Alumni
Make Connections in
Difficult Job Market
By Michael C. Gabriele '75
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| Vito Spano '03 of New York Life talks with Erik Stefanski '03. | Pascual Baez '00 talks with Mary Jarmusch '86 of the Bank of New York. |
In today's difficult job market, Montclair State recently
made it a little easier for alumni to network with potential employers.
The University's first Alumni Career Fair attracted more than 200 job
seekers who met with employers looking for skilled, knowledgeable workers.
Because many of the employers were fellow alumni, they were well aware
of the high quality of the applicants they were meeting.
More than 40 companies participated, most recruiting for sales and financial
services positions for organizations involved in banking, investments,
real estate and mortgages, accounting and insurance.
The alumni employers said that while they attended the event to screen
job applicants, they also felt a deep connection with the University,
a joyful commitment to give back to their alma mater and an earnest desire
to assist fellow graduates. Offering advice to alumni entering the job
market, most employers stressed the advantages of obtaining practical
business experience through internships, part-time jobs or volunteer assignments.
Employers said their non-scientific technique for picking out faces in
the crowd involves the subtle art of eye contact, communication through
body language and the chemistry of human dynamics.
Having participated in numerous college career fairs in recent years,
Mary (Sirak) Jarmusch '86, a vice president of human resources with the
Bank of New York in West Paterson, said her basic approach for meeting
job candidates involves simply standing in front of her tabletop display
and striking up conversations.
"I try to engage potential candidates as they pass by," she
said. "There's no set formula. You'll talk to most people for five
minutes. If I get a good feeling, I'll set up a meeting with the person
for further discussions."
Jarmusch, who majored in psychology, has been employed at Bank of New
York for nine years. Personal banking representatives and branch sales
managers are among the positions her company is looking to fill these
days, she said.
When Cheryl (Vangeli) Maiello '97, a human resources generalist at ImClone
Systems Inc., Branchburg—a research and biotechnology organization—first
meets a potential job candidate at a career fair, clarity is a key element
that gets her attention.
"I like it when job candidates have a well-defined skill set and
know what they're looking for," she said.
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| Brian Kuiken '82 |
Though the current business environment is challenging,
Maiello, who was a communication major and field hockey player during
her undergraduate days, said ImClone has been expanding its operations.
She hired 55 people during the first 10 months of 2003—including
a recent Montclair State graduate from the College of Science and Mathematics.
She added that ImClone also expects to hire a significant number of people
next year.
A tour of duty in the Peace Corps might not sound like suitable training
for a button-down corporate environment, but Timothy Torre '93 touted
the program as one that fosters management and leadership skills.
"You need to be a person who can function in unstructured environments,"
he explained. Torre's unstructured environment while serving as a teacher
in the Peace Corps was a 27-month stay in Guinea Bissau in West Africa.
A job with the Peace Corps means working in foreign countries and cultures.
"You challenge yourself," Torre said. "It's not a 9-to-5
job."
Today, working as a recruiter for the Peace Corps, Torre said that in
terms of job applicants, his organization does attract a different crowd.
People tend to seek us out at job fairs, he said.
"They visit our Web site. They have specific questions when they
visit us at a career fair. It's not the casual job seeker. The myth about
working for the Peace Corps is that you get an assignment and disappear
for two years," he continued. "The reality is that you are developing
skills that you can use in a number of careers."
For Torre, that means a graduate degree from Seton Hall University to
teach English as a second language.
Montclair State alumni have a good track record at the Peace Corps, Torre
said, estimating that 150 MSU graduates have worked in the organization.
The intangible alumni spirit of giving back to the University represented
the main inspiration for Nick Iannitelli '99 to take part in the career
fair. Iannitelli began his career at New York Life immediately after graduation.
"I do feel that connection with Montclair State," he said, noting
that he maintains close contact with Ralph DiPietro, one of his professors
in the School of Business; Tara Reinecker, academic adviser in Athletics;
and Jeannine Parisi of Career Services.
Based at New York Life's office in Saddle Brook, Iannitelli started out
as a sales representative; today he is one of the youngest partners in
the company. One of Iannitelli's main tasks is to recruit applicants for
sales and sales management positions at New York Life.
"When I need to fill a position in my group, I look for ambitious
people with good communication skills," he said. "MSU students
have those skills."
Iannitelli said he hired six recent MSU graduates: Vito Spano '02, David
Mozeika '01, Kristen Jones '01, Ameedah Sellers '01, Claudia Silveira
'95 and Lisette Gleeson '98.
Taking part in the career fair was one more way that Joe Wasiuk '83 maintains
his heartfelt link with MSU. In recent years he also has participated
in mentoring programs and workshops at the University.
A business administration major, Wasiuk is a recruiting manager with Emerald
Financial Resources in Bridgewater, a unit of the MassMutual Financial
Group Agency. "We're looking for financial services reps," he
said. "The market is quite good."
Wasiuk said that when considering candidates for positions in his organization,
"their major really doesn't matter that much. It does help if they
have some business background. We look for motivated people with an entrepreneurial
spirit."
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| Nick Iannitelli '99 of New York Life goes over company information with Donna Teel-Drake '80. | Timothy Torre '93 of the Peace Corps with Al Smith '72. |
Employers,
Job Seekers and Mentors
Montclair State's College Central Alumni Job Bank and Online Mentoring
Center is active 365 days a year through the University's Web site.
There is no fee to employers, alumni or students to use this online resource.
In its first year, College Central registered more than 300 employers.
Positions posted are current openings. This Job Bank is provided by the
Alumni Association. Visit College
Central to learn more.