mitrw mag spreads

RealRealRealWorld

in the

Letter fromtheeditors

Dear Readers,

This “Marist in the Real World” digital magazine is the result of a Communica-tions Capping Project for spring 2015. As seniors preparing to soon embark on real world endeavors, whether they be professional or academic in nature, we hope to leave the Marist College Center for Career Services with an informa-tional and personal online resource for years to come.

Over the course of the semester, we have contacted hundreds of Marist alum-ni from all different fields of study, careers, and experiences. They shared their tips, anecdotes, pictures and wisdom regarding how to best succeed both while at Marist and after graduation day – and with this inspiration came numerous stories. All of the research, writing and digital layout is entirely of our own doing as part of the project, although we wish to extend a heartfelt thanks to Execu-tive Director Stephen Cole and the Marist College Center for Career Services for their support and partnership along the way, along with the amazing network of Marist alumni who remain so eager to share their wisdom for the younger gen-erations. Whether you wish to learn about post-graduate travel, networking do’s and don’ts, or even about alumni who have created their own businesses, this publication will be a helpful tool. There is one thing for certain that we have learned throughout this process, and we hope you, the readers, see that too – the post-graduate real world may seem intimidating at first, but being forever part of the Marist Red Fox family presents incredible opportunities and adventure.

Thank you, and enjoy!

Co-Editors Nadia Ahmed and Gillian Foss

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Marist in the Real World

Content

Resumes

Masthead

Interviews

Dress to ImpressAlumni Talk

Internships

Travel

The Best of Marist

Revamp my ResumeGood vs. Bad

Interview Do’s and Don’tsFrom the Eyes of a Recruiter

Got a Plan?

Words of Advice

Internship with ESPN Turns into Full-Time Career

You’ll Always be a Marist Red FoxNetworking

Network, Network, Network

Making Travel a Priority

Social Media

Marist Student Entrepreneur Acheives SuccessA Path Worth Following

FeaturesNadia Ahmed

Publication Director

Gillian Foss

Publication Director

With the assistance of:

Stephen Cole,

Marist CollegeJames A. Cannavino Library, Suite 3323399 North Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12601Phone: 845-575-3547Fax: 845-575-3548

Office Hours:Monday-Friday8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

SummerMonday-Friday8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

RealRealReal Worldin the

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Executive Director of Career Services

On the Road to the Real World

Words of Advice

Words of Advice

Words of Advice

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http://maristcollegeca-reerservices.tumblr.com/

Career Services collab-orates with the college community and exter-nal partners to prepare students for individual

career success.

[email protected]

Social Media

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@MaristCCS

Marist Career Services https://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=4047325

Click on the icon to be directed to the media

site of your choice.

Revamping My Resume

Every semester, the Marist College Cen-ter for Career Services hosts “Revamp Your Resume Day” – a day for participating stu-dents to present their resumes to professional recruiters and employ-ers from around the northeast region.

This year, I was one of these students.

It seems unbelievable that one piece of pa-per can have such a life-changing impact on our professional and academic goals, but it does. One piece of paper, outlining our ambitions; accomplish-ments; club participa-tion; and grade point average is a student’s best tool to stand out from the crowd.

On the day of the event, I was scheduled to

“In most cases, an em-ployer won’t even look at your resume if it looks like you haven’t made an effort to dress professionally,” she said. Even if profession-al dress isn’t required, looking presentable shows potential em-ployers that you care. Resumes put a story to the face, but if the face is clad in unprofession-al attire, how effective could it really be?

Match Your Objectives

Even after the outfit appraisal, Sparano re-fused to look down at my resume. Instead, she instructed me to spend a minute and vocalize who I am – what my professional objectives are, what my academic experiences have consisted of, and any involvement in organizations that have given me professional experience.

meet with Michelle Sparano, the University Recruiting and Rela-tions Lead for Toys R Us®. I initially arrived thinking that it would be a relatively informal conversation about how I could improve my resume for imme-diate use – I was wrong. It was much more than that.

Dress Appropriately, Always

Students were instruct-ed prior to Resume Day to dress “at least busi-ness casual” – I donned a business suit to stay on the safe side, which turned out to be the right decision. As soon as I entered the small room and shook Spara-no’s hand, before even sitting down and men-tioning my resume, she praised the way that I looked.

https://www.facebook.com/MaristCareerServices

https://twitter.com/MaristCCS

https://www.pinterest.com/maristcareer/

mailto:%0Dcareer.services%40marist.edu?subject=

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At first, this step threw me; why bother telling her this information when it was explicit-ly drawn out on my resume in front of her? And then it made sense: if what I told her during that minute of introduction did not match my resume’s content, the resume would cease to reflect who I am.

“When talking to stu-dents, I want to be able to have them tell me their professional ob-jectives, and then be able to look down and see that at the top of their resume,” Sparano said.

Even though she loved what I told her about my future goals, at the first glance of my re-sume – she did not see that properly translat-ed. My resume should have acted as evidence of what I was saying, and instead, it re-mained a separate en-tity.

So, when preparing for an interview – make sure that your resume clearly reflects any ob-jectives that you may

vocalize.

The Paper Trick

Sparano then took a piece of scrap paper, folded it in half, and covered the entire bot-tom half of my resume with it. Half of my life experiences were cov-ered, and that was hugely intimidating.

However, it turned out to be a lesson in priori-tization.

“Employers start at the top of a resume, and work their way to the bottom,” Sparano said. “If they aren’t im-pressed with the top of the page, then they’re not going to bother get-ting to the bottom.”

Hence, the paper trick. While a resume should ideally have only rele-vant content, the most important, standout information should be put on top of the page. Professional objectives, education, and most notable prior job and internship experienc-es: move it up. Do you have a blog or individ-ual publication? Don’t hide the link under the

“computer skills” sec-tion, like I did – flaunt it in your other contact information.

Look at your resume. Take a piece of paper, fold it in half and place the paper on the bot-tom half. Is the top half of your resume strong enough in content to move on? If yes, great. If no, then some refor-matting may be in or-der.

Avoid Extra Wording

As it turns out, there is a difference between using keywords and succinct phrases to sell yourself, and be-ing overly wordy. In multiple cases on my resume, I had trouble with the latter.

Sparano said to avoid extra wording in the resume, both to make it more visually appeal-ing and also to make it clear for the employ-er to read. “There is nothing wrong with formatting your ac-complishments and qualifications with succinct, bulleted lists and short statements,” she said. “Describe it

RESUMES

clearly, but keep it rele-vant. If we need further information, this will prompt us to ask.”

Bolding certain words for added emphasis could work to your benefit, but be careful to not overdo it – hav-ing too many bolded or italicized words will re-duce the effectiveness of highlighting those key words in the first place.

Be Visually Appealing

The overall look of a resume will vary from field to field – some professions, for in-stance, still require a professional resume model that should be kept simple and prac-ticed in format. Other specializations, espe-cially for students en-tering more creative fields, may opt to have a nonprofessional resume. This could include resumes on Prezi or other digital platforms, or the use of color or graphics.

“You have to know what’s trending in the field that you’re enter-ing. But if your profes-

sion calls for creativity, don’t be afraid to put some creativity in your resume,” Sparano con-tinued.

While graphics and other visual enhance-ments should not take away from the actual content, they can defi-nitely help to stand out from the standard pro-fessional resume. Is it a requirement? Absolute-ly not – just something to consider should you ever get into a “resume rut.”

There’s Always Room to Improve

I went into my meeting with Michelle Sparano thinking that my re-sume was much stron-ger than it actually was – learning otherwise didn’t shake my confi-dence, though. It just re-shifted to become confidence in what the new product could be. When it comes to the resume, don’t set-tle! It is a template for an ever-evolving per-son, and so it should be an ever-evolving improvement. Ask for outside opinions, and constantly look at it

with a critical eye – then, when it comes to standing out from the crowd in a professional setting, you’ll have one of the best tools there is.

Written by Gillian Foss

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RESUMES Breezy Bae

Resume

Personal Information:

Address - 23 Summer Drive, On the Beach, California 77232

Date of Birth: 5/23/93Gender: Female

Telephone: 845.773.3394Marital Status: Single

Email: [email protected]

Profile: • Driven worker who takes responsibilty and works hard• Have been dancing for 15 years and continue to balance it with work• Minor allergies to cats and dogs• Hope to get any job available at the company and I am willing to learn the skills

it takes to carry out the job tasks, as I have no prior experience in the field • Looking for a company with flexible hours, high pay and great benefits• Generally don’t stay at a job for more than one year because I like experiencing

new things

Education:

Marist College, Bachelor of Art, May 2015

High School, June 2011

Work Experience:

Babysitter for 7 yearsIntern at the Poughkeepsie Journal for 3 months

Cashier at Pet Shop for 5 months

Way too much white space left on the page – take advatage and use all of the space available!

Avoid unnecessary information – hob-bies, allergies, gender, etc.

Recruiter already knows this is your resume

Focus on post-colle-giate education and experience

Tells us nothing about what you did or what you learned through your experi-ences

Major turn-offs – company wants to see experience and a long-term candidate, not instability

Luna RayAddress~ Somewhere, Over the Rainbow, Kansas 54321

[email protected] ~ (phone) 845.123.4567 ~ Portfolio Link ~ Blog Link

Internship Qualifications and CapabilitiesIn-depth studies in the areas of Communications: Public Relations and JournalismDeveloped skills valued in media, public relations, news reporting and media studies Research experience for data collection, analysis, writing, production and presenta-

tion-focused projects

EducationMarist College, Honors Program, Poughkeepsie, NY August 2011-PresentSchool of Communications & the Arts, Major- Communications: Public Relations and Jour-nalism; Minor-Global Studies Bachelor of Art, May 2015, GPA: 3.7, Dean’s List, Magna Cum Laude

Honors:• American Collegiate Rugby Association Academic All-American Recipient• Marist College Student Intern of the Year 2014-2015 Nominee

Work ExperienceMarist College (Tutor/Proofreader), Poughkeepsie, NY December 2012-PresentAssists multiple students in various subjects, particularly in English and history.Effectively closed language barriers in order to help ESL students (practiced in Span-

ish and Mandarin Chinese); in-class tutor with Spanish students.The Biddeford-Saco Journal Tribune (Newsroom Intern), Town, ME June 2014 – Aug. 2014Reported and wrote local stories of varying length and conducted interviews.Gleaned old stories for use and copy-edited articles for members of the staff.

Old Orchard Beach Raging Tide (Marketing Intern), Town, ME June 2014- Aug. 2014Tasked with writing press releases and disseminating news about the team in order to

increase ticket sales and sponsorship.Handled social media during games in order to keep statistics, player profiles and all

other team information in order to spread the word about the collegiate organization.Established confidence by attending scouting, scheduling and roster meetings in or-

der to keep the team’s operations running smoothly. LeadershipLorenzo de’Medici Professional Non-Profit Intern Opportunity April 2014Marist College Band Fall 2011-Present Computer Skills and Social MediaExcel, InDesign, MindFire, Adobe Photoshop, iMovie, Final Cut Pro, Facebook: NAME; Twit-ter: NAME; LinkedIn: NAME; Familiar with both MAC and PC programs.

Community ServiceMarist College Relay for Life Team Member January 2013-Present

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“Follow your dream. You put

in a ton of work over four years and now it is time to make

that work pay off. Find your passion and follow it. Remember why you went to

college and why you chose Marist. We spend a lot of time in our careers and it should be as enjoyable as possible. Even if you have to take

a job in another line of work to eat and live – or take a job to pay for that post-graduate degree – don’t lose sight of your dream and do some-

thing every day to get closer to realizing it.” – Gina Carro, Manager of Physician

Relations at Carol G. Simon Cancer Center, Oncology Service Line.

Marist ‘87. Summit, NJ.

“The advice I’d give to graduating se-

niors is – start your job search early and use Career Services; they put

those countdown clocks around the cam-pus for a reason. If you can start your job a

few weeks after graduation, take the few weeks. You have your whole life to work – enjoy being a

college graduate, breathe and then jump headfirst into your next endeavor. Reach out to Marist alum

to help with your job search, they’re everywhere and almost always happy to help. You might be stress-ing right now about finals but take a step back and

realize how much free time you have. When you leave college, that free time is the weekends,

not Fridays or every day before 10 am; en-joy it!” – Erin (Howley) Capasso, Senior

Marketing Specialist at The Boston Consulting Group. Marist ‘09.

Boston, MA.

“Work until you’re proud of what you did

today, even if there’s no one around to see it. You have to be mo-tivated by something other than the

typical rewards a business can provide. No matter what you do for a living, work will erode your soul if you toll for pay, perks or a pat on the head. You won’t always get them.

There has to be profound – or at least soul-sus-taining – personal satisfaction in what you’re doing. Because every time you say, “well, it’s a

paycheck,” a little more life gets sucked out of you.”– Eric Cavoli, Senior VP/Group

Creative Director for Cashman and Katz Integrated Communica-

tions. Marist ‘95. Glaston-bury, CT.

“I know many people have

different perceptions and goals. But my suggestion before going to grad school – work for a

couple of years at least and get some experience in the real environment. Lots of grad schools apply previous or current experience and it is great to interrelate in

your professional career. I know some-times this can’t happen. However, I do recommend it.” – Christopher Blasie,

Global Product Manager (ARINC) at Rockwell Collins. Marist ‘01,

M.A. Annapolis, MD.

Words of Advice “The best tip I would give gradu-

ating seniors, whether they are entering the job market or going on to

graduate school to always be looking for op-portunities to learn and make new connections. If you’re starting a new job and see a project that

looks interesting to you, but it’s outside your specific job description, ask your manager if you can shadow those colleagues. If you’re in grad school, take advan-

tage of opportunities when alumni come to speak to your school and make a connection with them, network with your fellow classmates, get to know your professors and

administrators, attend events where other classmates and alumni will be in attendance. And the same goes for grad school, those who take advantage of all the

services and opportunities available to them are the ones who do the best and usually make

great career connections.” – Dina Anello, Director of Development at Rutgers

Business School. Marist ‘96. Newark, NJ.

“The best advice is to be willing to relocate across the

country for the best opportunity. When you are right out of school I rec-

ommend you learn as many tools and con-cepts in your field. Getting a Master’s degree

is a personal choice as all jobs are 90% attitude and 10% aptitude. If you do not get your dream

job out of college, I also recommend getting your foot in the door somewhere local while you live at home. It is easier to get your goal

job when you have a stepping stone job.” – Richard Cary, Financial Analyst at

Lockheed Martin Corporation. Marist ‘10. Fort Worth,

TX.

“I was a psy-chology major and my

current career path brought me into financial software. I implement

financial software for top-tier banks. So, my tip is to not allow yourself to pigeonhole you

into a certain career mindset. Allow yourself to ex-perience different career roles and allow the love of the job to form your career path. Start from the bot-

tom to the top and show that you are reliable, depend-able, and responsible no matter your love for the posi-tion. It builds your character and your work ethic for future roles. I hire people all the time and these qual-

ities are hard to find, so when I call on references from old employers, and as I hear these qualities,

they are the people I will hire. So never burn bridges – always put your best work for-

ward. It may follow you.” – Dina Cal-abrese, Daytek Online. Marist

‘99. New York, NY.“My advice is to

remember that noth-ing is set in stone. It’s very possible that you, at some

point down the road, decide to do something different with your life than you are now planning. Be open to change.” – Gloria Costan-

za, Theology Teacher at Saint Anthony’s High School. Marist ‘75. Melville, NY.

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Interviews

“Shake hands firmly and keep eye contact through-out the interview. Research the company and be prepared to ask questions of your own, you are in-terviewing them as well.” -Timothy Curry, Class of 1987.

Interview Do’s and Don’tsInterviews, both for academic and professional purposes, are becoming one of the most important tactics for employers and faculty to utilize in order to properly assess students’ capabilities. While no interview is ever quite the same, Marist alumni from all different fields of study have shared their tips on how to best succeed in the process.

“Be confident in the knowledge gained during your studies at Marist and know that you are prepared to start your career, yet be prepared and willing to con-tinue learning as you enter the job world.” -Jessica Foley, Class of 2006.

“My advice for graduating seniors is to network, network and network. Utilize social media for an initial introduction and work to follow it up with an in-person meeting in order to build a business rela-tionship.” -Richard Goldman, Class of 1987.

“Sell yourself…no one else will.” -Raymond Del Maestro, Class of 1972.

“Never turn down an informational interview. You never know who you are go-ing to meet or WHO that person knows. The world is a small place (even though it doesn’t seem like it) and everyone knows everyone. So the more people you meet face to face, the more people will remember you and are apt to give you a chance. This gives you a leg up on people just sending emails or resumes cold.” -Gina Becconsall, Class of 1995.

“Show up exactly 15 minutes early. Bring multiple copies of your resume. Come prepared with a lot of questions (career advancements, training, culture, men-torship, travel, etc.). Have a professional LinkedIn page with a picture; we look. Keep Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., private; we look. Research the person who is interviewing you and ask them specific questions about their experience. It’s impressive, and people love talking about themselves. Dress appropriately – the person interviewing you should never look more professional than you. Write a thank-you note to everyone you meet; keep it short and sweet, but spe-cific – while e-mail is good, handwritten is great. Have a professional voicemail for your cell phone.” -Mathew Clarke, Class of 2005.

“Do not be afraid to ask people who are successful in their careers how they got there. Believe me, they will love to tell you, and you will learn a lot.” -Sean Dumas, Class of 1995.

“Face-to-face conversation is a dying art. Master it.” -Christopher Deloughery, Class of 2002.

“Interviewing is a skill and first impressions are important. As one who has done many interviews, I am less concerned about the technical skills – I mean, you need to know them, but what is really important is the “go-getter attitude,” being able to take an assignment and run with it. People don’t have the time to micro-manage anymore. Work well with others and be able to participate in teams when required.” -Craig Gloede, Class of 1992.

“Be flexible! Maintain a great attitude always! I’ve seen people who are very ex-perienced or qualified for jobs but get passed over because of attitudes and how they ‘carry’ themselves professionally. Never stop learning. Keep networking in as many environments as possible.” -Vincent Guerriero, Class of 2005.

“It’s critical to be viewed as someone who looks for opportunity for growth and learning in a working environment. People WILL notice!” -Dina Anello, Class of 1996.

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Daniel Gonzalez grad-uated from Marist as a transfer marketing major in the class of 1994. With no real plans as to what he wanted to do post-grad, Gonzalez made sure to get his resume posted online for poten-tial opportunities. For-tunately, Gonzalez was scouted to be a recruit-er, a career path he had not been trained in. Al-though Gonzalez did not know his career plans prior to this offer, he had one thing in check; he knew the characteristics he wanted his future job to have – he did not want

to do the same boring tasks day after day and he wanted to interact with people, being a recruiter satisfied these requirements.

Gonzalez is now the proud Founder and CEO of PeopleVault, Inc., an executive search firm servicing the financial services marketplace. He spent 20 plus years in executive recruiting with a mission to create ca-reers, not jobs. Gonzalez is also the Co-Founder of Facticiti, LLC. Over ten years ago, Gonzalez dreamt of a web-based

platform that assessed what people enjoy and located jobs in the mar-ket for them. As one who is inspired to help people live out their passions through their career and avoid wasting their time in a job that is not en-joyable, that dream was born when Gonzalez and his partner created Fac-ticiti.

So what should you know from preparation to after the interview, from the eyes of a long-time re-cruiter?

Social Media

From the Eyes of a Recruiter

Tips concerning interviews and preparation

for post-college life come from parents, family,

friends and advisors, but what does an actual

recruiter have to say about “the perfect candi-

date?” You’re about to find out.

Interviews

“No keg stands and no crazy parties! [Com-panies] try to get rid of people easily to narrow down an applicant pool,” said Gonzalez in regards to a candidate’s presence on social media. De-pending on one’s major, social media may or may not be a necessary plat-form that recruiters want to see activity on. How-ever, no matter what, it is unacceptable to post excessive cursing, opin-ions on politics, or pic-tures that show partying or any nudity. Without a doubt, recruiters will search for you, so keep it private, clean and hidden.

Interview Preparation

Of course, you have to prepare, prepare, prepare. Look over your re-sume. Search questions online per-taining to your field of interest. Jot

down potential answers to questions you may be asked and rehearse them.

A critical point is to re-search the company and, if you are informed of who the recruiter will be, research the person interviewing you. Linke-dIn is the perfect source for searching others, as well as a useful tool to stay connected after the interview. Knowing basic facts and accomplish-ments about the com-pany shows you have an interest in working with

them and that you did your homework, coming prepared. Gonzalez rec-ommends being famil-iar with the CEO of the company and the various departments that exist.

Something most people typically wouldn’t con-sider researching, but that Gonzalez strongly suggests, especially as you begin to apply for higher level positions, is to follow the stock of the company. Find out where it is publically traded and understand the finances and how well (or poorly)

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the company is doing in the stock market by using Google Finance and Yahoo! Finance. Ad-ditionally, be aware of some of the main com-petitors to the company you are interviewing for. Your knowledge will im-press the recruiter, but be sure not to confuse yourself with too much information overload.

Aside from knowing about the company, know about yourself as well. What position are you fighting for and where do you see your-self in the company in three to five years? Re-cruiters like Gonzalez like to ask questions that may seem simple but have an underlying message. For example, Gonzalez said he tends to ask a candidate what books he or she is cur-rently reading or what his or her favorite food to cook is and to explain the process they take to make it. Questions of this sort show knowledge, willingness to learn, and how lazy or how proac-tive you are.

The Interview

“I know right when the

person walks in if they will be hired,” said Gon-zalez, “based on a firm handshake, a polished look and if they make eye contact.” From the words of a recruiter who has been in the business for many years, “pretend you are doing what you enjoy most,” whether it is hik-ing, doing yoga or cook-ing a meal – get yourself to a mind state where you are comfortable and relaxed enough to be yourself and speak freely. However, there is, Gon-zalez clearly stated, a fine line between speaking freely and being profes-sional – you should not use slang words or be too casual in conversation as if talking to a friend.

Imagine the entire in-terview goes well, you’ve effectively answered all of the questions and (hopefully) left a great impression. The inter-viewer ends off with one last question: “Is there anything you want to ask me?”

You freeze up, your mind blanks and you can’t think of a single thing you want to know. Once again, prepare questions that you want to ask so

as to show your interest in the company further.

Gonzalez recommends some of the following as potential questions to ask at the end of an in-terview:

Show the interviewer you mean business and that you truly are passionate about the position. Af-ter the interview, write a handwritten thank you note to the interviewer for taking the time out to meet with you. Some-thing along the lines of:

“Thank you for your time, I’ve learned a great deal about the company. I look forward to hear-ing back and to any fol-low-up meetings. I am very interested in learn-ing about the next steps in the process.”

Interviews

One who exerts per-sistency and effort is more likely to stand out than other candidates who fall out of touch. As Gonzalez said, “You always want to go in for the close.”

Resumes

Gonzalez is a strong ad-vocate for getting across challenges and progres-sions within the context of a resume. The resume should articulate that the candidate has a desired skillset, confidence in his or her work, and the abil-ity to take on responsibil-ity. “Quantify your results by showing something that gives me a sense of what you achieved,” he said.

Recruiters are interested in seeing someone who challenged themselves

throughout college, not only focusing on a high GPA but rather balanc-ing community service, sports, extra-curricular activities and a job on top of an education. If grades sacrifice slight-ly, it is compensated by showing that the candi-date was able and willing to take on more than just one responsibility. Showing that your GPA increased each semester or that you picked up several new activities or an extra job when your grades slipped just a little supports that balance and progression recruit-ers want to see.

“At the end of the day, your education is just

a key to get yourself through the door,” said Gonzalez. “Any experi-ence you can get just in-terfacing with company leaders, absorbing any-thing around you aside

“You always want

to go in for the

close.”

from the classroom will benefit you. Education is key, but what you are as a person – the things you do and balance – is how you get hired.”

Believe it or not, said Gonzalez, people show up with unprofessional resumes – providing per-sonal information about hobbies and interests or forgetting to make gram-matical corrections. Extra tips to keep in mind:

• An objective can but does not have to be on the resume.

• Minor job positions are okay to put on your resume until you build it up further – don’t be afraid to include that you were a camp counselor, this is one position Gon-zalez admits he loves to see on a candidate’s re-sume.

• It is okay to have the resume spill over to the second page, if nec-essary. If the recruiter is interested enough, he or she will read it.

• Include your tech-nical experience and

• “What part of this interview was there something we didn’t get to fully discuss that you may have a concern about?”

• “Why did you choose this company to work for and why do you enjoy it?”

• “Can I ask you what the next step in the process is?”

• “May I get your business card so I can send a thank you note/email?”

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Written byNadia AhmedPhotos Courtesy of Danny Gonzalez

Interviews

list Microsoft Word and Excel at the top of your skills – Excel is a program everyone should learn either way to personally budget financials.

• Change your email to a Gmail account (do NOT use AOL) if you have not already done

so, but keep it simple and professional – it will make it seem as though you are up-to-date with technology.

• Give dates to show the timeframe you did something – when you did something and for how long shows whether the company wanted you back and whether you have consistency with jobs.

• Use proper gram

mar and verb tense and be sure to use up the white space.

Cover Letter

Although there are mixed reviews about cover let-ters, some recruiters saying they never look at one and others saying they are very important, here are some pointers for when a cover letter is necessary.

According to Gonzalez,

the person read-ing your cover letter is probably not taking any longer than 45 seconds looking

at it, so all the important information that sep-arates you from other candidates should be up at the top. Less is more!

Forget about including accomplishments and facts about the compa-ny, the recruiter doesn’t need to read about his or her company’s suc-cess – those are topics of discussion to prepare for the interview. In the cov-er letter, give the reader a sense of why you are applying for the position – what are your passions, what do you enjoy about the field, what makes you stand out above other candidates and what have you accomplished to make you qualified. But keep it short and sweet, no longer than one page.

“Quantify

your results

by showing

something

that gives

me a sense

of what you

achieved.”

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“Don’t be afraid to apply to jobs that require

a certain criteria that you may not have. Tell them up front that

you are willing to learn, and that you are a quick learner. If you are a good fit with the company they will invest money into training you.” – Cather-

ine Becker, Associate Director of Communications for the New

York Athletic Club. Marist ’09. New York, New

York.

“My biggest tip to grad-

uating seniors is to go after your dreams by pursuing those

things that excite you and make your heart sing. In other words, find your pas-

sion and pursue that, no matter what obstacles come up. I know it sounds cliché but really that is the best way to pursue a career because if you are working in the field you love, then it is easier to go

to work every day and success is beyond your imagi-nation. Remember obstacles may come but they will

always make you stronger, wiser and more mature than you were before the obstacle. Lastly, have a

spiritual relationship whether that be with God or another higher power; most times it is the only

thing that can give you strength when you need it most.” – (Ms.) Yahairah Aristy,

Deputy Public Defender for the County of San Diego. Marist

‘95. San Diego, CA.

“The best advice I can

give is to aim for as high as you want to in life, but be

prepared to work very hard for it. Very rarely does one start at the top.

You start in the middle or the bottom. Prove yourself, stay the course and you’ll eventually get to where you want to be. But don’t be afraid to change the plan.

Life happens.” – Jacqueline Emslie, Systems Analyst at Dutchess Coun-

ty Office of Computer Infor-mation. Marist ‘95. Pough-

keepsie, NY.

“When searching for a job, focus on job

fit and passion for the busi-ness over everything. If you have

the option, choose happiness and quality of life over money. If you en-

joy what you do, you will be successful and money will come in time or you

will not yearn for money because happiness fills your soul.” – Gianni

DiMeglio, Relationship Man-ager for TD Private Client

Group. Marist ‘02. Wil-ton, CT.

“My ad-vice on grad school

versus real world depends on your field of study. The main

takeaway though is that graduate school is a big decision, and generally

is intended to focus on a narrower field of study so the individual should know

exactly what they want to do. That is, you can’t just get an MBA in business or sales. The programs are highly specialized and

catered toward a given field, and also focus highly on real world experi-ence.” – Nick Fierro, Senior Asso-

ciate at Ernst & Young, LLP. Marist ‘11. Seacau-

cus, NJ.

Words of Advice “My advice would be, believe it or not, focus

less on your grades and more on gaining field experience. Internships,

internships, internships. I found that while a high GPA is impressive, it does not help you in the real world as much as field experience

does. I’m not saying to not worry about your grades – obviously, they’re important – but I purposely did

not partake in many internships because I wanted to focus on schoolwork. I spent hours in the library in-stead of hours getting experience, and had I known

what employers would be looking for, I probably would’ve done things a little differently. A better

balance of both, perhaps.” – Emily Cicca-rello, Human Resources Coordinator at

Wafra Investment Advisory Group, Inc. Marist ‘13. Staten Island,

NY.

“I wish that someone had told me that many com-

panies and especially hospitals help their full and part time employ-

ees with the cost of higher education. For anyone wanting to continue to graduate

school, I would recommend checking to see if there are any jobs in their field that have, as one of their benefits, reimbursement for

school. You may not finish as quickly, but it’s nice not to have to take more loans out.” –

Janette Bogdan M.T. (ASCP), Assistant Blood Bank Supervisor at Phelps

Memorial Hospital Center. Marist ‘95. Tarrytown,

NY.

“What I have learned in my twenty years

post-college is: you do not ‘deserve’ anything. You need to work harder than

the other guy. Whether you are trying to get a job, get a promotion, grow your business, nothing

beats hard work. I have noticed a shift in the younger people entering the workforce. You will go very far by

working hard and EARNING your future. At the begin-ning of your career, network. Meet and greet anyone and

everyone. People will appreciate the fact that you have am-bitions. Also, don’t lose focus on what is most important in life – your family. I am a very competitive person in a very

competitive industry and constantly have to check my-self on the fact that I’m not over-consumed with work.

Work is great, but it is designed to pay the bills, ul-timately. Take pride in your career but don’t let it

define you, I see it too often.” – Sean Dumas, Principal Sales Representative at Bos-

ton Scientific. Marist ‘95. Pat-chogue, NY.

“Don’t let people tell you that

you can’t do something. If you want it, go for it. Only you

know what you’re capable of. Stay connected. The Marist Alumni net-

work is amazing. There is such pride in our school and who we are as Red Fox-es and that never goes away. Take ad-vantage of that network, that’s what

it’s there for.” – Jennifer Dugan, Retail Store Manager at The

Costumer. Marist ‘04. Albany, NY.

24 25


Know that there is a line of professional-ism in an interview setting, but do not be afraid to stand out with a few pieces. “Wear an eye-catching necktie,” said Curry. “Don’t for-get a new pair of shoes with a good shine. By looking good, you will feel more confident!”

Stephanie MelnickFashion Merchandising Major, Business MinorMarist 2015Ann Taylor, Merchandis-ing Trainee Program for Loft brand

Dress to Impress

Hygiene is an incred-ibly important aspect of a candidate’s over-all appearance. “Get a haircut and shave pri-or to your interview” in order to look as well-kept as possible.

Timothy Curry graduated from Marist College in 1987 and has since worked his way up to become the Direc-tor of Catering and Convention Services at the Hyatt Regency Cambridge in Cambridge, Mass. He interviews young people constantly and noted that those who arrive at the interview dressed appropriately “definitely stand out more than others who do not.”

“I would save up for a ‘killer wardrobe’ to wear on job inter-views,” said Curry. “I would splurge on a properly tailored, conservative suit, a perfectly fitted dress shirt…even stylish cuff links make a statement.”

Women have slightly more freedom when choosing their business professional attire, ac-cording to Ellyn Enis-man, Marist adjunct professor who teaches Career Development courses. There is also the matter of field of study; for instance, fashion ma-jors may be held to a dif-ferent standard of wear than a science major on an interview.

Dylan Gallagher, Accounting Major

Marist 2015EisnerAmper, Staff in the

Audit Practice

Kacey O’BrienBusiness Major

Marist 2018

Professionalism is key, said Enisman, whether a female interviewee chooses to wear pants or a skirt; heels or flats; hair up or hair down. It is crucial to dress conservatively and in a manner of well-kept appropriateness, because it shows respect to the inter-viewer and respect for your own appear-ance.

26 27


Got a Plan?

Seniors graduating from college are often asked a single question: got a plan?

For some, the question is met with a definitive answer – a job lined up, or impending gradu-ate studies, or another planned endeavor. For others, there could still be immense uncertainty.

Those still figuring out which direction they plan to take their career should take some advice from Pamela Brangan, however.

“Don’t be afraid of wrong turns! They could end up providing you with a life-long career,” said Bran-gan, a Marist graduate of 1991.

Her personal story is a testament to this – Bran-

gan and her then-boy-friend, now husband, literally took a wrong turn; a wrong turn that resulted in her dream job approximately one year after graduating from Marist.

Brangan, a Business Administration major, headed west upon grad-uation with the intention of landing a job with the National Parks Associ-ation. “We had sent in dozens of applications, but had no firm offer. But we were determined to go anyway,” she said.

Much of the trip con-sisted of camping and hiking; Brangan and her husband were particu-larly inspired by areas near the Lochsa River in Idaho, and initially con-sidered trying to work for the Forest Service at

Alumni Talk

Usually three left turns make a right – but sometimes in the career path, it

takes a wrong turn to turn into a right opportunity.

the ranger station in that area.

“Well, we woke up late and decided to keep heading west…except we took a wrong turn and ended up at the ranger station,” said Brangan. “We talked to an employ-ee who told us to put our applications in at the supervisor’s office ‘down river,’ which was the di-rection we were headed, so we did just that.”

In retrospect, this wrong turn was the best pos-sible accident – even though they continued onto Glacier National Park, a phone call home informed them that there were job openings back at the ranger station in Idaho.

“The person in charge of

the fire crew had wanted to hire me – they needed more women on the crew – but the district planner took a look at my resume and saw all the computer experience I had. A lot was from working at the Marist computer lab!” she said. Her qualifica-tions landed her with a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) job.

This was an unexpected start to her career – it was in an unexpected place, in an unfamiliar field, and came as a result of one wrong turn. Howev-er, it has provided Bran-gan with immeasurable professional fulfillment.

Written by Gillian FossPhoto Courtesy of Pamela Brangan

“Don’t be afraid of

wrong turns! They

could end up pro-

viding you with a

lifelong career,”

“While I had never heard of GIS back then, I was quick to learn and over twenty years later, I am still working in GIS and loving it,” said Brangan.

It’s an unusual career story, yes – but one with a lasting message. Not everyone has a plan by graduation, but there’s no need to give up. Sometimes, as in Bran-gan’s case, great oppor-tunities are right around the corner.

28 29


Reality is, a camp coun-selor position or cashier position at your nearest ice cream parlor isn’t going to cut it when it comes to preparing for the “real world.” An in-ternship that provides hands-on experience in the workplace is the clos-est one gets to under-standing the atmosphere and work dynamics that occur.

You may even go through college in one field, only to realize by the end that it isn’t what you truly want to pursue. Don’t be afraid. Countless Marist alumni have admitted that they did a complete 180 after Marist and landed careers in fields they never prepared for but turned out to be more satisfying. Back in his college days, Edward O’Reilly, Marist graduate of 1995, had a passion for Radio/TV/

Film. Over the course of his one year internship with WRNN, a televi-sion station in Kingston, O’Reilly enjoyed the hands-on experience he received in the field. Gradually he took on ex-tra responsibilities, lucky enough to gain on-air time as well as to help produce scripts and to film and edit video pack-ages for the station. “I re-ally wanted to be a sports anchor, that was my end goal,” said O’Reilly. Even with the end goal in mind and a degree in communications, he was aware of the com-petitiveness he would face in the field trying to get to where he wanted to be at the top. “I wish I could have stuck around to follow a passion, but it wasn’t enough of a salary straight out of Marist,” he admitted. Rather, he tried to make his way into sales, motivated by making money. With no

success in obtaining a job in sales due to his low GPA, O’Reilly was recognized by a recruit-ment agency. After years of training and working his way to the top of two different recruiting com-panies, he pushed for a partnership six indi-vidual times, each time being denied. Because of the high revenue he was bringing in, O’Reil-ly decided it was finally his time to branch off. Already knowing how successful he could be, confident in his skills and ability to produce high revenue, O’Reilly went for it, leaving his job and opening his own firm at the young age of 26. Where is he now? O’Reilly is the Founder and CEO of Cyber Search Global, an executive search firm.

Entering the Real World

On the Road to

the Real World

The end is near and college

is coming to an end. It may be

months, weeks or days until you start

your first day at a “grown-up” job.

The question is: are you ready?

Alumni Talk

30 31


ing up the ladder of suc-cess.

Owning a Business

In his first year, O’Reilly admitted his relief and luck that the compa-ny was able to survive through the happenings of 9/11 and the dotcom market crash. Approxi-mately 15 years later, the company is still growing, so what does O’Reilly have to say to aspiring entrepreneurs about opening a business?

• “The failure rate is very high because peo-ple don’t know what they are doing and don’t have the skill set for that area. It’s important to know what you’re doing, do something that you do really well, have some-thing that people want and know you offer some level of value.”

• “Be prepared to fail and deal with the tough times, it’s never going to be easy.”

• “Be financially prepared. You need the money to run the busi-ness and rent or buy the area; need money to live your normal life as well;

need at least one whole year’s worth of savings, in case your company does not make money in the first year. Know that peo-ple don’t always pay you on a timely basis, so you need to be able to live without the payments.”

• “Start small and cheap at first – be nimble and flexible to succeed at the start. You need an ef-fective business location and to invest in hiring new people rather than a luxurious office space.”

If there’s anything to motivate you and to take away from O’Reilly’s ex-perience, let it be this:

“Maximize the opportu-nities given to you. Don’t give up. We all fail, even successful people. It’s just one step closer to success. There are going to be times where the job world is tough on you. Some things you have no control over. The one thing you do have con-trol over is yourself. Trust what you do.”

Written by Nadia Ahmed

According to O’Reilly, students tend to think they are a finished prod-uct when they finish col-lege. The truth is, howev-er, that you’ll always have room for improvement and you have to work hard to get to the top. “Your true value to an organization is the skills you bring with you,” said O’Reilly, adding “you get paid for the level of ex-pertise and skill set you bring.” Life is a constant opportunity to advance and grow, not only as a person but in your career as well. Each opportunity that comes your way to learn new skills should be taken with open arms because employers want to see what you have to offer and what you can bring into their organiza-tion.

When obtaining an in-ternship, don’t take it for granted; “treat it like a real job, learn and ask a lot of questions,” rec-ommends O’Reilly. This is the closest experience you’ll get to being pre-pared for the real world. He ensures students or graduates that it is okay to ask for help if there is an issue, whether at an internship or when you

enter into the job world. Doing so is going to help you grow and gets you recognition for complet-ing a task properly rather than trying to ineffec-tively do it yourself. Even if you don’t feel prepared for the first day and a big company, surrounded by people who have been there five, ten or 30 years, be confident in what you know and understand that everyone else was in the same position as you at one point in their lives. “Do your best to be the best at what you do,” O’Reilly suggested. “I guarantee if you go into a job and do your best and work hard, most of the time you will have a lot more success than if you don’t.”

Much too often, people go into work counting down the minutes un-til they get to go home, unmotivated to do any-thing, just going through the motions robotically. Instead, said O’Reilly, “You should work your tail off while at work – it’ll make the day go faster and you have to be there anyway.” Work shouldn’t be considered something torturous and if it is, take advantage of

it anyway until you find a job that makes you happy. “When you leave from one job to the next, it shouldn’t be because it pays more, but it should be because you’ll be tak-ing skills and experiences from both and improving yourself,” he said. Work on your skills, advance yourself in any way you can and leave a positive impression on the or-ganization so they can provide you with positive feedback as a reference.

What it comes down to, said O’Reilly, is to al-ways have an end goal in mind. “People who lose their focus and path or who don’t understand what they have to do to get to a certain level makes them fail. Think about where you’re going in the long run, not just the immediate future; you won’t grow in a small company.” If you think about what you want out of life and out of a ca-reer – to be rich as a level of security, to be inde-pendent, to help others, to enjoy going to work every day, etc. – then it helps in narrowing down your options, following the career path that is right for you, and climb-

Alumni Talk

32 33


“Stop thinking that you need to follow

this cookie-cutter mold that society has forced us to believe in.

There is no such thing as the “real world,” so don’t feel rushed to enter it. Companies

will always be hiring, so take some time to do what you truly want. Do not do what your par-ents want, or what is expected of you, but think

about what would make you genuinely happy and go do it. Travel the world, teach English in South Korea, move across the country, become a flight attendant. Now is the time to do it, because you

will never be as young as you are right now. You’ll have the rest of your life to make mon-

ey and settle down, enjoy your freedom while you have it.” – Kelley Sullivan,

Graduate Student at Illinois State University. Marist ‘13.

Normal, IL.

“My first bit of advice to seniors is re-

lax, you will find a job and have a career. My second bit

of advice is to spend as much time searching and applying for jobs as you would at a full-time job. That is, looking for a job is your full-time job.” – Christine

Daly, Senior Career Coun-selor at SUNY New Paltz.

Marist ‘08. New Pal-tz, NY.

“Find your purpose.

Find your passion.” – William Decken,

Chiropractor at Family Straight Chiropractic.

Marist ‘79. Spartan-burg, SC.

“The advice that I am going to give you

is to network as much as pos-sible. Meet as many people af-

ter school as you can. Join as many groups, clubs, and get involved in your

community, not just for business reasons but to build relationships with people in

your community. Be genuine when you do this and it will help you in the long run.

It is very cliché, but ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’” – Steven

Dardanello, Real Estate Sales at Coldwell Banker Residential

Brokerage. Mountain-side, NJ.

Words of Advice

“Life moves pretty fast – if you

don’t stop and look around every once in a

while, you could miss it.” – James Errickson, City

of Everett. Marist ‘01. Holliston, MA.

“I think my ad-vice for Marist seniors

who are entering into the professional world – especially

immediately after undergrad – is this saying that someone told me my first year out of college: ‘We have two ears

and one mouth; always remember to lis-ten twice as much as you speak.’ Lots of valuable lessons for us to learn from the

experience of others we encounter.” – Michelle Francesconi, Compen-

sation Analyst at Towers Wat-son. Marist ‘11. New

York, NY.

“From a work perspective I’d have to

convey that always having an inquisitive nature – to keep ask-

ing questions – and to never be com-fortable with status quo but to look to

continuously improve will take you far at work! And in life, nurture your closest re-lationships – whether from home, family or developed at Marist and beyond, they

help you have an enriched life!” – Mi-chael Gearing, Director of Payroll

Operations at Fidelity Invest-ments. Marist ‘94. Durham,

NC.

“’Work hard, say yes, and have

a little faith.’” I heard this piece of advice when I was first starting out

in the TV industry after college. The sim-ple, yet SO valuable piece of advice has always

stayed with me. Work really hard – be REALLY good at what you do – be the best, be reliable, be account-

able, and be the kind of person you’d want to work with. Say YES – I’ve had the lowest of low jobs, but people real-ly take note when you keep a positive and upbeat attitude

no matter what your role is. And, have a little FAITH. Hello, you’re awesome. You’re a RED FOX! So much of not being

able to survive the TV industry is not letting go of your pas-sion. Remember why you want to work in TV and believe that you’re meant to be in this industry! Please, don’t let

things like the hours or pay interfere with your future ambitions. Believe that it’ll all fall into place as soon

as you let go of the need to control everything. You got this!” – Angela Gallo, Media Plan-

ning and Strategy Manager at Nick-elodeon. Marist ‘07. New York,

NY.

“Here’s my advice: don’t look down on small

beginnings. A great career is built over decades through small

steps, each one building upon the other. Work hard each step of the way, even when it may seem as if your cur-rent situation isn’t your ultimate desti-nation. Everything counts.” – Antho-

ny DeBarros, Director of Product Development for Investigative

Reporters and Editors. Marist ‘86. Waterford,

VA.

“Be able to have conversa-

tions with people, proof-read your writing, and be

careful with what you post on social media – would you want what you posted on the cover of a newspaper?” – Louis Capora-

le, Teacher in the Brewster Central School District.

Marist ‘99. Brew-ster, NY.

34 35


Marist Student

Entrepreneur Achieves Success

Inspiration can pop up

when you least expect

it. And with a little de-

termination, you can

accomplish anything.

This is what happened

for Marist’s very own

Rachel Colwell.

Experience in the Field

Not everyone who owns a business does so af-ter years of experience in the field. Although Colwell has taken intro-ductory business and fashion classes, owning a business takes much more knowledge, prepa-ration and organization than what is learned in a classroom setting. The skills needed to be successful are partially acquired from hands-on experience and partially by learning from others who can act as mentors on the topic. “I learned so much about busi-ness from my parents,” said Colwell, “much more than I would have learned in any class.” Colwell admits her dad has been the biggest help since start-up because of his experience in owning a pharmaceutical mar-keting company, which has provided her with marketing ideas.

Colwell’s parents, who are now fully support-ive, did not initially fund her startup. Instead, she

used her own funds to get the business rolling. Since startup, Colwell’s mother has become her fabric shopping partner, an activity they enjoy do-ing together. Her mother takes care of shipments and behind-the-scenes tasks when Colwell needs a helping hand. “Rachel is a very hard worker and will push through to get to the end result,” said Mrs. Colwell in an email interview. “She doesn’t give up and her energy is infectious.”

Starting from the Bot-tom Up

After three years of working at Paradise, a Lilly Pulitzer shop in her hometown of Basking Ridge, N.J., Colwell de-veloped a passion for fabrics and fashion. With a love for Lilly Pulitzer prints and colors, Col-well ordered Lilly Pulitzer bows off of Etsy but was disappointed with the results. Not only did she have to wait weeks for a simple six bows, but for $12 each they were also poorly constructed. This

36 37


was the moment that started it all.

With the help of YouTube tutorials, fabrics and basic supplies, Colwell was able to begin making her very own bows. Getting her inspiration from the bright colors and prints that Lilly Pu-litzer uses, Colwell strived to make an improvement in the flawed bows she received.

“I love having the ability to do whatev-er I want with fabrics and prints,” she said. “It’s just so much fun.”

Her goal was to produce good quality bows that would not fall apart. Simply by posting pictures of her handmade bows on social media, Colwell received bow requests from friends, which is how she came to take personalized or-ders. In December of 2013, what start-ed as a small hobby took off within only two weeks and turned into Bows by Rach, which has only been growing since then.

The Road to Business

When Colwell first began the business, each bow order was hand delivered to her friends’ houses. Of course, as the orders piled up and expanded into dif-ferent states, she developed a shipping process.

The bow-making process is tedious but also something that Colwell finds relaxing. “The most stressful part of the business is when I’m on a time crunch,” said Colwell, adding how she hates the stress she gets from being rushed for time.

You could sense the passion she has for her work as she described the steps while so naturally showing the hand movements it takes to make each in-dividual bow. On bow-making days, which are just about every day in the summer, Colwell will spend hours at a time in her makeshift “bow studio” in the basement of her house. With some music on, Colwell makes bow after bow, reaching approximately 40 to 50 bows per day. Although she is relaxed and focused at the time, Colwell said she is typically exhausted afterward. Her goal, however, is to provide good customer service and to get bow or-ders to the customer as soon as possi-ble due to her poor experience on Etsy. Danielle Hasandjekaj, a close friend, has watched Colwell make bows during her time at Marist, getting a first-hand view on the focus and dedi-cation Colwell puts into her work. “Ra-chel makes her bows in a very positive atmosphere. She plays a lot of upbeat music which increases her productiv-ity,” said Hasandjekaj. “Rachel is very happy when making her bows, which I think reflects her love for her work.”

Each bow is handmade and hot-glued together and attached to a barrette. Colwell says she typically uses cot-ton fabrics because they are simple to work with and cheaper than silk, although she willingly accepts special orders in any fabric.

“I have doubts sometimes about the fabrics I choose,” she admitted. “It’s hard with patterns knowing which ones people will actually wear. For me,

I guess the hardest part is not just shopping for myself, but shopping for what I think a lot of peo-ple would actually wear.”

Moments of Success

Bows by Rach has solely been dependent on word of mouth and social me-dia to get the business known. For a girl who began making personal-ized bows for herself, she now has over 320 likes on Facebook and 480 followers on Instagram. Much of her expansion to other states has come from popular bloggers wear-ing and promoting her bows. Colwell provided blogger Kelly in the City with several free bows and in return, Kelly wrote a blog post endorsing Bows by Rach, one of Colwell’s most exciting moments in the business.

“My favorite part of the company as a whole is just seeing how many dif-ferent people are hearing about my business and how they support it so much,” said Colwell. “I’m so lucky to have such a great support system.”

As an entrepreneur and small start-up business, you appreciate any bit of success that comes your way. “I was so proud of myself when I made over $800 for the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation,” expressed Col-well. With the help of her Tri-Sigma sorority sisters, over 200 pink bows were made in support of Breast Cancer

“She puts every

ounce of herself

into her work and

works to make

sure she is meet-

ing the demands of

public.”

Awareness month and all of the bows were sold.

“Rachel’s work in Bows by Rach thus far is as-tonishing. I think her work is admirable espe-cially with the amount of success she’s had at her age. Her bows are high-quality, adorable products that every girl must have,” commented proud friend, Hasand-jekaj. “She puts every ounce of herself into her work and works to make sure she is meeting the

demands of the public.”

It’s Not All Fun and Games

Endless thought, efforts and funding go into the process of starting and maintaining a business, something Colwell came to learn right off the bat. Although the business became successful quickly due to support-ive friends and family, organization and improvements need to always be made.

Colwell admits that running a busi-ness becomes stressful; it leads to late nights, busy days and many expenses. However, when you are passionate about what you do, the sacrifices made are all worth it in the end.

“Although it is very time consuming and exhausting, the outcome is very rewarding. I love being free to do the things I want and be kind of like a de-

http://kellyinthecity.com/bows-by-rach/

http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/

http://www.tnbcfoundation.org/

38 39


signer,” said Colwell. “Sometimes I re-ally regret not being a fashion designer because I love sewing and crafting, but I feel the merchandising side is more up my alley. It’s cool to be able to find a balance in between designing and merchandising.”

With a small business that gets off the ground and begins to take off, getting caught up in the excitement is nat-ural. Orders come in, products are sold, money is made and now you’re thrilled. Of course, enjoy it. But Colwell is the perfect example of one who ad-mits to the chaos that can also come from falling behind and not keeping up with the responsibilities. Organiza-tion is critical. Between keeping track of the number of bows made and sold, profit gain, money potentially lost, the time it takes to create each bow and how many bows can be made off of a yard of fabric, Colwell admits her or-ganization skills are sub-par; if it were to go on for much longer the lack of organization could negatively affect the business. Rather than allowing it to get out of hand, Colwell plans to take charge and make big strides with Bows by Rach.

The biggest challenge, said Colwell, is catering to the needs of all her custom-ers; although she wants to please ev-eryone, she also has to take into con-sideration the costs and benefits that would come out of doing so. “It’s like there is always something new to make and keeping up with trends is hard,” she said. “It’s really fun to shop for fab-ric but what you like is sometimes not what everyone else likes.”

What’s Next for Bows by Rach?

Colwell has set many goals for the near future.

New Jersey; Marist College; Florence, Italy; Paris, France; Amsterdam, Neth-erlands and the list goes on. Bows by Rach has gone international. Although the bow-making is on hold while Col-well travels around Europe for the remainder of the spring semester, it doesn’t mean Bows by Rach is com-pletely forgotten and out-of-busi-ness. A great entrepreneur is always thinking, planning, expanding and improving. During her travels, Colwell finds herself searching for unique and foreign fabric patterns and designs to provide her customers with a wider range of bow options in the near fu-ture. Similar to how large businesses or brands come out with a seasonal fla-vor or limited edition shirt or product, Colwell purchases these vibrant and exclusive fabrics to create some excite-

ment, both for herself and for all her customers.

Within only one day of her return back to America, Colwell expects to have already made one small and one large

“Make sure people are inter-

ested and know that making

mistakes is okay too.”

bow in each new pattern to photo-graph and post on social media for ex-isting – and hopefully new – customers to be aware of and place orders right away.

Speaking to Colwell, you can tell her motivation, plans and actions all re-volve around making Bows by Rach the best it can be. Although she plans to obtain a summer job, the motiva-tion behind it lies in making money to further fund new products.

“I really want to get started right when I get home so I can take off and expand rapidly,” said Colwell. “It’s so hard for me because I love doing so much stuff at once and I’m always thinking. When I want to do something, I want to do it now. It’s so hard not to buy a hot glue gun here and just start already!” She has, however, made steps in the right direction to get to work immediately after returning – barrettes have already been ordered so she is ready to make bows soon after arriving in America. With the excitement for the future shining through every word, Colwell has nothing but positivity and motiva-tion on her mind.

Something to be prepared for in your own business endeavors? It never stops.

“Tie yourself” men’s bow ties; men’s ties; mini bows for babies; pony-tail bows. Colwell has high hopes and has become very ambitious for her busi-ness. However, she is well aware of the time commitment and challenges she would face in trying to expand in

too many ways all at once. Men’s ties, she said, are extremely challenging although they would be fun to make. Of course, parents love to dress their young daughters with bows in their hair, lending itself to a new market for Colwell to enter. The key is to re-search the market, discover where a need exists and figure out where there would be a customer base. Aside from mini bows for babies, Colwell intends to make bows attached to pony tail holders, which are preferred to French barrettes by many people and would ideally increase the customer base as well.

Aside from products, social media – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr – is critical to a business, especially in this generation and when targeting a product toward the younger, techno-logically advanced generation. For this reason, Colwell strives to soon reach 1,000 “likes” or “followers” on both the Facebook and Instagram pages for Bows by Rach. Something so simple goes a long way, helping to spread the word of the business one person and one bow at a time.

To make the process of receiving or-ders and mailing them out to cus-tomers simpler, also in an attempt to extend the customer base, Colwell’s next main project and goal to achieve involves creating an Etsy account. With the help of a friend, a Bows by Rach logo will soon be developed and the Etsy account will be up and running by summer 2015, the perfect location for all those new international bows to become public and sold. “I’m hoping

40 41


for a great turnout,” said Colwell, “and a lot of people have already placed orders with the international fabrics because they have traveled to those places with me.”

It doesn’t stop there. In addition to selling bows at Fashionology and in the New Jersey boutique, Bling, Col-well is in the process of setting up a business deal to sell her products in another boutique in her hometown. Although past experiences at craft fairs were not as successful as expect-ed, Bows by Rach is likely to return to craft fairs in the summer. Colwell sets a perfect example of never giving up on the business, always finding ways to expand and improve without getting carried away and taking on more tasks than she can handle.

Lastly, packaging affects a product – the way a product arrives not only impacts one’s first impression, but it also affects shipping costs and prof-its made. The future of packaging for Bows by Rach is for now a mystery, but Colwell did hint that she already has something up her sleeve.

With high hopes and goals for Bows by Rach, nothing can stop this talented and driven young woman, who still has a long career to look forward to, one full year of schooling left, and a bright future ahead of her to continue advancing in both her knowledge and in her business.

A Bit of Inspiration

Take some advice from someone who

has already gone through the process: JUST GO FOR IT.

Colwell recommends for any aspiring entrepreneurs to start small with an idea for a business and to slowly work his or her way up. First test out prod-ucts in small quantities to see if they will sell. “Make sure people are inter-ested and know that making mistakes is okay too,” she said. Although you may want to purchase things you are personally interested in, make sure other people, such as your friends and the market you are targeting, will like it too.

Check out Bows by Rach on Facebook or Instagram. Small bows sell for $7 and large bows sell for $9. For questions or bow orders, send an email to [email protected].

Written by Nadia AhmedPhotos Courtesy of Rachel Colwell

https://www.facebook.com/bowsbyrach

https://instagram.com/bowsbyrach/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

42 43


A Path Worth Following

Life is filled with surprises, especially in one’s career. Gino Ferrazzano, a

Marist College graduate of 2008, proves how unpredictable profes-

sional adventures can sometimes be a blessing in disguise.

Luigino Ferrazzano grew up in a family of Ital-ian immigrants; he un-derstands change, and understands that life is meant to be a journey. His educational and ca-reer pursuits are a testa-ment to his upbringing.

“To say that I knew I was going to be in event mar-keting would be a lie,” said Ferrazzano, who prefers the nickname “Gino.” “I majored in In-

ternational Business [at Marist College] to pur-sue a career in imports/exports or do something that involved the U.S. and international com-panies.”

Admittedly, Ferrazzano did not consider that his true calling until his se-nior year capping course with “Professor Roth-berger, who was amaz-ing” when he discovered a passion for strategic

44 45


consulting. He was par-ticularly drawn to “the ability to look at a com-pany at every angle, dis-sect it from the inside out and be able to recognize its problem areas and how you can fix them. This was my calling,” he continued. Now the only step remaining was to find a job in this field.There was one problem: there were no jobs to be had.

“To make a long story short, I came out of col-lege at the worst time,” said Ferrazzano, refer-ring to his graduation from Marist in 2008 – di-rectly in the worst part of the national recession. Jobs in any field, espe-cially for young college graduates, were few, and Ferrazzano’s immigrant background left him with limited connections.

“The reality is that only a few [strategic consulting] jobs exist and the ones that do are hard to come by or involve knowing someone in that field already,” he said. Denied of following his passion directly out of college, Ferrazzano ended up getting a job as a recruit-er in NYC.

The subsequent five years following Ferraz-zano’s graduation from Marist took him on a path with more career changes than some peo-ple have in their entire

lifetimes – but, with un-paralleled resilience, he gradually moved up the ladder of professional success. He began as a recruiter in an NYC staffing agency before becoming a Project and Account Manager for a print production com-pany in northern New

Jersey; shortly after, he moved up the ranks as a Marketing Coordinator for an event marketing company in the south-ern region of New Jersey. Awhile after that posi-tion, he headed another event marketing com-pany in central N.J. as a Managing Partner and Supervisor.

Little by little, as gradu-al as the economy was beginning to right itself once more, Ferrazzano worked to gain as much experience at possible – he went from recent college graduate with no connections, to a suc-cessful marketing leader with networks spanning the Northeast region. From New Jersey, he moved back to New York City; first as a Campaign Marketing Manager for an advertising distri-bution company, and then finally to his cur-rent position: the Digital Marketing Manager at Sizmek, a national ad-vertizing and marketing agency. On the side, Fer-razzano freelanced the social media marketing for the NYC-based com-pany Salvione Music.“I now run the market-ing/advertising for the

“Just having it on

your resume is not

enough; but rather,

showing them that

you learned some-

thing applicable and

beneficial while you

were over there will

differentiate you

from the others.”

world’s largest ad distri-bution company for TV and Online; DG Media-Mind – Sizmek. I want-ed to see the other side coming from the small, boutique agency world. I wanted to see what the corporate side is all about and I love it,” he said.

“This may seem like a lot of jobs over the last five years, but to be honest, I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” continued Ferrazzano proudly. “I learned so much over that time, essentially taking a little something from each of those jobs to better prepare me for the next.”

Ferrazzano is now 29 – and despite the fact that his career path took him in a completely unex-pected direction from when he was an under-

graduate at Marist, he believes that it is the unpredictability of his future despite having an education that has made him a better worker and person.

But, he said, there is one caveat – whatever you do, and whichever un-predictable direction that you head in as you pursue a career – do something you love.

“The worst thing in the world is waking up every morning and dragging your [butt] into work just because it pays the bills,” said Ferrazzano, entirely blunt. “We don’t live in Communist Russia – no one but yourself is forc-ing you to pursue a pro-fession that conventional wisdom says is the way to go – we live in a wild time where if you know how to market yourself and develop yourself as a brand, you will go far, no matter the career path you take.”

With that said, Ferraz-zano advises college graduates to not only work to go far, but to be an all-star. Load up on the internships; become proficient in programs

such as Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, or finan-cial programs; become comfortable with public speaking; learn a lan-guage, or two. Find that niche that drives you, he said, because that pas-sion will result in a far better quality of work.

Ferrazzano also ex-pressed that a great deal of what his post-grad-uate life was like could start occurring during students’ time at Marist. Studying abroad and interning, according to him, are a student’s greatest allies. Ferrazza-no, for instance, used his internship experience as a student to discover career paths that he did not want to pursue.

“I was still a finance major and dead set on becoming a financial adviser until I had my internship at Smith Bar-ney Citi Group in NYC,” he said. “I had an amaz-ing experience…but I knew it was not for me. Just too dry, not enough action, and starting from the bottom was a lone-ly place where very few succeeded.” But, that experience gave him the ability to cross one more

46 47


“endeavor off of his list and continue searching to discover his passions, according to Ferrazzano.

The same concepts went for traveling abroad to study. “Don’t ponder it;

Written by Gillian FossPhotos Courtesy of Gino Ferrazzano

DO it,” said Ferrazzano. However, similarly to the internship experience, the value of the expe-rience is entirely what you choose to make of it, he said. Because so many students nowadays have the ability to study abroad for at least one semester, Ferrazzano advised to do more than travel.

“Just having it on your resume is not enough; but rather, showing them that you learned some-thing applicable and beneficial while you were

“We live in a wild time where if you

know how to market yourself and de-

velop yourself as a brand, you will go

far, no matter the career path you take.”

over there will differenti-ate you from the others,” he said, noting that his one regret while studying abroad in Florence, Italy was not doing enough to advance his dream of working on the interna-

tional business front.

Ferrazzano’s final tip for professional success is a simple one: know your stuff. Know what is go-ing on in the world, and what is going on with people around you. For underclassman in partic-ular, know where money is going – it will “keep you ahead of the game and ahead of those kids who wait until senior year to open their eyes,” according to him.

Above all else, however, know one thing – life is

fickle. It is full of change and transition and, es-pecially in one’s career, can present its fair share of obstacles. Those who rise above to meet these challenges, though, and to make the most out of

any scenario, will be the most successful.

This is the route that Gino Ferrazzano chose. This is the route that we all can choose.

48 49


“I would tell all stu-dents as they head into their

professional careers to avoid the pitfall of “not my job.” I would encour-

age them to step outside the box of their work duties to learn new things in their organi-zations. They should strive to become an expert in their field and in their organizations. Some of

the most mundane work creates the most valuable learning experiences. I have seen, way too often, pro-fessionals limiting themselves in their scope of work that they get bored and need to leave to find some-thing “more challenging.” There is always plenty of

work if you are willing to learn new and different processes. Strive to grow your knowledge; do not

become complacent about learning once you leave the academic setting.” – Julie Walsh

(Formerly Chiarito), Assistant Vice President for Budget at SUNY New

Paltz. Marist ‘05. New Paltz, NY.

“The best ad-vice I can give to

graduating seniors is to be open-minded. Gather as many facts as you can before making any big life decisions and don’t

immediately rule anything out be-cause you never know where one path might take you.” – Andrew

Goss, Technical Consultant at QuickPivot. Marist

‘09. Boston, MA.

Words of Advice

“When starting a business, make sure

you are solving a need or a problem. It’s a lot of work; my

day starts at 5:30 a.m. and ends around 9 p.m. You learn every day through trial and error, but there

are still so many things that I don’t know.” – Danny Gonzalez,

Founder and CEO of Peo-pleVault, Inc. Marist

’94. New York.

“The best advice I can point to

is an Anthony Bourdain quote: ‘If you’re 22, physically fit, hungry to

learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if

you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them – wherever you go.’

To add to that in my own words, you have your whole life to work, pay back your student loans, and deal with the ‘real world.’ Now is the time in your life for

you to truly invest in yourself like no formal education or career learning can possibly do for you. Go and travel – you were not born on this earth to work,

pay bills and die. Exploring the world, in essence, is exploring yourself in the purest way that

an individual human can.” – AnneMarie Dezso, Product Marketing Manager

at Vacation.com. Marist ‘07. Alexandria, VA.

“It may take 20 unsuccessful

interviews before you finally get your dream

job. Never give up.” – Er-ica Garofalo, Motion Graphics Designer at

ESPN. Marist ‘11. Bristol, CT.

“Find your purpose.

Find your passion.” – William Decken, Chi-

ropractor at Family Straight Chiropractic.

Marist ‘79. Spar-tanburg, SC.

“Be honest in all your dealings with the

people you work for and with. Expect and demand the same.

Remember that you have to live with yourself the rest of your life. Work hard and learn every day. Always be open to how you can work better and faster. My best and favorite managers have always cared about me first and asked how I’m

doing and how my life is going. You should do the same.” – John Camp-

bell, Senior Project Manager at Nextel Communications,

Inc. Marist ‘91. Burke, VA.

Don’t stress out if you don’t graduate

college with one job. I know everyone pushes you to have

one lined up, but you have the rest of your life to work. In my opinion,

it’s not a bad idea to take the summer to travel and enjoy a little freedom before you start your career.” – Ni-

cole Guardino, Merchandise Manager at Movado Group,

Inc. Marist ‘08. Para-mus, NJ.

“Never go into any meeting or anyone’s office/

desk without a way to take notes. Sometimes even casual conversations can

quickly turn into business. Ask co-workers and managers if they need a hand with anything before

the end of the day, especially in smaller companies. If senior co-workers are staying at the office later than you,

you better make sure you’ve done everything you can to help them. Don’t get caught on personal websites or looking at your phone all day. Even if you think no one can see you, they can.

Don’t get caught up in silly office gossip. It always ends badly. And similar to web surfing, someone will always find out what you said.

Use your sick days for real sick days. And if you use it for some-thing else, don’t post it on Facebook. If you want to get ahead, it’s

going to take extra effort and time. Put in the extra hours to get ahead on assignments and practice new skills and stay on top

of industry trends. Do it while you’re young. Make sure you enjoy your job. You might not love everything about it,

especially at first, but you need to get some satisfaction out of it. Also, make sure you leave enough time in

your life for other things that you love.” – Kris-tin Champagne, Director of Research at

Directive Analytics. Marist ‘02. Trumbull, CT.

“Obtain as much practical expe-

rience as possible in your desired field. Look for ways to differentiate yourself from ev-

eryone else applying for the same job. Win the day! Make an effort to be productive each and every

day.” – Gregory Bibb, Chief Exec-utive Officer at Capital Sports

Ventures, LLC. Marist ‘96. Arlington, VA.

“Go where the jobs are. Don’t

pick a job based on lo-cation, but where there is

opportunity to grow your ca-reer.” – Allison Bucci, Senior

Account Executive for the Boston Red Sox. Marist

‘09. Boston, MA.

50 51


Internships

Unusual analogy, yes, but according to Marist alumnus Wendy Baron, it is the best piece of career advice that she was giv-en.

“It basically means that you can’t sit back and wait for what you want and need, you have to ask for it, and make it known what you are go-ing for,” said Baron, who graduated from Marist

“The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

in 2008 as a Communi-cations: Radio/TV/Film major.

For Baron, this advice started being applicable even during her under-graduate years when she was searching for intern-ship opportunities. The “squeaky wheel” advice motivated her to step out from the crowd of qual-ified students vying for limited positions. While

she was still a student, Baron set her sights on one internship in partic-ular – an incredibly com-petitive internship with ESPN.

“When I was applying for my internship at ESPN while I was still at Marist, I not only ap-plied through the ESPN careers site, I also sent e-mails and called the recruiter that came to

Internship with ESPNTurns into Full-Time Career


“You can’t sit back and wait for what

you want and need, you have to ask

for it, and make it known what you are

going for.”

ence.

Baron landed the intern-ship of her dreams at ESPN, which has since led to a career as the Coordinator of Contract Administration with the leading sports program in the nation. Even now, however, this advice continues to help her accomplish professional goals, she said.

Marist to ensure I would be able to get an inter-view and would be able to make an in-person impression,” said Bar-on. She noted that when Marist provides on-cam-pus recruiting opportu-nities – whether it’s Re-vamp Your Resume Day or an actual Job Fair in McCann – to take advan-tage; to network, and use these moments as the “grease.” In many cases, they make all the differ-

“It has helped me while working at ESPN,” Bar-on said. “I make sure to ask for the tools I know I will need to complete my tasks instead of waiting for someone in manage-ment to ask me if I need something.”

It’s only normal to have a few “squeaky wheels” as students; we’re all still growing and learning, after all. But take ini-tiative; be aware of the

opportunities available to act as the “grease” on campus, and use them to your advantage. Doing so will set you apart from the rest – and, like Baron, could result in a dream career.

52 53


YOU’LL ALWAYS be a

RED FOXMARIST

Marist seniors are fre-quently coaxed into the next stage of their lives with the “you’ll always be a Marist Red Fox” words of encouragement.

If you ask 2005 Marist graduate Caitlin Do-nahue, this is true – al-though the days of living alongside the Hudson River may be over, it only presents the opportunity to join the ever-growing, connected network of Marist graduates all over the world.

“Stay connected! To your friends, classmates, pro-fessors, internship con-tacts, former employers, everyone you’ve met along the way. Marist is not the end,” said Do-nahue, who majored in

Communications during her time on campus be-fore pursuing her goal of becoming a lawyer.

“Keep your eye out for other Marist grads in your travels. We look out for each other,” added Donahue, who – ironical-ly enough – met a fellow former Red Fox while working in court one happenstance day.

The two alumni did not even attend Marist at the same time, but their common experiences bonded them. The two soon became the “best of friends and business partners” and opened Donahue’s first law office together, according to Donahue. This opportu-nity came as a result of

staying connected and continual networking, even after graduating. “You will also want to make great lasting im-pressions and maintain relations with anyone that could help you get that dream job and you just never know who that may be,” said Donahue, who credits her now suc-cessful law career with this first foraged partner-ship and friendship. The two business partners even hung a Marist ban-ner in the law office once it was opened – a perpet-ual sign of the Red Fox connection.


Networking

Network, Network,

Network, It is not always about the number of connec-

tions you have – more often than that, it ’s more

about the quality of those connections.

Julia Graham has been a resource on the Marist Alumni Network since her graduation from Marist in 2006. In the years that has followed, she prides her-self on responding to every student who has reached out to her, whether the undergraduate in question was seeking career advice or help with a class proj-ect. After all, these interactions are a fundamental part of the networking process that Graham consid-ers “so important.”

There have been great connections made with the current Red Foxes – but also some “disappointing, even rude interactions,” admitted Graham. This presents the question: what are some ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ of networking with alumni?

Perhaps the most important thing in networking is to make a good first impression; show the alumni or potential employer how much you appreciate their help and how they can be a valuable connection to

54 55


Networking

keep – set yourself apart from the rest. According to Graham, they’ll re-member.

“I respond to every stu-dent but keep a running list in my head of who I won’t go out of my way to help, many based simply on how they framed their request,” said Graham. “Many of my friends are Marist alum and most of us are still in NYC so we have talked about our interactions.”

Don’t be a horror story to be circulated around the alumni network. Case in point – one of Graham’s colleagues at VH1 once received an e-mail from a student that read: ‘Hey, I want to be a host on MTV. Can you pass along my resume?’

“One, she doesn’t work at MTV, and two, she’s a promo writer and has no hand in that process,” said Graham, who con-tinued by saying that she and her colleague laugh about it now, but at the time were appalled. “What that e-mail says is ‘I’m spamming you and probably 50 others be-cause I didn’t even take five minutes to read your

job title or description and try to understand what you do’.”

Instead, Graham sug-gested that current un-dergraduates at Marist, particularly upperclass-men, utilize the alumni directory to target people in the fields they’re look-ing to enter.

“Reach out and ask if you can take them to lunch or coffee for advice on how to get into that field and learn more about their career; how they got started and how they got where they are today,” Graham said. “DO NOT mention you are look-ing for a job and want to know if they will pass on your resume. That’s im-plicit in the request.

“If you bring that up in your first note,” she con-tinued, “the message you send is you want help from someone without taking the time to learn about them and let them learn about you.” Net-working, in some re-gards, has the potential to be mutually beneficial – and students need to realize that.

Networking is also more

than ‘how’ – it also should answer the ques-

tion of ‘when’. Accord-ing to Graham, students should make connec-tions as early in college as possible, and stay in touch. As another exam-ple: a Public Relations Marist student reached

Graham works in the greater New York City area along with countless other Marist Alumni, easily accessible for students who wish to make connections. Photo Courtesy of Creative Commons.

out to Graham last year and asked to grab coffee,

having interned at a PR agency in the same NYC building as Graham’s office.

“I was, and remain im-pressed, by her interest in my career and advice,

her eagerness and how proactive she was about her career and making connections,” said Gra-ham. “[Although] she went on to another in-ternship, we have stayed in touch with one anoth-er every few months.”

Their physical paths may never cross again, but the impression that this Marist student made on Graham continues to place her at the top of her list when her com-pany is hiring or sending potential resumes to the human resources depart-ment.

Graham also offered one last piece of networking advice: if someone offers to speak with you, take them up on it. Network-ing can only go so far when the students nev-er follow up or actually make the connection.

“I’ve had upcoming grads and alumni reach out and ask to connect with me, and yet they didn’t respond when I provided availability,” she said. “Things may pop up which makes your schedule busier than expected, but it’s insulting when you ‘go

dark’.”

This, along with all of Graham’s other advice, can fundamentally be narrowed down to one word: respect. At the end of the day, networking is all about respect: respect of the alumni, respect of the job field, and the mutual respect that is gained by making these connections.


56 57


Under ten percent of students nationally are able to study abroad, according to a 2013 NAFSA survey. Marist is an exception, with more than half of their stu-dents studying abroad at least once. For some majors, however, the demanding and tightly scheduled curriculum makes this difficult.

Dan Miller, a 2013 Marist graduate, majored in Internet Technology (IT) with a minor in Computer Science – this rigorous curriculum, paired with several high-profile internships and teaching assistantships, did not allow enough free space in his four-year plan to study abroad. But Marist’s emphasis on seeing the world was not lost on Miller, who has since traveled all over with his job.

“Just because you don’t study abroad, doesn’t mean that you should give up on traveling,” said Miller. “If anything, Marist helped me to find a career where traveling is essential.” Miller now works for Etsy – a rapidly growing on-line marketplace connecting people all over the world after first being founded in 2005. Miller is a software engineer in the global company’s Engineering department; more specifically, on their Core Platform team. He’s responsible for “large-scale data migrations, caching archi-tecture, and image storage,” among many other tasks.

It is a job that Miller loves, and upon graduating from Marist he relocated to Brooklyn, N.Y. where Etsy is head-quartered. Because Etsy has over 600 employees, however, not to mention that the commerce is being sold and bought internationally, the company has expanded to additional offices: Berlin, Germany; Dublin, Ireland; London, United Kingdom; Mel-bourne, Australia; Paris, France; San Francisco, Ca.; Toronto, Can-ada; and Hudson, N.Y.

Already, Miller has had short-term experience working in

Travel

Skye Fairy Pools of the UK, taken during Miller ’s travels with Etsy

Making Travel a Priority

“If you’re 22, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better,

I urge you to travel - as far and as widely as possible.” –

Anthony Bourdain

nearly all of these offices, with hopes to someday travel to the Paris, Toronto and Melbourne locations. “It has been a great experience to be able to travel to these locations for my job,” he said. “Obviously I work on developing and improving software while there, but I’ve also used the opportunity to sightsee and reconnect with inter-national friends. Etsy has enabled me to begin to see the world.”

His favorite two locations have been San Francisco, where he fell in love with the “artistic culture and eclectic style” of the city, and

Dublin, Ireland, where hiking around the wide green lands allowed for him to trace his ancestry. Plus, he added, “enjoy a Guinness while brainstorming with colleagues!”

Miller advises graduating students to travel as much as possible – whether they have the opportunity to study abroad during their undergraduate career, or else at-tempt to incorporate traveling into their professional endeavors. “Make an effort to travel, and to see the world,” said Miller. “My job is won-derful, and I get to do what I love and play with computers all day. But the traveling…that’s what is helping me grow.”

Written by Gillian FossPhoto Courtesy of Dan Miller

“Just because you don’t study

abroad, doesn’t mean that you

should give up on traveling.”

http://www.nafsa.org/Explore_International_Education/Advocacy_And_Public_Policy/Study_Abroad/Trends_in_U_S__Study_Abroad/

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The Best of

MARIST

Photo Credit: Caitlin O’Connell - 2015 Graduate

Pho

to C

red

it: K

riste

n So

mer

ville

- 2

01

5 G

rad

uate

Photo Credit: Rachel Ringer - Class of 2016

Photo Credit: Danielle Busch - 2015 Graduate

Photo Courtesy of Brielle Reynolds, Marist 2015 Graduate

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