Like so many on this campus, I follow The New York Times on Instagram. Though I am a little obsessive about checking in with the publication’s social media page — I anticipate a new article every time I open up the app and am even surprised when a breaking news post isn’t first on my feed. 

So it follows that I wasn’t surprised when the infamous “nytimes” handle accompanied by a blue verification checkmark popped up on my screen one day last week. What I was surprised by, however, was the post’s headline attached underneath the handle: “The Long-Term Unemployed Today? College Grads.”

I wasn’t surprised by the nature of the post or even the content within it — what shocked me was how it struck a nerve I’ve been tiptoeing around since I set foot on this campus.

The article highlighted that college graduates are comprising a larger portion of those unemployed for more than six months. In fact, graduates are the main force driving the long-term unemployment rate — which is now 26 percent — up. The students quoted touched upon the fears of many who are thinking about life beyond graduation, recounting their experiences with long-term unemployment despite obtaining numerous degrees. I think it’s safe to say that their realities are most students’ nightmares.

If taking a course about unemployment this semester has taught me anything, it’s that this fear of being unemployed is completely valid. Each day in my class is a discussion about another employee, formerly employed person or insurance benefits claimant being bureaucratically tossed around by an employer or the unemployment insurance system.

The worry about future employment plans has only gotten worse since the pandemic, during which the unemployment rate was at an all-time high of 14.8 percent. Grocery prices have risen 29 percent since then, along with the prices of other everyday goods. These days, it feels like I simply step out of my apartment and am charged $15 in some way or another. I’m the walking combination of every meme about realizing that being an adult is expensive.

I also think attending a school as prestigious as Cornell has exacerbated the collective frenzy over job procurement. In 2017, The New York Times reported that the median family income of a student attending Cornell was $151,000, well above the national average of $60,336 for that same year. And I wouldn’t be surprised if the average for Cornell has risen since then.

Students here are surrounded by success stories — bombarded with peers, administrators and alumni who either come from upper-class backgrounds or have soared in their respective fields. These people have created enviable, extraordinary lives for themselves. My dream is to be a lawyer someday. The possibility has completely captivated and guided me my entire life. When I hear ILR alumni explain how they stumbled into their niche (and amazing) legal careers, it feels achievable for me too.

But then I look on LinkedIn and scroll through posts about others’ incredible summer experiences and subsequent return offers. I didn’t even know this company offered an undergraduate pre-law internship, I think to myself. I have worked almost every summer I have been of age, but my jobs haven’t all related to my future career. (Yes, they have taught me “soft skills” applicable to many careers, but I wasn’t exactly assisting litigators working on corporate law cases.)

My mind jumps to a panicky place: If I don’t get a legal internship soon, will I get into law school? And if I don’t get into law school, what then? I’ll never pay off my loans. I’ll never get my dream job.

How can I compete with people who come from generations of lawyers?

I know these thoughts are slightly dramatic. I’m hardworking; I have drive, ambition and passion; I go after what I want. But then again, don’t most people who are struggling to find employment?

Statistics about Cornell-specific employment outcomes are somewhat reassuring. Out of survey respondents from the Class of 2024, 88 percent were employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation. For the ILR School specifically, 68 percent of recent graduates were employed and 23 percent pursued law or graduate school. 

The pre-professional mindset of this school has completely warped my perception of how far along I should be in terms of my career. The viciousness of club recruitment and intensity of internship scouting have me believing I need to know exactly what I want to do right now — that I should have a return offer at a law firm by now. (Again, I’m an undergraduate student who hasn’t even gotten into law school yet.)

When I talk to the adults in my life about the culture here and the need for a pre-law internship, they simply do not understand the rush. “College is supposed to be the best years of your life,” they say. “When I was an undergrad student, I spent my summers lifeguarding with my closest friends.”

Even students in high school have LinkedIn pages now. When did we as a society determine that you should know what you want to do in life from the womb? Who taught everyone to network into oblivion? And when did knowing people in professional industries become not just helpful but necessary for securing internships and employment?

I’ve just accepted that I’ll always feel one step behind here. I did for most of my time in high school, too, and it turned out just fine. What I’m experiencing is an overall disillusionment with the exclusive nature of the workforce recruitment system, especially following the news of the rise in Cornell’s tuition. We give everything for a chance to be a student here — our time and money are on the line. How can I ever be sure that I’ll see a return on my investment? 

It seems as though I won’t know the answer to this outstanding question for at least a little while. I guess for now I have to trust that the work I’m doing is important and will get me to where I want to be. And maybe that end result will be different (or even better) than I’ve always imagined.

Maia Mehring is a Lifestyle co-editor on the 143rd editorial board. She is a junior in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations and can be reached at mmehring@cornellsun.com.

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