While more upper-class students attended the Career Network Day, students of every age should be thinking ahead.

“Why not? Because even a freshman can get an internship,” Director of Career Services Linda Moore said.

Students with years of schooling ahead may not be thinking of what they can do now to get employment, but a little planning can be helpful.

Going to Career Services, as well as understanding what is needed to impress employers, can prepare students for the job search.

“When a freshman or sophomore or junior goes in and talks to these people they’ll find out those expectations, and they have the time to get that all done rather than come in for the first time their senior year and find out they had time over the last three years to do all that stuff and decided to play Wii,” Moore said.

At Career Network Days, more that 250 campus RSOs and numerous community service opportunities can provide students the chance to put that something extra on their resumes.

Moore used pastries to describe the situation employers face when reviewing candidates.

“If you like cake, you will take a piece of cake or a piece of cake with icing.A degree is cake and if you’re going in to buy a piece of cake you’re going to buy a piece of cake with icing,” Moore said.

She expanded on the topic of internships, which most employers were in agreement with her on.

“They want the degree; they want the internship experience; they want proof of leadership and decision-making,” Moore said.

While the majority of companies at the Career Network Day were looking to hire students for career-minded jobs, Disney representatives were also present.

Disney offers another opportunity for internship experience, for student recruits to intern at their parks.

While students may apply to become managers, directors and other high ranking positions, within an organization many need to start at the bottom and work their way up.

John Davis, an Eastern alumnus and the manager at the Charleston Walgreen’s, said promotions come from within the company and all his assistant managers are Eastern graduates.

“Our jobs for our company will pick up in the next year; nothing in the immediate future, but we’ll get around to it,” Davis said.

Some employers are looking for candidates with typing or other common skills, while others look for candidates with uncommon skills.

Special Agent Matt Boerwinkle, a state trooper who said he left his job as an aviation mechanic for the troopers, cutting his salary in half, said he wants the best and brightest.

He listed some requirements similar to the other employers, such as good communication skills, which was a common skill sought, but he also said an applicant needs to want to be a trooper.

“I look for people who can make eye contact, communicate, ask inquisitive questions,” Boerwinkle said.

Boerwinkle emphasized that communication is the most important skill for a law enforcement officer and that says jobs for new troopers will be available in the future because of the number of retiring officers.

James Roedlcan be reached at 581-7942 or at jmroedl@eiu.edu

Erin Supple, a senior Marketing major, shakes hands with Mark Ellickson of Impact Networking during the Career Networking Event Wednesday in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.(Chelsea Grady / The Daily Eastern News)

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