There are ten days left of this semester, not including the weekends or finals week. More than likely, graduating seniors have a countdown narrowed down to the second of when they’ll walk across the stage at commencement.With graduation just three weeks away, some Tech students are knee-deep in their job hunting efforts. Many recent Tech alumni promise their education at Tech has more than adequately prepared them for their job or further schooling.
George Mead, 2009 Tech graduate, is in his second year of pharmacy school at Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy. Having first attended Hiwassee College in Madisonville, Tenn., Mead received his associate’s degree in chemistry. Mead then enrolled at Tech and earned his Bachelor of Science in chemistry as well.
“Hiwassee was a nice experience,” Mead said, “but I had work to do once I got to Tech. Tech pushed me harder and made me more aware of how pharmacy school would be. My professors were more thorough than those I had at Hiwassee.
“Looking back, I didn’t understand why some of my professors taught the way they did. Now that I’m in pharmacy school, I’m completely aware that their ways were to prepare me for it.”
Having just been promoted from Sales Manager for the Midwest of Timberland to Product Manager, Adam Garrett packed his bags and made the long move to Portsmouth, N.H.,
from Boulder, Colo. Graduating from Tech with a degree in bio-chemistry in 2007, Garrett went straight to work for Timberland. Garrett said it was his experiences at Tech that helped him land his job.
“I was very involved on campus with Sigma Chi fraternity and the InterFraternity Council,” Garrett said. “I was in several other organizations as well. Learning to deal with people and making connections with faculty and staff helped me acquire the skills needed in a sales position. Along with the classroom time I had, Tech and my social activities ensured an awesome college experience while gaining the knowledge I needed to be successful.”
Amber Stamps earned her degree in political science in 2008. Her fascination with the corporate world, along with politics led her to Washington, D.C. Stamps works as an account management specialist for Corporate Executive Board.
Stamps said, “I loved Cookeville and Tech. It was truly a blessing and I could not trade the experiences I gained while in school. Even though I’m not working in politics, my degree from Tech has made me well-rounded and equipped me with the creativity and critical thinking skills that my job requires. I know some students may be fearful of a low job market. I just encourage them to apply, apply, apply.”
Tech students, according to Payscale.com, a company that owns the largest online employee database in the world and specializes in compensation data, are at the top of the pay scale in Tennessee. Payscale.com reports that Tech is the top public university in Tennessee when it comes to the potential salary graduates can earn.
For the past seven years, Tech has ranked among the “Top Public Universities” by U.S. News and World Report. With such high rankings, Tech’s reputation for graduating excellent employees continues to excel.
