Career Advisors
The advisors in the Office of Student and Career Development are available to discuss any plans or questions you have related to your academic, personal or professional goals.
They can help you:
- understand the connection between their academic life and personal career goals
- identify valuable resources
- prepare for graduate or professional school
- develop personal statements
- search for experiential learning opportunities including externships and internships
- develop job search strategies, such as interviewing and marketing a Human Ecology education to employers
It is most helpful to speak with an advisor early in your academic career.
Additional resources
The Career Development Toolkit includes a self-assessment module. You can also access several assessments through Career Services.
The Career Development Toolkit is an award-winning career resource consisting of modules in Canvas on topics ranging from career exploration, to resume and cover letter to industry-specific modules. A module consists of a series of ordered pages with built-in interactive activities.
All current students have been automatically enrolled and should see the Career Development Toolkit in their Canvas courses. You can also sign in with your NetID and password and self-enroll.
Alumni who had access to Canvas before will have to request Canvas access and then self-enroll.
Faculty and staff can self-enroll as a "student" user or contact career [at] cornell.edu for ideas on how to incorporate Canvas into your course.
The Career Exploration Guide is an excellent workbook to help you explore your interests, skills, strengths, values, and career options. Copies are available in the Human Ecology Career Exploration Center.
Human Ecology's Career Exploration Center provides a friendly environment for students to explore and pursue their career goals with the help of trained student career assistants. All students are welcomed to come anytime during opening hours to receive a walk-in resume critique, explore the different off-campus academic opportunities, read a book from our rich library collection, or take advantage of the numerous other services.
Check out the Career Exploration Center (CEC) site!
Hours
Monday-Thursday: 10:00 am-4:00 pm
Location
1203 MVR Hall
Contact
hecec [at] cornell.edu
| Event | Time & Location |
| CREATING A POWERFUL RÉSUMÉ | Thursday, January 22 @ 4:30 pm, 1203 MVR |
| INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE INFORMATION SESSION | Wednesday, January 28 @ 4:30 PM, 1153 MVR |
| CREATE A COMPELLING COVER LETTER | Monday, February 2 @ 4:30 PM, 1203 MVR |
| CLINICAL AND NON-CLINICAL HEALTH CAREERS | Wednesday, February 11 @ 4:30 PM, 1203 MVR |
| NAVIGATING MY FIRST INTERNSHIP | Wednesday, April 8 @ 4:30 PM, 1203 MVR |
Career essentials
Create a powerful resume
- An effective resume is essential, whether you are seeking an internship, summer job, volunteer work or permanent position. It will also be required for admission to many graduate programs.
- Most resumes should be limited to one page and contain concise summaries of your education, relevant coursework, experiences and skills. Easy-to-read formats and error-free texts are critical.
- Prepare a draft by using the counseling and library resources in Human Ecology's Career Exploration Center (CEC), where you will find many sample resumes organized by major.
- Refer to resume information and examples in the Career Development Toolkit Resume module.
- Resumes can be critiqued by a career assistant in the CEC on a drop-in basis.
- For further assistance, schedule an appointment with a professional career advisor in the Office of Student and Career Development.
Write an effective cover letter
- Cover letters should always accompany resumes unless otherwise indicated. They introduce you to the prospective employer and help target your resume for the position desired.
- Some cover letters are written for specific job openings, while others are used to explore employment opportunities in an organization.
- Cover letters should be concise and error-free.
- Visit the CEC to grab a copy of our cover letter guide as well as review cover letter samples. Also, check the Career Development Toolkit Cover Letters module.
Visit Cornell Career Services Media Library for previously recorded workshops and presentations on these topics.
It's essential that you practice interviewing before your actual interview, whether it is for a job, internship or graduate school.
Human Ecology advisors offer interview workshops every academic semester. We will guide you through the process and provide important tips and strategies for effective verbal communication (check the Human Ecology calendar). You can also access additional tips and resources on the Career Development Toolkit Interviewing module.
Practice interviews are offered in the Human Ecology Career Exploration Center, 1203 MVR. You must sign up two days prior to your practice interview. Career Assistants will present questions relevant to the type of employment you are seeking, and will critique your responses and overall interview style. Videotaped sessions are available if you desire visual feedback.
Before your actual employer interview, make sure you:
- research the organization carefully
- have a list of questions ready
- are prepared to give examples of situations where you showed initiative, leadership and/or teamwork
- are prepared to talk about your problem-solving skills, adaptability to new environments, ability to relate to diverse populations, knowledge of their company and industry, and enthusiasm for the position. You can use past job, volunteer or classroom experiences to demonstrate your skills.
- arrive at the interview at least 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment time and bring a copy of your current resume and other relevant materials, such as writing samples or portfolios. Dress appropriately.
Visit Cornell Career Services Media Library for previously recorded workshops and presentations on this topic.
Networking continues to be the most effective way of finding a job or internship and advancing your professional career. Many Cornell students cite networking as their primary method of obtaining a job. It is reported that 80% of jobs and 90% of summer internships are never advertised. Most employers prefer informal methods of identifying employees and circulating information about available positions.
CUeLINKS
CUeLINKS, pronounced “see-you-e-links,” is a university-wide online networking platform where you can connect with Cornell alumni, your peers, faculty/staff and friends of Cornell to explore and achieve your academic, career, and personal goals. As a Knowledge seeker (student), you can connect with Knowledge sharers (alumni or peers) to share information on topics from career exploration, the student experience, job search strategies, workplace experiences and more!
Cornell Handshake
Many opportunities listed in Cornell Handshake, provide the option to connect with peers, or company representatives who are interested in offering career advice and insight from personal experience. Etiquette in using this network is similar to that used for LinkedIn or CUeLINKS.
Visit Cornell Career Services for more information.
Informational interviews are an excellent way to explore career fields or organizations of interest to you. For the most part, people enjoy talking about themselves to an enthusiastic and curious listener.
Alumni from the CUeLINKS database have volunteered to speak with students and are valuable resources for informational interviews. Unlike a job interview, an informational interview should be a low-stress situation where you decide whom to interview, what questions to ask, and how to evaluate what you learn.
Be prepared before your start your conversation. Decide what you hope to learn. You are creating a relationship so remember to listen well and engage your contact in a friendly manner. Always follow up with a thank you message.
The Canvas Module on Networking will help you develop your informational interviewing skills. The following questions offer helpful suggestions, but modify your interview to suit your needs.
Suggested questions for informational interviews
Career field
- How did you decide to enter this field?
- What do you like most about your work? Least?
- What education or training is necessary for this type of work?
- Do you have an advanced degree? Is one required in this field?
- Is the field changing? In what ways?
- What are the greatest challenges you face in the job/organization?
- Are internships, volunteering or other experiences helpful to getting a job in this field?
- What are the entry-level opportunities in this field? How can I learn about openings?
- What do you consider to be the growth areas in the field?
- What are some related careers I might consider?
Organization
- What is a typical career path in your line of work within this organization?
- What formal or on-the-job training does your organization provide?
- Considering my skills, interest, and academic background, where might you see me fitting into this organization or a similar one?
Lifestyle and work environment
- Generally, what is the work environment like here?
- How many hours do people work in a typical week?
- What obligations does your job place upon you outside the normal work week?
- How much flexibility do you have in terms of dress, hours of work, and vacation schedule?
General
- If you were back in college, would you do anything differently in terms of coursework or summer experiences?
- If you were just coming out of college and looking for this kind of work, how would you conduct your job search?
- Can you suggest others whom I could speak with about this field? May I use your name when I contact them? Should I make contact by email, phone or letter?
Jobs and internships
Internships and experiential learning are a vital part of the job-search process. Human Ecology provides a number of popular internship programs that combine field experience with and academic coursework. Cornell also has an extensive on-campus recruiting program. Advisors can help students develop life-long strategies to successfully navigate the job market.
When
Summer is an important time for Human Ecology students to gain valuable and sustained career experience and exposure. Most opportunities are found through early preparation and networking. Internship workshops are offered throughout the year in the CHE Office of Student and Career Development and through Cornell Career Services. Check the CHE events calendar and Handshake for details
Off-campus study programs occur during the fall, spring and summer semesters. Students gain internship experience and also earn academic credits. If you plan to participate in one of these programs, it is important to speak with your academic advisors to plan your schedules accordingly.
What
For specific internship information by department, check out the Human Ecology internship guides. They contain job listings, industry websites and other resources, including a list of selected career outcomes per major. Copies of these guides are available in the Career Exploration Center, 1203 MVR.
Cornell Handshake provides access to essential Cornell Career Services resources.
On-campus recruiting
Students who wish to participate in Cornell’s on-campus recruiting program for jobs or internships must take the proper steps to use the system successfully. Please note that this is only one of many ways that students find internships and jobs after they graduate. Many companies that recruit on campus are large organizations with the finances and resources to visit universities. Students should develop additional strategies to supplement their job search.
Important components of the OCR program are company presentations. Some presentations are open to all students while others are limited to those who have been pre-selected to interview with the company. If the presentation is open to the public, you are encouraged to attend. These sessions offer excellent opportunities to learn about various industries and to prepare for future recruiting opportunities.
Networking
Networking through personal and family contacts, faculty connections, peers and alumni is one of the most effective ways to find a job and to advance your professional career.
Career fairs
Cornell Career Services (CCS) sponsors an annual two-day career fair in September that hosts approximately 200 employers, and other fairs in the spring including fairs hosted by individual colleges but open to all Cornell students.
Human Ecology offers workshops every semester to help students prepare for career fairs, including important tips and individual resume critiques.
Salary negotiation
As you navigate the internship and full-time job process, you likely have questions about salary. The Career Development Toolkit: Job Offers is a great resource as you are considering multiple factors before you accept a job offer or sign a contract. The Office of Student and Career Development is always a resource to help you answer questions during this process and we encourage you to schedule a time to meet with us, or with Cornell Career Services.
Graduate and professional studies
More than a third of CHE students continue their education in professional or graduate programs after graduation. Others choose to take time off before pursuing further degrees.
Applying to graduate school is similar to applying for an undergraduate degree at Cornell; some graduate schools also require field experience or research. Because graduate school is specialized, students should evaluate their interests and goals before applying. We encourage you to work with your advisors and use the resources in the Career Exploration Center, 1203 MVR.
CHE offers a distinctive undergraduate education for students interested in human health and medicine. You can explore human healthcare needs from perspectives in nutrition and human biology, human development, and design and technology. All our majors provide excellent preparation for health professional schools, including medical and dental schools.
Choosing majors and courses
Your choice of major will add depth and dimension to your understanding of the challenges and discoveries in health exploration and practice. While CHE offers degree programs that include commonly required pre-health courses, you should choose a major that best suits your interests. Graduates of Cornell are accepted to medical and dental schools at the same rate, regardless of their major in the physical or social sciences, as long as they complete the required courses in introductory biology, chemistry, organic chemistry and physics.
Meeting with pre-health advisors and faculty advisors can help you learn about options for choosing your major and completing your requirements. The advisors in the Office of Student and Career Development can help you pursue relevant experiences, reflect on your course choices, and review your academic progress and development.
Current undergraduate students can contact the Human Ecology Office of Student and Career Development to schedule an appointment with a pre-health and academic advisor.
Online: Microsoft Bookings
Phone: 607-255-2532
In-Person: 1210 MVR
You can also access the university's Health Professions Advising Center (HPAC).
The most current information for U.S. and Canadian dental schools can be found in the ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools. Copies can be found in Human Ecology's Career Exploration Center (CEC) in 1203 MVR and the Cornell Career Services library in 103 Barnes Hall.
Gaining clinical experience
Gaining clinical experience through internships and externships is the best way to test your interest in medicine and the allied health careers.
Clinical experience examples include:
- Secure an internship at a hospital, clinic, health center or physician's office by networking.
- Check internship postings in Cornell Handshake.
- Participate in an off-campus study program during an academic semester, summer or winter session.
- Read the postings each week in Communecology, the Human Ecology weekly newsletter
- Check weekly postings in the Career Exploration Center.
- Connect with alumni and peers in CUeLINKS to learn more about their experiences and how they gained exposure to healthcare.
- Join CHE's student organizations.
- Speak with your faculty advisor or CHE's premed advisor and career counselors.
The college also sponsors a student-run organization called the Pre-Professional Association Toward Careers in Health (PATCH). Students can network with classmates and alumni, receive valuable academic and pre-health advising, get connected with college and university health-related resources, visit a medical school, get a peer mentor and more!
Conducting research
Independent research is an excellent opportunity to form valuable connections with a faculty member. However, while medical schools value student research (particularly in the social or physical sciences), it is not required for application unless you're pursuing a combined M.D./Ph.D. degree. It should not take priority over clinical (patient-focused experiences in a healthcare setting), community service, and leadership experiences. Your director of undergraduate studies (DUS) can help you identify appropriate research opportunities.
Applying
The timing of your application to the health professional school of your choice can depend on many variables. It is important to discuss your timeline and application materials with a pre-health advisor. The Pre-Health Guide in Canvas can guide your self-evaluation and supplement conversation with your pre-health advisor. This includes the process to gather letters of recommendation through a Cornell-affiliated PrivateFolio account. The formal Canvas course and self-evaluation process begin during the fall semester before you plan to submit an application.
Transfer students
Transfer students should meet with a CHE pre-health advisor upon matriculation to the college to create a graduation plan in conjunction with the requirements for their major, transfer credits, and interest in a health profession. Understanding your competitiveness and deciding when to apply to medical school depends on individual circumstances and should be discussed with a Human Ecology pre-health advisor.
Helpful resources
The Career Exploration Center offers online resources on topics like finding relevant extracurricular activities and post-baccalaureate experiences, exploring careers in public health or nursing, and preparing for multi mini interviews (MMI).
Resources from the Health Professions Advising Center (HPAC):
Other resources:
Law schools do not require a core curriculum of courses. However, you are encouraged to take courses that increase skill in communication, writing and analytical thinking. Human Ecology students interested in pursuing a legal education should schedule an appointment to meet with the pre-law advisor in the Student and Career Development Office.
Tips for pre-law students
- Connect early! Discuss your goals with your academic advisor, talk to peers and faculty, and find out about unique opportunities to build on your strengths and interests.
- Schedule an appointment with the pre-law advisor to discuss the law school application process and the undergraduate pre-law experience in Human Ecology.
- Broaden your knowledge by attending pre-law events and programs on campus.
- Consider joining one of Cornell's pre-law student organizations like Minority Undergraduate Law Society (MULS), Phi Alpha Delta (PAD) Pre-Law Fraternity.
- Increase your reading and writing proficiency through academic and extracurricular activities.
Helpful resources
Understanding the role of business in a global society and the factors that influence consumer behavior and decision making are essential in today’s markets. Along with traditional skills, CHE students learn to analyze problems, see possibilities and develop solutions without losing sight of the human component. More than 50% of our graduates find employment in the business sector.
Because the field of “business” is broad, one must be broadly prepared, tested and informed. While there is no structured curriculum or singularly relevant experiences for a career in business, being thoughtful about the choices you make and the experiences you create is important.
Understanding the role you would like to play and talents you have to contribute will help you focus your efforts. Business can mean: human resources, facilities and real estate, project design and management, product development, consulting/ advising, investment, market management, global wealth and more. All require an awareness of opportunity, an understanding of how decisions are made and their impact, whole systems and analytical thinking, precision and strong communication skills.
For more details on career opportunities in business, visit the Career Exploration Center to pick up a fact sheet, review our related library offerings, and understand interviewing techniques that can help you be competitive and successful.
Human Ecology students interested in design careers understand the impact that design has on how we interact with materials and everyday objects, and perform within spaces. Beyond problem-solving, our students use planning, resource management, changing technologies and the strategic use of creativity to transform society.
Students pursue graduate work in design, architecture, business, real estate, engineering and strategic planning. The Career Exploration Center has a collection of sample resumes and portfolios as well as an extensive collection of books related to the field.
Graduate study allows students to deepen existing knowledge and expand professional skills. Human Ecology students pursue a variety of professional and graduate school options including:
- business
- medicine
- policy and law
- clinical psychology
- design
- nutrition and health
- public health
- human services
- education
In considering graduate school and assessing options, students are strongly encouraged to:
- talk with their faculty advisors
- Schedule an appointment to meet with a career development counselor.
- visit the Career Exploration Center in 1203 MVR.
Visit Cornell Career Services graduate study for more information.
Information for alumni
Career services for alumni
Professional advisors provide career assistance, job-search advice, and critiques of resumes and cover letters. In some cases, alumni may wish to return to school and pursue careers in medicine, law, or other graduate studies. Our advisors can help you prepare for these transitions. To schedule an appointment, call 607-255-2532.
Cornell Career Services also provides many valuable resources to alumni from all colleges. Alumni may request career assistance, network with fellow alumni, provide career-related opportunities to current students, or hire experienced Cornellians.
Ways to get involved
- Volunteer through Cornell Career Services for their shadowing programs, informational interviewing database and more.
- Participate in the annual career forum and workshop sponsored by the Association for Students and Community (ASC). For details, call 607-255-2532.
- Provide internships for Human Ecology students. Work with career advisors
- to develop internship descriptions and promote recruitment through faculty and academic departments. Call 607-255-2532.
- Provide externships for current students to shadow alumni in their work place setting through Cornell's Job Shadowing Programs.
Hire or encourage your employer to hire Cornellians for summer or full-time positions through Cornell Career Services.
Information for employers
Cornell is a large and diverse university with seven undergraduate colleges and several graduate and professional schools. Employers can meet and recruit students by working with the individual colleges to target students from specialized majors or with specialized interests; working with Cornell Career Services (CCS), the university-wide career office that provides access to students from all majors and colleges; or both.
The College of Human Ecology improves human lives in every context, and at every scale, from cells to societies. CHE is one of Cornell University’s four contract colleges — operated by Cornell under contract with New York State — and includes three academic areas: human centered design, nutritional sciences and psychology.
Our Office of Student and Career Development can help employers build productive relationships with college faculty and students. Employer presentations in classrooms offer excellent venues for companies to increase their visibility and educate highly talented students about opportunities in their organizations.
Contact us at 607-255-2532 or by e-mailing humec_students [at] cornell.edu to:
- schedule a visit to talk with faculty and counselors about our programs, majors and students
- recruit students for internships or permanent positions
- post your positions in Human Ecology's weekly electronic newsletter
Human Ecology graduates are prepared for careers in business and management, medicine and health, law and public policy, design and technology, and other fields. Check our Postgraduate Surveys for detailed information.
Employers can meet and recruit students from all colleges through resources provided by Cornell Career Services including:
- Career fairs
- Online postings
- On-campus recruiting