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Cornell University

For Families

We look forward to working with your student in Cornell Career Services! Our goal is to help students apply their education and experiences toward advancing their career goals over a lifetime. You can help us achieve this goal by encouraging your student to explore these pages to learn more about our resources and services, and to make an appointment with us.

Our offices in Barnes Hall and in each of the colleges work together to provide a full range of services to help students make the transition from Cornell to a first job or graduate school. We have created a comprehensive set of modules in Canvas, called the Career Development Toolkit. Below you will find more information about our services.

Services Offered

Advising and Counseling Services  

Career Counseling. We offer in-depth assistance for students who want to clarify career direction or discover occupations of interest. In addition, students can meet with career advisors specializing in a wide range of interest areas.

Workshops. We present programs on topics such as career planning, developing job-search skills, and applying for graduate and professional education regularly. The basic job-search series covers resumes, cover letters, interviewing, job-search strategies, summer jobs, and internships. Recordings of most of our programs are available in our Media Library.

Job-Search Advising. Professional advisors offer individualized assistance with career planning and the job search—remotely and in person.

Resume and Cover Letter Assistance. We provide information on preparing resumes and cover letters on this site, in the Career Guide, and in the Career Development Toolkit in Canvas. In addition, a career or peer advisor will review the content and presentation of resumes and career-related correspondence.

Interview Preparation. We offer a wide range of assistance in preparing for interviews, including simulated interviews, in which we provide feedback on verbal and nonverbal communication skills.

Career Information Services

Career Libraries. We have a collection of books, directories, job bulletins, and more to help students research career options and identify potential employers. The main library is located in 103 Barnes Hall, and several college offices maintain a smaller collection of college-specific materials. There is also an extensive Resource Library included in this site.

Employer Information. We provide access to robust online directories giving access to annual reports, company literature and profiles, information on financial performance, employer contacts, and more for students to use in researching employers and preparing for interviews.

E-mail Communication. Students should register with our information system, Cornell Handshake, and indicate their career interests in their student profile. We will then send targeted notifications of events and opportunities such as workshops, alumni panels, networking events, special skill-building programs hosted by employers, employer receptions, etc.

Job-Search Services

Resume and Cover Letter Assistance. We provide information on preparing resumes and cover letters on this site, in the Career Guide, and in Canvas. In addition, a career or peer advisor will review the content and presentation of resumes and career-related correspondence.

Interview Preparation. We offer a wide range of assistance in preparing for interviews, including simulated interviews, in which we provide feedback on verbal and nonverbal communication skills.

Jobs for Cornellians. Job descriptions and application information for regional, national, and international employers are targeted for Cornell students and posted daily in Handshake.

Summer Jobs and Internships. Short-term positions—on campus, elsewhere in Ithaca, or away from campus—that can help students clarify career options and gain valuable career-related experience are also included in Handshake.

On-Campus Recruiting. Nearly 400 employers—primarily from the corporate sector—visit campus each year to conduct interviews with students for summer and full-time employment.

Other Employment Services

Employer Information Sessions. Employers arrange sessions to introduce students to their organizations, usually in conjunction with an on-campus recruiting visit. The sessions provide a forum for job seekers to meet potential employers and for undergraduates to learn more about a particular employer or career field.

Employer Career Fairs. Career fairs offer on-campus forums to gather information, develop networks, and meet employers from a variety of sectors, including corporate, environmental, and not-for-profit.

New York Recruiting Consortium. Employers representing banking and finance, consulting, retail, advertising, law, and various other fields interview Arts and Sciences and Human Ecology students in New York City in January.

Other consortiums. Cornell participates with other educational institutions in a variety of consortia that sponsor recruiting events off campus. Most of these events focus on a specific career field or employment sector.

Graduate and Professional School Advising

Advising and Programs. Services are offered on the graduate school application process, including personal essays, exam study guides, sample admissions tests, and registration materials for national tests. Directories of graduate study are also available.

Graduate and Professional School Days. Representatives from over 150 schools offer information and advice on programs of study and application procedures during Graduate and Professional School Day in the fall semester.

Legal Careers. Advising and programs are offered on the application process, including personal statements. Resources include survey information on Cornellians at U.S. law schools and statistics on where Cornellians apply with acceptances/denials.

Connecting Students with Alumni and Other Career "Specialists"

Experiential Programs. Cornell alumni and friends (including family members) host students in the workplace to give an insider's view of a career field as part of CUeLINKS Experiential Projects and ILR's Freshman Extern Program and WISP Program.

Informational Interviews. CUeLINKS is an online resource that enables students to obtain career advice from alumni and other professionals working in diverse fields. Students are also encouraged to conduct information interviews in person during semester breaks. Let us know if you are interested in participating.

Alumni Forums. Alumni participate in career panels, career days, on-campus recruiting, employer career fields, and information sessions to help students establish contacts and learn about specific career fields.