Senior Kelly Malafis, left, coordinator of the Freshman Externs Program, and sophomore Thomas Carson, recruiting assistant, review information with senior Meghan Brasley in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations' Office of Career Services. Charles Harrington/University Photography
The Office of Career Services at Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations has an unusual relationship with its corporate clients: Several actually pay the salaries of the office's student employees.
Students play a major role in office operations by directing various programs and providing support for the office's three professional staff members. They oversee internship programs, coordinate on-site interviews and serve as troubleshooters for corporate recruiters and students alike. But in 1991, cutbacks in state funding reduced operating budgets at the ILR School and erased funding for student employees in the career services office.
"There was no way we were going to be able to serve more than 1,000 students and alumni a year and offer the necessary programs to enhance and strengthen interview and networking skills without the help student employees bring to the office," said Karin S. Ash, director of the Office of Career Services.
With school-wide resources limited, Ash decided to solicit financial support for student wages from those she knew best -- corporations. "My first request was for $500, which would go to support one student for one semester," Ash said. The four corporations she contacted each met her request and the ILR Student Partnership Program was established.
"The partnership provides corporations with an opportunity to offer high-caliber students financial assistance that students earn, in many ways, by supporting corporations in their search for new employees," Ash said.
The partnership has been in place for the past five years, and in that time corporate sponsorship has climbed from $2,000 in 1991 to $7,200 this year. The support from Citibank, Ingersoll Rand, General Electric, Exxon, Arthur Andersen, AlliedSignal, Mobil, Pepsi, Chrysler, Warner-Lambert and Amoco enables eight students to work between 10 and 20 hours a week during the academic year.
Harriet Phillips, vice president of human resources and leadership development for Citibank, said by supporting the corporate sponsorship program, Citibank provides valuable lessons for Cornell students. "The work experience students receive provides a good grounding for them in understanding and learning what it's like to be in management during pressure and crisis situations," she said.
Phillips also noted that Citibank's support acknowledges the quality work students do. "Our recruiters get excellent service from the office," she said. "The students are always on top of things, helpful, professional, well-organized and willing to go the extra mile to make our visits worthwhile."
OCS supporters aren't limited to corporations. Former student employees, like Lori Stepp, also contribute.
"It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my undergraduate career," said Stepp, whose four years of service to the career office made such an impression that she now recruits college graduates for J.P. Morgan. "I think the type of work students do in the office is above and beyond your typical work study job, which really prepares one well for the job search and the ability to market oneself."
Student employees are given key responsibilities, such as directing various programs, and take part in all office staff meetings. Students coordinate two of the office's most popular programs, the Winter Intersession Program (WISP) and the Freshman Externs Program (FEX). WISP, managed by senior Kasia Wesolowski, provides upperclassmen with three-week volunteer internships in labor, management or government. This year WISP offered 85 internships, of which 64 students participated. FEX, coordinated by senior Kelly Malafis, provides freshmen with the opportunity to spend a day observing a particular organization. The program seeks to acquaint students with the various careers available in the field of industrial and labor relations. Currently, 54 freshmen out of 160 are participating in FEX.
"It's rewarding to be a part of this office, where the primary focus is connecting students with prospective employers," Malafis said. "I enjoy meeting the students and seeing how my work is helpful to them."
ILR senior Tara L. Sines spends about 10 hours a week doing the billing for the office. "My experience here has exposed me to different parts of a professional organization, which is essential if you're going to be a human resources director." Other student jobs include managing an alumni bulletin and coordinating labor outreach programs.
But sometimes the student's experiences go beyond the printed job description. Like the time a female student got dressed in the dark for an early morning interview so as not to wake her roommate and accidentally put on two different colored shoes. Upon discovering the fashion faux pas, the student-employee traded shoes with the interviewee just before she met the recruiter.
A job with the OCS is an enviable one for students, primarily because the close interaction they have with corporate recruiters gives them a head start on their job search. "I met a lot of recruiters through my work with OCS," said Stepp, who earned her bachelor's degree from the ILR School in 1994 and used her work-study income to offset expenses, such as books and tuition. "I spent hours talking to them on the phone and in person about interview schedules. They got to know me and the quality of my work."
Last year recruiters representing 92 corporations made 165 visits to the Office of Career Services and conducted over 1,700 interviews. Bachelor's degree candidates averaged eight interviews during their senior year and master's degree candidates averaged 13 interviews their final year of study. Already this spring's recruiting calendar boasts 27 different corporations, from Cigna to GE to Hewlett Packard to Hallmark Cards, participating in 49 different interview schedules.
"Cornell students are capable of doing so many things well that to have work-study students simply copying or filing isn't making adequate use of talented employees," Ash said. "Here, we've given students responsibilities, and they've been outstanding in meeting all of them. They share in the success of the office, and that, I believe, provides them with a great sense of accomplishment, which can only benefit and strengthen their experience here at Cornell."