Seniors Will Work for Food (and a Park avenue Penthouse)

Author: Amine Bouchentouf

It was not very long ago that a senior could graduate from college with four or five offers from companies and employers promising impressive benefits such as profit sharing stock options, paid vacations, free health club memberships and outrageous salaries. According to the Career Services Office (CSO), in 2000 a Middlebury College graduating senior received a total of eight offers from companies, including an offer for a generous $110,000 beginning annual salary in an overseas office. This offer included a year-end bonus.
Today's job market is very different from the economic eccentricities of the late nineties. College seniors once choosing between firms based on job perks and salaries are now being replaced by seniors anxious to secure a single job offer. Thus far, only a handful of students have secured job offers, while the remainder of the Class of 2003 is actively searching for a job, applying to graduate school or planning to take time off to travel and pursue personal activities.
Under such market conditions, successful job seekers are those who are very well informed about their target industry. They have developed an extensive list of contacts through networking, and they have gained inside knowledge through work experience during summer or Winter Term internships.
Don Kjelleren, associate director for Recruiting Development and the Senior Program at the CSO, said he believes that "getting enough current information to make informed job decisions" is one of the most important steps to finding the right job. Jaye Roseborough, executive director of the CSO, stressed the importance of information: "If you don't know where you're going, you'll end up somewhere else."
According to Kjelleren, networking with Middlebury alumni plays an important role during the job search. "It is critical to network in order to tap into the Middlebury alumni network, gain referrals and discover the unadvertised job market, which is the singular best source of job opportunities. Seniors should be using CSO's Middnet, which is undoubtedly one of the crown jewels of the CSO."
Those who have used it have spoken very highly of the strong Middlebury alumni network.
Jill Parsons, a senior math major, has used Middnet to get in touch with alumni, and finds it very useful. "Middlebury alums have been extremely helpful; they've been more than willing to provide information that would help me get a job. They really are able to offer you the inside scoop on how to interview; they know how to prep you."
Fahim Ahmed, a senior economics major who was offered a position with Goldman Sachs, attested to the importance of networking. "Middnet has been the most useful [in getting a job], but help from recent Middlebury graduates was also crucial. From my perspective, networking with faculty and their contacts was [equally] important."
While Ahmed is grateful that he has secured a job, he warned that the financial services industry has been particularly hard hit due to recent corporate and accounting scandals. "Job security is a very shaky concept, especially in investment banking. I have a certain amount of concern for that, but you have to think positively. You can only do your best."
Another concern senior job seekers face is the constant balancing between job interviews and job searches with academic, athletic and extracurricular commitments. According to Parsons, "it certainly is a challenging task. It's a catch-22 because you need to graduate to get a job but you also want a job when you graduate."
Not all seniors are actively searching for jobs at this point, and some have not yet used the services at the CSO. Diana Lerman '03 said she has been too focused on academics to conduct a meaningful job search at this point. "I have not actively searched for any jobs or internships. In fact I've never used Middnet in my life, although I plan to in the near future."
Chris Murton, another senior, is not interested in a career after graduation. "My plan is to pursue personal activities, work periodically and travel during the year."
Yet other students are opting to go to graduate school. Ivaylo Petev '03 is currently applying to graduate schools with programs in sociology.
The combination of a weak economy and the usual demanding academic rigor at Middlebury has made this semester particularly hard for seniors. The CSO strongly believes an active and informed approach to the job search will yield positive results.
Parsons agreed. "I think that if you work hard for four years at college, you'll be rewarded even in this market. Companies are always looking for movers and shakers who can provide different perspectives."