I - * ; • The Compass Friday, November 13, 1998 7
Career Fair broadens horizons for ECSU students
photo by Mike Lampart
Students line up at the booths at Career Day.
By Monique Boyce
Assistant Editor
On Sept. 24 Elizabeth City State Uni
versity brought the world of work to
the ECSU campus when the Office of
Career Services held its annual Career
Fair.
The two day event brought repre
sentatives from local, state, and regional
companies face to face with ECSU stu
dents from all of the academic disci
plines.
Mr. Brutus Jackson, ECSU's Director
of Career Services, says he was pleased
with this year's event which, he says,
showed a marked improvement over
previous years, especially in terms of
student attendance.
Jackson said that during the time they
were on campus, the more than 70
representatives visited more than 130
classes, giving students tips about how
to be successful in today's global job
market.
"The recruiters were very positive
about the students and the Career Fair,"
Jackson said. "I was pleased with this
year's event. The faculty and adminis
tration was very supportive and
helped to inform the students of its
importance."
Jackson said that 810 students at
tended the fair this year compared to
630 last year, a 15 percent increase.
Mrs. Sandra Gibson, assistant to the
Director of Career Services, said there
was a marked improvement in the cam
pus-wide reception among students.
faculty and the administration.
"There was a very positive student
reaction and general interest in career
services, the fair, internships and co
op opportunities," she said.
The fair was also larger and more
expansive that last year's, Gibson said.
She citied the increase in the number
of represenatives who came to cam
pus.
"This year's fair was a definite im
provement from the previous year's,"
she said. "There were more than 71
representatives from different compa
nies, goveniment agencies, school sys
tems and graduate schools."
"The most obvious measure of the
fair's success was the 15 percent in
crease," she added.
Director Jackson said that two major
recruiters, the Bureau of Labor Sta.
tics and Western Geophysical, which
employed two ECSU interns last sum
mer, have agreed to hire additional stu
dents during the summer of 1999.
Mr. Jackson said he was satisfied with
the overall presentation students
made,but he reemphasized that dress
and demeanor and professionalism are
the key ingredients students need to keep
in mind when interviewing and which
will help guarantee success during the
interview process. These include "dress
ing for success", preparing a quality re
sume, and practicing interview tech
niques to perfection.
"Of course there are other variables
but these are the basics," Jackson says.
In addition to holding the annual fair,
the Office of Career Services offers stu
dents assistance in securing internship
placements, co-op opportunities, inter
viewing techniques, resume writing and
cover letter preparation. Students can
also use the office to look up informa
tion about graduate and professional
school study.
The Career Services Office is located
in room 103 of the H.L. Trigg Building
and is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It was
formerly known as the Office of Career
Planning and Placement.
photo courtesy of Duke University
Lovest Alexander, Duke University Physician Assistant Recruiter.
Duke Physician
assistant recruiter
visits campus
Mr. Lovest Alexander, director of the
Duke University Physican Assistant
Recruitment Program, told a small but
enthusiastic group of ECSU students
that virtually all of the courses they are
taking at Elizabeth City State Univer
sity will in some way help their chances
of either entering the medical profes
sion or gaining entry to medical school.
Mr. Alexander's visit on Oct. 1 was
part of the North Carolina Health Ca
reers Access Program at ECSU which
brings noted professionals from the
health care professions to the campus
throughout the year.
Mr. Alexander's visit was coordi
nated by Ms. Izila F. Mouring, ECSU's
Director of Health Careers.
During his 45-minute talk, which was
punctuated by questions from the au
dience, Mr. Alexander, who has been a
physician assistant for more than 20
years and who specializes in internal
medicine, outlined the coursework and
kinds of practical experiences that
Duke is looking for in its applicants.
"You have to have a four year de
gree, because getting into a P.A. pro
gram is just like getting into medical
school," he said. "Hands-on experience
gives you more credit. Our (physicians
assistant) training and Duke's medical
school training are similar."
Physician assistant training involves
learning the principles of anatomy,
physiology, microbiology,
pharmacotherapeutics, health mainte
nance, primary care and internal medi
cine. It also includes obstetrics, gyne
cology and psychiatry.
Mr. Alexander said that physician
assistant salaries range from $51,000 to
$100,000.