Results from the One-Year Out graduate survey revealed that 97 percent of the College’s graduates have either a full-time job or are enrolled in graduate school within the first six months after graduation. 80 percent of those who responded said that they had used the College’s Career Center, according to Debra Klokis, employer relations specialist and liaison to the School of Business for the Career Center.
The Career Center kicked off a series of information sessions to guide students planning to use Lion’s Link, the College’s job and internship search site on Thursday, Sept. 5. The auditorium was filled with students from a variety of majors, ranging from Chinese to accounting.
“We are here to help you get started with efforts beyond graduation,” Klokis said. “We’re partners with you.”
Lion’s Link’s goal is to connect students with employers searching for employees with a particular major and skill set.
Aleksandr Nozhnitskiy, senior economics major, used Lion’s Link to obtain his internship at Bloomberg this past summer.
Bloomberg is one of the many companies that recruits heavily from the College through Lion’s Link. Other companies are Johnson & Johnson, PNC Bank and Bank of America.
Bloomberg had two rounds of interviews to select students for the 10-week internship program. All interviews are set up for students through Lion’s Link. Nozhnitskiy was one of 25 students selected from around the country.
“I feel very fortunate that I got it,” he said. “They did a lot of development workshops for the interns. It wasn’t just monkey work.”
Nozhnitskiy’s primary position was a data analyst in the capital structure department.
“We each had our own managers, each intern,” Nozhnitskiy said. “We weren’t just in a giant pool. It was pretty individualized. I was the only intern in capital structure.”
The position, according to Nozhnitskiy, paid well. The Career Center encourages finding an internship that is paid, so students receive compensation for their time. If pay is not given, students should be sure to receive academic credit, Klokis said.
In addition to working in their set departments, interns at Bloomberg are given training to develop skills such as leadership, communication and time management.
Bloomberg also exposed interns to the importance of philanthropy in a corporate environment. The company partnered with Trenton’s Habitat for Humanity to host a carnival day for children in Trenton. All the interns attended to lend a hand.
During the information session, Klokis stressed the importance of having either a part-time job or an internship in one’s field of interest before graduating.
“Internships should be an experience that helps you get to the next level,” Klokis said.
For Aleksandr Nozhnitskiy, Bloomberg did just that. After his internship, Nozhnitskiy and several other interns were offered full-time positions at the company.
“I would definitely recommend Lion’s Link,” said Nozhnitskiy. “TCNJ students should peruse as many (job search) channels as possible.”
The Career Center encourages networking, in addition to Lion’s Link. It is recommended that students use events on campus, as well as family and friends, to have conversations about potential job opportunities.
“Use your network,” Klokis advised.
