The following is excepted from a list serve I receive. It warns
against defining yourself too narrowly in a
tough economic times. Now is not the time to circle the wagons and just go to class, study, get good grades and graduate as cheaply as possible. Don’t assume getting certified in your profession will be enough. Everyone hire-able in your profession clears that bar. Internships, co-ops, study abroad, and undergraduate research are prerequisites to getting hired in today’s economy.
“We just had a giant recruitment fair (~239 firms came and were clearly
hiring/cooping/interning; it rebounded from a couple of years ago). Anecdotal
news was that the firms were looking for study abroad and proof of broadness.
One of my foreign policy students showed up to office hours in a suit. I asked
who was interviewing him (I think he’s a Chem Eng). “Caterpillar.” I duly
admired this and asked “What questions did did they ask?” “They wanted to know
about my Law and Society minor. They wanted someone who could understand the
legal and social consequences of the things we were building. And, yes, they
were curious if I wanted to go into IP law.” I heard others say that their
study abroad was the core topic and the firms said it was one reason they had
selected the individual for an interview.”