How to find a good job without an Ivy League degree?

February 12, 2008 2:25 PM

I am a soon-to-be graduate of a small liberal arts college that no one has ever heard of. Looking for job search advice.

My school has rigorous and well respected academics, but no one has heard of it. I am a double major in Mathematics and Economics with an excellent GPA (3.85) and significant coursework in finance. I have internship experience at a large investment bank, but not in field I want to pursue any further (I worked in an IT group -- on the other hand, I did learn a lot about markets and portfolios, and did a lot of quantitative/analytical problem solving). I have done independent research and also studied abroad at a major UK university. I've won various other scholarships, awards, etc. All in all, I consider my resume to be fairly impressive for my experience level.

BUT, I have had absolutely no luck finding a job I will be happy with. I am looking for financial type positions in particular, but would be content with anything mathematical/quantitative that is challenging and fits my qualifications. I have found out the hard way that all of the major banks/financial institutions seem to only make offers to college grads through their "campus recruiting" programs, which operate on specific (see: Ivy League) campuses at specific times of the year, a process akin to college admissions themselves. My college's recruiting program is mostly garbage, bringing hardly any legitimate employers to campus.

So, I find myself in a difficult situation. I am looking for any kind of advice, any suggestions for avenues to pursue jobs for which I'll be seriously considered. What categories of companies, or which specific companies, should I be applying to? Are there any monster.com type websites that are particularly good for college grads? How can I get a challenging and "prestigious" position when I don't have a prestigious university name on my resume?

I am especially looking for advice from people who have been in this situation and/or have industry knowledge. It's easy to say "suck it up and send out more resumes" if you haven't been there.

Thanks!

posted by whataboutben to work & money (14 comments total)

Does your school have a Career Office? If so, they should be able to provide you with leads (and even introductions) to alumni/ae who are in banks/financial institutions. If there is no career office, head over to the Alumni office. Often times colleges have a database of previous graduates who are more than happy to talk to current and soon-to-be graduating students. Start out seeking "informational interviews" with these folks and then ask them if they are aware of entry opportunities at their firm or at those of their friends and colleagues.
posted by ericb at 2:34 PM on February 12, 2008

Are you nearby any of the colleges where companies you would like to work for will be recruiting? Consider making a trip and go to their career fairs despite the fact that you do not attend the college. I recruit for my company at my old college, and every year I talk to people from the general area and a few people from neighboring colleges. (granted, I have no idea if the Ivy League school career fairs are handled differently, but from my experience it's no big deal)

Also, apply for internships or co-ops at your companies of choice despite your degree, it helps you get your foot in the door and gives you more chances for your resume to slot somewhere.
posted by warble at 2:35 PM on February 12, 2008

Don't despair that you don't have anything yet. It's rare to find a really good job as your very first step out of undergrad. Normally one takes an entry-level job, rocks that job, and then is better positioned (with experience and connections) to get a good job the next time around. It sucks, I know, but it's not just you, and it's not just the non-Ivy thing.

Two pieces of general advice that I've seen bear fruit for other recent grads:

Talk to your career office and see if they can put you in touch with alumni in fields close to yours.

Consulting jobs (eg Accenture) can be had relatively easily by people with good quantitative backgrounds. These are jobs where you would do a mixed bag of projects, possibly with travelling, like a higher-level longer-term (much better paid) temp. (Another case where you'd get varied experience and contacts and then in a year or two you'd be better positioned to seek a real job; employers would have more to go on in evaluating you, and you'd know better what specifically you're interested in doing.)
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:36 PM on February 12, 2008

Yeah, your first couple of jobs will suck.

Work hard, make a name for yourself, and things will happen. It's pretty straightforward.
posted by unixrat at 3:07 PM on February 12, 2008

Connections, connections, connections. Don't be ashamed to milk them dry. I landed a fabulous job right out of (no-name liberal arts) college because my cousin got me an interview with his company. Talk to all of your family members; do you (or any of the aforementioned family members, or friends) attend a church or other sort of community group? Definitely stop by the career office and see if they have alumni lists, as was already mentioned.
posted by sarahsynonymous at 3:26 PM on February 12, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I mentioned this on another thread, but consider joining LinkedIn. My career-coach friend says that this is the only social networking site she recommends to her clients. It's strictly business (no pics of people half-naked and puking in the gutter, no pornographic fanfic, you get the idea), and they do welcome students.
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 4:37 PM on February 12, 2008

I was in the same boat. As mentioned earlier, work your connections. Tell everyone that you come in contact with that you are looking for a job. Also, check to see if your college has an alumni database. I got an e-mail out of the blue from a girl who was interested in my field. There were not any opportunities at the company where I work, but I passed her resume around to fellow alumni and colleagues at other institutions. Even though people may not have recognized the school (one person asked me about the school), they recognized the strong GPA and work experience.
posted by Frank Grimes at 5:18 PM on February 12, 2008

Have you looked into consulting? I don't think you'd have that much trouble getting an entry-level position in either the public or private sector, especially at a large consultancy known for taking on college hires. It can be a good resume-builder and give you exposure to a wide range of things.

If you have a career office I'd ask to look through the alumni directory and see if there are some recent (say 5 years or so out) alums working at companies you're interested in or at least recognize. Give them a call, see if they'll chat with you and tell you about the company. If it sounds interesting and like a place you could stand to work, politely ask if they think they would be able to give you a recommendation or pass your resume to the appropriate people.

Sending in resumes cold (without a contact on the inside) has never worked for me. I swear most large companies have the printer from the online resume-submission system feeding directly into a paper shredder over a burn bin.
posted by Kadin2048 at 5:41 PM on February 12, 2008

having gone to and graduated from a small liberal arts college that had strong academics but I was sure no one had ever heard of, more people than you realize probably recognize the school. And when you network with those that do, they will be extremely helpful.

i had absolutely no luck at my career office, but the alumni office was the best place ever to go. Scan through alums, write them, ask them for an informational interview, ask them about positions, etc.

Also, look on both facebook and linkedin for alums of your school in the industry you want.

Keep in mind though, that a chip on your shoulder about your choice of school ain't going to do anyone any favors. Especially when dealing with alums. It's easy to get bummed out and frustrated with job searches, especially fresh out of school, especially when the economy is such that companies may not be out there hiring lots of people.
posted by kumquatmay at 8:53 PM on February 12, 2008

Have you tried looking for finance positions within large companies that are not in the finance industry (for example the finance department of a large retailer or a large computer company)? Anyone who has a headquarters near (in the same state) as your college or your hometown would be an advantage.

In addition to working your alumni network, make sure you let everyone you know (or your parents know) what kind of job you looking for. I found one job through a friend of a friend that I had been doing volunteer work with. My son got a summer job from someone who was a fellow parent at my daughter's school. People from church or other groups, especially mixed age groups might know someone who knows someone who can help you.
posted by metahawk at 9:42 PM on February 12, 2008

As a person who works at a small liberal arts college, I often find myself reaching for this blog post, Getting the Cool Job. It starts out with stuff you don't want to hear:

The bad news, and I’m not sure liberal arts institutions are always as forthright about saying this as they could be to their current undergraduates, is that the significant majority of immediately post-graduate employment experiences are going to suck.

But it goes on to outline five more-or-less realistic ways to pursue that Cool Job.

Best of luck. Looking for a job is even less fun than having one.
posted by bevedog at 10:10 PM on February 12, 2008

Use your alumni directory. Consider informational interviews. Don't give up!
posted by greenchile at 9:34 AM on February 13, 2008

And remember that you don't want to work anywhere that actually cares where you went to school (assuming it's a real school, of course). There's a book with a multicolored parachute on the cover, and the title has something to do with a parachute, that's an excellent resource.
posted by gjc at 3:52 PM on February 13, 2008

What Color Is Your Parachute? ( and supplemental website) by Dick Bolles.
posted by ericb at 4:10 PM on February 13, 2008