{"id":27261,"date":"2019-05-20T18:07:22","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T22:07:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom2\/2019\/05\/20\/network-night-attracts-students-alumni-employers\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T14:15:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T18:15:09","slug":"network-night-attracts-students-alumni-employers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2019\/05\/20\/network-night-attracts-students-alumni-employers\/","title":{"rendered":"Network Night Attracts Students, Alumni & Employers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Current Miss Massachusetts Gabriela Taveras was the guest speaker during NECC’s Annual Networking Night.<\/p><\/div>\n

Nearly 150 business professionals, students, and alumni mingled and listened to a personal branding message from Miss Massachusetts Gabriela Taveras during Northern Essex Community College<\/a>\u2019s Fifth Annual Networking Night<\/a> Thursday, May 16, in the Hartleb Technology Center on the Haverhill campus.<\/p>\n

The attendees were welcomed and encouraged to network by NECC President Lane Glenn who said, \u201cThere are a lot of wonderful connections to be made here tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bill Heineman, vice president of NECC\u2019s academic and student affairs, said he expected everyone to have \u201csome fun practicing their networking skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nicholas Dolle of Exeter, NH, was there as both a representative for the financial service organization Primerica and as an NECC student enrolled in the Technology & Business Program<\/a>. A sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves, he hopes to merge the IT skills he learned in the Army with the business skills he is honing in class.<\/p>\n

Alumnus Nicholas Motta of Methuen, a graduate of the Computer & Information Sciences Program<\/a> works for a digital asset management company Bynder in Boston. He attended, he said, to practice his networking skills and \u201cI like the idea of giving back to the college. I thought it would be good to give back to the other computer science students. You never know who you might meet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Connie Bodemer of Lexington a graduate of the American Sign Language Studies Program<\/a> said she came to the event \u201cfor the experience\u201d. \u201cI\u2019ve never been to a networking night before,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of cool. I might even be able demonstrate my ASL skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doris Wleh, a resident of Lowell and graduate of the Public Health Program is enrolled in Regis College\u2019s public health bachelor degree program and dreams of a dream job in public health. She was eager to circulate among those in attendance.<\/p>\n

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NECC President Lane Glenn speaks to the crowd attending Networking Night.<\/p><\/div>\n

United Way representative Sean Cicero was interested in networking with NECC students and alumni in the hopes of finding individuals interested in in participating in a \u201cmeaningful gap year\u201d serving in AmeriCorps in Gloucester working with English Language Learners.<\/p>\n

Exuding confidence with a bit of whimsy, Miss Massachusetts Gabriela Taveras schooled the students and alumni on the cardinal rule for finding a job. \u201cIt\u2019s not what you know. It\u2019s who you know,\u201d she offered.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would encourage each of you to network, network, network,\u201d she said. \u201cAsk questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also suggested, \u201cshadowing\u201d someone in a career you are interested in. While shadowing is most often associated with high school students, she said adults do it too. As a former recruiter, she said, resumes should be crafted to the career being sought. She said job applicants shouldn\u2019t be afraid to use superlatives.<\/p>\n

As the first black Miss Massachusetts Taveras said she and employers understand superlatives. \u201cIf you are the \u2018first,\u2019 the \u2018biggest,\u2019 or the \u2018best\u2019 be sure to let future employers know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inform potential employers as to what you can contribute. \u201cThey want to see metrics. They want to see growth. They want to see development,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The Fifth Annual Networking Night was hosted by NECC\u2019s Career Center and Office of Alumni Relations<\/a>, for additional information contact Deb LaValley at 978-556-3875 or dlavalley@necc.mass.edu<\/a> or Ashley Moore, director of academic, career, and civic engagement, at amoore@necc.mass.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

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