Ellen Rudnick, executive director at UC's program for entrepreneurship and e-ventures, said students also like the more flexible lifestyle present at smaller entrepreneurial companies, where casual dress is common and flexible schedules are not unusual. But students believe they can contribute more quickly, that there's great upside potential. It's much more exciting. The environment is just more dynamic. That's a big part of the appeal, agreed Jarman, who turned down offers at large firms last year to work at Campus Pipeline Inc., a start-up that enables students to access grades and register for classes via the Internet.
Students can come in and have an impact from day one. . . .
They have a chance to affect a culture rather than be morphed into a culture. Sawyer, who has attracted students from the University of Illinois at Chicago's internship program, said he's finding students are more receptive to considering small employers such as his. Sol Kanthack, who will graduate this year with an MBA from the University of Chicago, said he'd prefer to work for a small employer. He's also exploring launching his own technology-based enterprise. Considering the way the economy is right now and the capitalization market, in some cases it's more attractive to do something on your own than to work for some big old stodgy company.