RIT: The Career Factor

As the exciting but nerve-wracking decision making process for college choice has rapidly begun for high-school seniors, many students are pondering over the same few questions when making the decision of where to attend school.

Having been in those shoes about four years ago (hard to believe how fast it has flown by!), I can remember what these key questions were and I can almost guarantee that they haven’t changed very much. Just to give you an idea, here is the list that comes to mind:

• How far away from home do I want to be?
• Does this university offer the degree I want to have?
• What other attributes of interest outside of academics does it offer?
• Do I want to live in this city or area for the next four plus years of my life?

Beyond these simple ideas, there is one important question that doesn’t come to the top of most people’s minds about college. However it is one that was at the top of my list when considering schools:

• Will this university get me a good job in my industry right out of college?

That’s where “The Career Factor” comes in when it came to my decision to choose RIT, and now more than ever, it is becoming a larger factor of influence for most students.

Just to give you a few ideas about RIT’s Career Services and the opportunities it offers, here are a couple facts about the university:

• 95% of RIT graduates are placed in full-time employment or graduate school programs within 6 months of graduation.
• The Princeton Review ranked RIT 7^th nationally for Career Services in 2012.

When I see those factors, it has helped me reassure my decision to choose RIT when I look at the upcoming months ahead as I begin my full-time employment search.

In addition, I look back at some of the experiences I have had from RIT’s Cooperative Education program and where it has put me today. Here are a few facts of relevance from my experiences:

• Since the beginning of my 2^nd year I have had 18 interviews for co-op opportunities.
• Companies I have had offers for employment or follow up interviews for include: Ocean Spray Cranberries, Toyota, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products, Unilever, McCormick & Company, and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
• I have taken two of these offers, completing 6-month placements with Ocean Spray Cranberries and Unilever.

If you told me four years ago when I was looking at schools that I could attend a university that by the time I graduated rolled around, I had completed a year of industry related experience at any of those companies, I wouldn’t have believed you.

However, if I was told the same thing again four years ago and I had known that all of this was possible because of RIT’s “Career Factor”, my decision would have been made at that moment.

Here are some helpful links about information RIT’s Career Services and the salary ranges for co-op and full time opportunities for all of the programs offered:

RIT Career Services information

Co-op and full-time salary information

To stay up to date with me, inside and out of my job search process, be sure to follow me on Twitter and read my blogs.