For recent college graduates, landing that first job can be a challenge. The job market for 20- to 29-year-olds has been tough for the past few years but despite this situation, Montclair State graduates have beaten the odds by landing jobs that have established them on their chosen career paths. Here, a few alumni share their insights and advice for job seekers \u2013 and the secrets of their success.<\/p>\n
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Achieving by Design<\/strong> The Graphic Design major is delighted with his position. \u201cIt places me exactly where I want to be right now,\u201d he says. \u201cAs a graphic designer, two of my biggest focuses are on illustration and typography, and sports branding at Fanbrandz is the perfect combination of what I love!\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Sulick, who gained professional experience as a graphic design lab assistant at Montclair State, is a semifinalist in the prestigious 2013 Adobe Design Achievement Awards. He insists that hard work produces portfolios that will impress potential employers. \u201cIf design is what you love and what you want to do, you have to commit everything to it. Do what you can to get your work out there \u2013 portfolio websites are important.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Taking Care of Business<\/strong> The Business Administration major credits Montclair State with giving her the skills she needed to land the job. \u201cMy education prepared me not only by providing knowledge, but also by organizing networking and career events with opportunities to meet accounting professionals.\u201d <\/span>An accounting internship also gave the Macedonia native the kind of \u201creal world\u201d experience potential employers look for.<\/span><\/p>\n Her fellow 2013 graduate Kenechukwu (Kenny) Obiekwe makes use of his international business classes in his job as a Microsoft Dynamics AX Trainer with Argo Turboserve Corporation, a company that offers supply chain management services. <\/p>\n \u201cI train employees in local and international branches to use this system effectively,\u201d he explains. Obiekwe, who was born and raised in Nigeria, relishes his first-hand exposure to diverse international business practices.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>\u201cI always envisioned finding a job that could bridge a gap between my passions for IT and international business,\u201d he says. \u201cThis job lets me balance both interests while helping me build for the future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Breaking into News<\/strong> The English and Broadcasting major is thriving in the competitive environment of television news. \u201cI\u2019m a one-man-band reporter, which means I shoot, write and edit my own stories,\u201d she says. She advises students looking for broadcasting jobs to \u201cPut your best effort forward. Make sure that you always keep your goal in mind and work towards it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The Sweet Smell of Success<\/strong> Harraka, who is currently pursuing her MS in Chemistry, is grateful to her Montclair State connections. \u201cRobertet VP Steve Dente is an alumnus who was chemistry professor Marc Kasner\u2019s student. <\/span>Dr. Kasner sent him my resume.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Students seeking similar jobs should build connections through internships or temporary positions. \u201cIt\u2019s also essential to network as much as possible with people in their industry of interest and with professors who can help them find jobs,\u201d she advises.<\/span><\/p>\n From Intern to Employee<\/strong> \u201cAs Community Outreach Manager, I\u2019m the liaison between the Fresh Air Fund and community institutions such as schools, churches and precincts,\u201d she says. She also trains and supports community partners and manages the placement of children into Fund programs. <\/span><\/p>\n The daughter of Colombian and Argentinean immigrants, Giardinieri is the first person in her family to graduate from college. Yet she knows a college degree alone does not guarantee a job. \u201cThe best advice I can give students looking to find jobs is to get as much experience as they can \u2013 even if it means unpaid internships,\u201d she says. \u201cCompanies like to see experience and that you work hard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI Love My Job\u201d<\/strong> Three weeks after her return to the states, she was hired to teach French at Ridge High School in Basking Ridge, N. J. \u201cTo be a good teacher, there are three things to remember,\u201d she says. \u201cLike what you do and be good at it and have a lot of energy!\u201d The new teacher reports, \u201cI love my job.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Relationship Building Counts<\/strong> Montclair State\u2019s co-op internship program made all the difference to her, which is why she has a single word of advice for students: intern. \u201cYou may not think your time and effort is appreciated because there is no pay, but you meet so many people and build so many beneficial relationships that take you so much further than filling out an online job application.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Just Say Yes<\/strong> He urges students to try new things. \u201cJoin every club you can and say yes to any opportunity that comes your way.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Balanzat notes that in today\u2019s competitive job market, \u201cthe college experience, while amazing, is not enough. Learn a language, learn to program or develop professional social networking skills \u2013 and always raise your hand.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Recent graduates successfully start on their career paths<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":112064,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-college-of-communication-and-media-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/college-of-communication-and-media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/college-of-communication-and-media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/college-of-communication-and-media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/college-of-communication-and-media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/college-of-communication-and-media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12064"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/college-of-communication-and-media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12064\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/college-of-communication-and-media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/college-of-communication-and-media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/college-of-communication-and-media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/college-of-communication-and-media\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Mike Sulick began working as a junior designer at sports and franchise branding company Fanbrandz a week and a half after graduating this past May.<\/p>\n
Renata Dicoska, who graduated in May, begins working at a Big 4 accounting firm in an entry-level position this fall.<\/p>\n
Tanja Rekhi \u201912 searched for six months before landing a job as a local television news reporter at WENY-HD News based in Horseheads, N.Y. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be where I am now without the guidance of my amazing professors, my internships and a great network of alumni,\u201d she says. <\/span><\/p>\n
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Chemistry major Julianne Harraka is the rare person who found her job on the day she began looking. She began working at Robertet, Inc., a fragrance company specializing in natural raw materials, perfume compositions and food flavorings, in November 2010 as a Sensory Analyst. \u201cIn January 2011, after graduating, I became a full time GC\/MS Lab Technician or Analytical Perfumer,\u201d she says. <\/span>\u201cMy responsibilities are in the company\u2019s raw material and fragrance divisions.\u201d <\/p>\n
Gina Giardinieri \u201912 turned a required Family and Child Studies program internship into a rewarding job. As a senior at Montclair State, she interned at the Fresh Air Fund \u2013 a nonprofit organization that gives inner city children the opportunity to spend their summers either in camp or living with a rural or suburban host family. After working part time after graduation, she was hired full time in October 2012. <\/p>\n
French major Joelle Gozlan traveled in Asia for months after graduating in January 2013. \u201cI started in Japan volunteering on a farm for six weeks to practice my Japanese.\u201d Plans to teach English in Thailand were cut short by a bout of dengue fever. After recovering, she continued her travels in Laos, the Philippines, Vietnam and Cambodia. <\/p>\n
Since graduating in January 2013, English major Jade Leach has been working as a freelance fashion and beauty writer. \u201cI\u2019m constantly thinking of unique ways to publish a story that will attract a large audience,\u201d she explains. <\/p>\n
Former Marine Gil Balanzat graduated in May 2013 with a degree in Political Science. Since August, he has been working in eDiscovery Technology Services for the global financial services firm, UBS. \u201cI\u2019m responsible for supplying the end-to-end technology platform for the fulfillment of litigations, regulatory inquiries and internal investigations,\u201d he says. \u201cTechnology and law will always have a place in society and I am in the crossroads of it. I can go into either field with relative ease.\u201d<\/p>\n