out to be the dream job (and I’m still there now). That person is now long gone and I’ve spoken to HR about how important it is to present your best faces/best people to job applicants. Now that I know what the hiring entailed, I understand the delay in hindsight. </p>
<p>Good luck to you</p>
<p>Keep in mind that, while you’re counting every second on the clock, they have 20 other things on their plate. They may still be trying to schedule candidates for interviews; they may be on deadline for another project altogether and have sidelined this hiring process for a week or more. Hiring takes a lot of time; it needs to be squeezed in with everything else, as HR is often only one step. The actual program people have to chime in, too.</p>
<p>Seriously - take my advice to propose solutions to their problems related to your potential job, don’t just keep falling back on “I had good grade, I went to a good school, I saved puppies from drug lords…” Honestly, no one cares. They want to know what you can do for them now and you may not be showing that. </p>
<p>At least you know it’s not the school or background, as you’re getting a ton of interviews - way more than most people get.</p>
<p>I’d say I feel your pain. How come other people getting jobs while you can’t. If only those with powerful personal connections could land a job, then it simply means the current job market is very weak, particular for your major. Job market has its up and downs. I remember before year 2000 every person who claimed they know IT could get multiple job offers, then came the bubble burst and tons of IT people ended up on the street. You just need to “wait out the storm”, maybe try overseas job (if that’s a possibility) which worked out for me long time ago, try go for graduate degree with TA/RA (low cost) … think outside the box, otherwise you’d find yourself banging on a wall.</p>
<p>The corporate world can move very slowly. It is not necessarily a reflection of you. Or, they may have a policy of going through the process with their top candidate first. Again that is not really about you. </p>
<p>Then, there may be something about you that is putting you not at the top of the lists. It certainly isn’t that they would rather hire someone from Oklahoma/Idaho/Oregon U. </p>
<p>Now here’s a great suggestion that you could leverage your Ivy Sociology degree. </p>
<p>I happened to surf on a NYC college admission site (expert xxx) and noticed that several of their staff (including the Co-Founder) are holding Sociology degrees. Right now is the peak season for high school seniors to complete their applications before the ED/EA deadlines. I’m pretty sure with your Cornell degree & experience, some kids/their parents would appreciate your help & they will pay you (college admission consultant rate is in the lower to mid-hundreds). Don’t you kick yourself that you didn’t think of doing your work-study at Cornell admission office (maybe you already did…). </p>
<p>In addition, you can join WynAnt (a tutoring match site founded by a Princeton grad) to tutor kids nearby. All these can carry you for a while…</p>
<p>Corporate openings are often affected by budget/project being put on-hold, or worst case the hiring manager/management happens to have a relative/friend looking for same job…</p>