OPCS Places Well Despite Economic Downturn

by Ariel Brandwein

Despite the economic decline in the wake of September 11th, Yeshiva’s Office of Placement and Career Services has succeeded in placing most of its students.  As of Monday, August 19th, OPCS had placed eighty-four percent of Sy Syms students in various business positions.  The figure proves very commendable when compared to other universities.

 “We did very well considering both the economy and the lingering recession, ” said Dr. Charles Snow, Dean of the Sy Syms School of Business.  Out of 190 total graduates this past year, ninety-seven students had secured jobs. Of the remainder, seventeen pursued a Semicha degree, nineteen continued their education in law school or graduate school, and moved overseas, mostly to Israel.  Only eighteen students were still in relentless pursuit of a job.

 Snow mentioned a May issue of the Wall Street Journal which quoted average placement statistics from colleges throughout the country.  Yeshiva’s eighty-four percent proved very impressive when compared to the sixty percent average from other schools.  Snow’s discontent was still evident, however.  “I wouldn’t be satisfied until every student received a job,” he said. “ I feel for the twenty-five percent that still don’t have jobs.”

The imperfect figures notwithstanding, Snow was still aware of Yeshiva’s success in light of recent economic downfalls and added that the key is for students to realize the difficulty in procuring a job. 

In terms of the upcoming academic year, Snow noted that OPCS is anticipating many improvements.  Most significantly, OPCS hopes that having a greater number of companies and business firms visit the college will broaden the opportunities available to students. For example, Yeshiva has recently been recognized by Credit Suisse First Boston, an investment- banking firm in the top six percent bracket.  The firm has included Yeshiva in its resume book, which put Sy Syms students alongside students from some of the top undergraduate business schools in the country.  But as Snow noted, “There is still much room for improvement.  We need to find more firms and create more opportunities for our students.”

OPCS also hopes to utilize its alumni as a basis for contacting firms.  Snow commented that past alumni help to improve Yeshiva’s relations with various companies.  The connections that alumni have created, he explained, help create more job opportunities for students.

Internally, the OPCS staff plans to host new and improved workshops throughout the year.  Seminars that were originally geared toward the general student body will now focus on specific majors such as accounting and finance; this specificity will allow students to understand the requirements necessary to pursue a career in a particular field.  OPCS will also be altering the process of conducting mock interviews. In addition to training students in question and answer sessions, the mock interviews will focus to a large degree on student presentation – their attire, mannerisms, and conductivity.  As Snow commented, “We will be raising the quality with which students present themselves at interviews.”