Paul Elumeze’s main goal as a Career Services Advisor at Porter and Chester Institute is to give students the resources they need to find employment in their new fields when they graduate. He works one-on-one with the students to create personalized roadmaps to get them from where they are to the career they’ve always dreamed of. He says it’s the most fulfilling work he’s ever done.

Paul began working in business development for US Trust Wealth Management after graduating from Sacred Heart University. He then worked as an Account Executive in corporate sales for Verizon Wireless for four years, before coming to the Career Services Department at the Stratford campus of Porter and Chester Institute.

Paul teaches students how to market themselves and stand out to employers in a crowded job market. At Porter and Chester Institute, the career training programs are formatted to give students valuable technical skills and hands-on experience that today’s employers are looking for. As students near graduation, Paul teaches the students about professional etiquette, networking skills, and resume writing. The Career Services team then works alongside the instructors to reinforce those new skills in the classroom until the day students graduate.

Paul also shows students how to take their newfound professional skills to find employment opportunities online. He’s been instructing the students on how to embrace the power of social media in their job search. He teaches them how to give their social media profiles a professional makeover to optimize their ability to attract hiring employers.

Paul works one-on-one with the students to identify their career goals and helps create plans to get there. Recently, Paul worked closely with a student whose goal was to work for the railroad company after he graduated. When the student started the Electronics Systems Technician Program, Paul helped by compiling a list of companies he could possibly work for. When he graduated, the student got a job as a level-one technician at Nordco, one of the companies on Paul’s list. The student is now busy working his way up to a level-three technician, where he has the opportunity to be reimbursed for earning his bachelor’s degree.

“Students today think there’s only one way to get from Point A to Point B. That’s not true! There’s always more than one way to get there. We’ll work with you to create a road map, tailored specifically for your career goals. We’ll show you how to get there,” Paul said.

One of Paul’s major accomplishments at Porter and Chester Institute was organizing the Stratford campus’s first Semi-Annual Career Fair. His team worked hard to advertise the event and prepare students to interact and sell themselves to area employers who were hiring. The Career Fair ended up being a huge success and helped several students find gainful employment! The event now occurs regularly and is something that the students and employers look forward to every term.