After the graduation cap and gown find their respective places in storage and after “Pomp and Circumstance” fades to a faint fanfare, the ideal situation is to be secure in a job related to one’s field of study.

Some former University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students who have successfully made this transition into true adulthood have put things into perspective for students nearing graduation and looking to the future.

Sarah Scarpace

Following graduation in May 2005, Sarah Scarpace relocated to Green Bay to take advantage of a full-time job offer from WLUK Fox 11. Scarpace, an editor and writer, performs tasks such as editing video footage and writing scripts for the news.

Twice nightly, her work can be seen on television sets across northeastern Wisconsin, keeping viewers informed. Scarpace speaks highly of her current position, and it is evident that she has found her niche in the newsroom.

Scarpace did not land this job by chance. Throughout her schooling, she took the necessary steps towards attaining a place in television broadcasting.

One of the first moves she made was forming the Broadcasting Club with a couple of her contemporaries. She also took two internships in the field. From this experience, she acquired skills that she now puts to use in the editing room at Fox 11, and has since won a number of awards for videos on such topics as politics and education.

With a substantial list of credentials, she got an early start on the job-finding process and came out on top with a new career in broadcasting.

“Take some risks when applying for jobs and be ready to roll with punches,” Scarpace says.

Anthony Gomez

Anthony Gomez is now a professional analyst for the consulting company Accenture, located in downtown Milwaukee.

On a day-to-day basis, he is given a client’s scenario, which he then has to analyze from every possible angle, and communicates a plan of action to that client.

“For the most part,” Gomez says, “I work with bright people.”

Overall, Gomez seems very satisfied with his place of employment.

Gomez earned his bachelor’s degree in economics in May 2005. During his education at UWM, he took on the role of supervisor at BOSS, which gave him an edge on fostering good relations, a key to his success at Accenture.

When asked about the transition from the college years to the 9-to-5 work week, Gomez has sound advice.

“The transition is something you have to be proactive about,” he says. “It requires a lifestyle change for the most part.”

Although he dreaded the job-finding process, he took his future into his own hands and applied for as many jobs as possible — even those that were not of much interest to him — just for practice.

Rob Girardi

Right out of college, Rob Girardi found employment at Miller Brewing Co., after a summer internship with the company gave him a foot in the door.

Now a supply chain analyst, Girardi describes his job as “the grease between the brewery and distributors.” His main responsibility is managing inventory for distributors across America.

“I am always fascinated by coordinating millions of dollars worth of inventory all around the country,” he says.

Girardi originally went to school for finance, but a work experience with UPS got him interested in production and operations management.

During his senior year, Rob took advantage of a career fair, handed out his resume and landed an internship with Miller. During his internship, a job became available. He applied and got the job.

All three of these individuals have different stories, but a lot in common; they all took some initiative, created their own reality and are now making a living for themselves. By these examples, opportunities do arise — it is only a matter of taking advantage of them to create your own story.

> Comments