After four years of studying, the terrifying job market awaits. Every year, an entire class of seniors cranking out resumes, cover letters and references, compete for the job spotlight. These four students decided to give themselves a head start.
Paul Sohn: The SafeRider
If you hop into a SafeRide car and your driver strikes up a conversation over Bon Iver’s plangent chords, there’s a good chance you’ve just met Weinberg senior Paul Sohn. He’ll drink his 20 ounce coffee from Starbucks and poke fun at the minivan that pulled over in front him as if he were a police car. He might mention that he hasn’t gotten much sleep. He seems like any other Northwestern student, but you won’t catch him in class this quarter. Sohn, a sociology and urban studies who graduates in June, is one of the many students who finished their coursework before the expected date and used the extra time to get a jump-start in the career market. He currently interns at the Center for Neighborhood Technology, a nonprofit in Chicago, mostly doing research and specializing in urban sustainability. He’s using his downtime to work at SafeRide, study for GREs and look for jobs.
Kevin Fishbain: The networker
Finishing your coursework early doesn’t mean you have to be isolated from campus. Medill senior Kevin Fishbain has finished classes but currently writes a weekly column for The Daily Northwestern and broadcasts for WNUR Sports. The absence of schoolwork gave the journalism graduate the time to get more involved on campus. Fishbain also has time to think about what’s next. “I’m a journalism major and the job market is pretty bleak,” Fishbain says. “I wanted to give myself a much time as possible to put 100 percent of my focus into looking to find a job, resumes, meeting people and networking.”
Sally Slater: The social media guru
Graduating early gave Sally Slater an edge in the job market. The political science major graduated in December 2009 and is now working in Manhattan as an intern for Fleishman-Hillard, a PR firm. “Graduating early was the smartest decision I ever made in terms of finding a job because I didn’t have all that competition,” Slater says. “As of May 24, I will have a permanent position with 401ks and benefits before my friends are even graduates.” Though Slater says she misses her friends and life at Northwestern, she says the benefits of graduating early outweighed the cons. “I would call my experience complete,” Slater says. “ I survived through three Dillo Days. I don’t know how much difference a fourth one would have made.”
William Krause: The strategist
Communication junior William Krause knew since high school that he wanted to save three quarters’ worth of tuition, so he’s graduating in June. “I had the ability with AP exams and some credit finagling to graduate early, so I thought best way is to get in here for three years and save 25 percent on tuition by skipping out on the last year,” the communication studies student says, spelling out his strategy. “Plus, when you tell people you graduated in three years it sounds impressive.” Krause has a job secured for after he graduates this June, working as a software implementation manager for Epic Systems. He got the job through CareerCat, a service provided by University Career Services.
Krause gives this advice to students thinking about graduating early. “You have to talk to your advisor. You don’t get a lot of the emails that most people get when they’re about to graduate, so if you’re in your second year it might catch you off guard. You have to know what’s coming up and watch for it,” he says. Still, he recognizes that the experience of graduating on time is the typical plan. “I would love to stay for another year. If you can afford it and there’s no pressing reason to get out, I would recommend staying.”
Full Disclosure: Sally Slater is a former North by Northwestern staffer.