CREC Campus Advisory Program (CAP) Kicks-Off “Career Circles” Mentorship Program

After much anticipation, CREC’s Career Circles pilot program launched this past spring. The Career Circles program was formed to connect Cornell’s undergraduates, graduates, and alumni that are working in or have an interest in the real estate industry and to provide a platform for mentorships and networking.

With nearly 100 alumni and students signed up to participate in the inaugural Career Circles, twenty groups were formed that each include 2-3 alumni and 2-3 students. Groups were introduced via email and then were provided guidance on conversation topics and encouraged to meet at least once a month for three months, mostly using videoconference calls for the time-being. Participants’ backgrounds are widely varied, ranging from development and research to finance, asset management, and brokerage. Current students were able to garner internship, career, and interview advice in a no-pressure environment and stay connected with alumni which has helped with growing their career development.

“Career Circles was a great opportunity to network with alumni and students, something that can be a challenge if you are not in a hub market like NYC. Through the Career Circles program, I was surprised by the people I met that had overlapping business and relationships with. It was also a learning experience to me to hear about other career paths. Looking back at when I was on campus in Ithaca, I could see myself being intimidated through interviewing and networking with alumni in the industry. But please know that we won’t bite and are here to help! I encourage you to join next semester!” -David McCuiston, B.S. 2013, Crescent Communities, Charlotte, NC, CREC Career Circles Mentor

If you’d like to participate in the next Career Circles this fall, please send your resume to Amanda K. Redlus at amanda@cornellrec.org by August 1st indicating your interest for next semester.