Queens alum Tyler Rauch says if he could give one piece of advice to undergraduates it would be to take advantage of the Internships and Career Programs.

He landed an exciting internship that led to him landing his dream job through a connection he made at a networking event on campus.

It's really textbook job-search savvy, says Bill Means, director of Internships and Career Programs. Establishing a relationship with people who have the power to hire is the first step to getting your foot in the proverbial door to the career of your choice.

 "My goal was to work in a big city doing something in corporate America," Rauch said, but he wasn't sure where to start. As a junior, Rauch attended a networking reception at Queens, hoping to mingle with representatives of local and national companies looking for interns and new hires.

 "I saw two folks in the corner who looked like they were pretty friendly, so I went and talked to them," Rauch remembers.  They  turned out to be representatives of Ford Motor Company. "The next morning, I handed them my resume."

That conversation led to an exciting internship, which led to a job offer upon his graduation.  Rauch, a business major at Queens, now works as a financial analyst in Ford's Chicago assembly plant.

Means says his staff has several events planned for this academic year to help students network and praises Rauch for making good decisions that led to him landing his dream job.

 "I tell students it's rare to walk away from a career fair with a job in hand, but you establish relationships and network, and you've tremendously increased your chances of making the right connection to get you there," Means says.

Mark Your Calendar

Queens career events planned for 2010-2011

• Career Fair - 10 a. m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 23 in Ovens Athletic Center - hiring for internships, full-time jobs and graduate schools. Representatives from nearly 50 organizations will be on hand to talk with students.
• Networking Reception - 5:30-7:30 p.m. March 24 in Burwell Hall - annual reception with representatives from about 20 organizations mingling with students.
• Metrolina Career Fair - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Charlotte Convention Center - representatives from about 85 organizations will talk with students about internships and full-time jobs.

For more help meanwhile, visit the Internships and Career Programs Office in Blair House or call 704-337-2337. Hours during the academic year are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p. m. Monday-Thursday, 8:30 to noon and by appointment after noon on Friday.