As the year comes to a close, students across campus are scrambling to find a summer job or internship to fit their major. To accommodate its 6,542 undergraduate students, Quinnipiac has numerous career-development resources for students to utilize.
With the Lender School of Business 2013 graduate placement rate at 98 percent, meaning alumni are working full time or continuing their education, there are students with jobs across many disciplines. According to the Career Statistics on the Quinnipiac University website, recent Quinnipiac graduates have landed jobs working at the technology giant Apple, insurance companies like Aetna and Travelers, as well as financial institutions like Blum Shapiro and Goldman Sachs.
However, Associate Dean for Career Development in the School of Business and Engineering Jill Farrell said there has been an increasing number of students choosing to work full time rather than continuing their education.
“I do see a decrease in the number of students going to grad school,” Farrell said. “Could be a function of many things – the job marketing improving, the desire to start making money instead of building up grad school debt, the cost, etc.”
The Lender School of Business graduate placement rate has been gradually increasing. In 2009, only 81 percent of graduates were working full time or in graduate school. However, this statistic jumped to 90.2 percent in 2010 to the 98 percent that it was in 2013. This number is likely to continue increasing as employers plan to hire 8.3 percent more graduates nationwide from the class of 2015 than they did with the class of 2014, according to The National Association of Colleges and Employers.
The School of Business offers several resources for students in search of an internship or job. There is a comprehensive database of internships and jobs available to all students called QU Career Connections. Additionally, there are four campus-wide career fairs, with one happening this Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Burt Kahn Court. The school also offers more everyday services such as assistance with resume writing, mock interviews, etiquette dinners and workshops.
The School of Communications had the lowest “placement/success rate” for the class of 2013 at just 89 percent. Despite that being the lowest of our schools here, approximately 70 percent of grads are employed, and approximately 18 percent are continuing their education with graduate school.
The College of Arts and Sciences had a 96 percent graduation success rate in 2013, while 98 percent of the class of 2013 is working or in graduate school.
CAS offers “Workshop Wednesday” where every other Wednesday there is a workshop to help students with their job search and personal marketability, with one taking place Wednesday night in CAS1-205 entitled “Kaplan, Writing Your Personal Statement for Grad School.” Students can RSVP through QU Career Connections to attend.
Dean of Career Development for the College of Arts and Sciences Leonard DelVecchio also offers drop-in hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for CAS students with questions every Monday in the Piazza by the fireplace and Thursday in the CAS1 lobby for help with anything regarding career development. No appointment is necessary and the time limit is 15 minutes, but DelVecchio is open to meet with students outside of these drop-in hours for more in-depth career help.
“Students can drop by with any career question or concern, not just resume or cover letter reviews,” DelVecchio said. “If the topic requires more than 15 minutes, or the student can’t make those hours, I’ll set up a private appointment to assist them.”
Despite the many options available, junior finance major Ben Preller says many students are determined to find an internship.
“I think the extent to which the QU faculty helps with internship and job searches varies major to major,” Preller said. “I do sometimes get emails from professors about potential internships, but in my experience, many people who land internships and jobs land them through the connections they have established outside of the faculty.”
While the resources may change slightly from school to school, common services include assistance with resume writing, career fairs, as well as internship and job search assistance.
Assistant Dean of Career Development for Health Sciences Cynthia Christie was not available to comment in time for publication.
Glenn Giangrande ‘03, a School of Communications alumna, explained in a video interview how it is not easy finding a job, but staying determined is essential for success.
“For students coming out of Quinnipiac now, I would say perseverance is absolutely key,” Giangrande said. “It is crucial for Quinnipiac students to stay in touch with each other as the years go on.”
