Career re-education

Despite the fact that Columbia students study a dizzying array of subjects, a disproportionate number of undergraduates pursue jobs and internships in the finance or consulting sectors. At first we thought responsibility for this problem lay mainly with the Center for Career Education’s slanted job offerings, but closer examination revealed a disconnect between the lives we lead as academics and the lives we seek as young aspiring professionals.

Students often perceive their undergraduate studies and career options as unrelated. Before we even stepped foot on campus and saw the names of the great thinkers on Butler library, we understood that Columbia was a university that would teach us more than our limited range of study, or guarantee a six-figure salary. The idea of a Columbia education is one that educates the whole person in the classical sense—what we learn inspires who we are and who we will be, both in the classroom and out. It only makes sense for this sort of approach to extend to our professional plans as well.

But for whatever reason, it doesn’t. The Center for Career Education serves largely as a resource for students to accumulate information about resume-building, interviews, and internship offerings. It is not part of the larger Columbia “education” in the traditional sense.

While we are grateful for the opportunities that CCE offers us—whether our job search leads us to finance or not—CCE could offer us more of a career education than it currently does. Allowing or encouraging students to fall back to the typical internship opportunities in finance or consulting simply because of their prevalence and accessibility is not good career guidance. Students, especially those who have less of a clearly defined sense of what they want to do with their lives, should be made aware of the fact that there are many rewarding jobs to fulfill within their areas of interest. Syncing academic passion and professional lives is not always intuitive.

CCE should not be viewed as a resource only useful to students with a pre-defined career path. Unfortunately, that’s exactly the perception that currently exists among many students—and it is one that CCE should strive to change. Their marketing of alternative career choices can be improved and made more visible. While CCE has explained that they can best help students who frequent their offices, this is a basic fact that many students do not know. CCE should explain how to best take advantage of their services, and students are bound to follow their suggestions.

Ultimately, it’s up to students to take the initiative and seek out career guidance. But when that happens, CCE should be ready to offer more than a brochure or a list of internship opportunities. CCE should be part of an undergraduate experience that shapes us as whole students, both for the academic presents and professional futures.