Sharon Foretia '11 will probably head to law school after graduating from Cornell's ILR School. She's not ruling out other possibilities, though. The ILR School is known for its alumni-student network, Foretia said, and that's a reason she transferred to ILR this year from the biology program in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Foretia attended "Can an ILRie Make It in Financial Services?" -- one of nine career discussions Sept. 12 at the ILR School hosted by two dozen alumni. More than 100 students gathered in small groups to talk with ILR graduates about such themes as "What Do Labor and Employment Attorneys Really Do -- It's a Much Broader Field Than You Think."

John Scelfo '79 was 24, without a passport or luggage, when Mobil asked him to work in Japan. "Fine. I'll go," Scelfo recalled saying. He spent 15 years in Tokyo, Singapore and Jakarta working for several companies before returning to New York City, where he works as a senior vice president of finance and corporate development for Hess Corp.

In his talk, "Working and Living Abroad -- the International Workplace," Scelfo told students that working abroad "is like everything else in business. You have to be flexible." Students eager for a chance to work overseas should develop a forte to distinguish themselves, he advised. Get to know the nuts and bolts of a company, its processes and people for a couple of years before making a bid for an overseas position, he continued. Time early on at headquarters makes you "a known quantity."

Learn another language, too.

"Aside from that, it's the ability to communicate and deal with others. You have to swallow your pride. It's like negotiating. You have to understand their side of the story," Scelfo said. If you get an overseas assignment, "just go. I would never say 'no,' except for safety."

Barry Hartstein '73, president of the ILR Alumni Association, told students, "The ILR School truly equips you to do anything with your life you desire. The future you have ahead of you is unlimited."

Continued Hartstein, who oversaw organization of the event, first held in last year, "So much of what you do is relationship-building. That's what makes a difference in your career. It's not just about working hard."

Mary Catt is a staff writer in the ILR School.