Hire A Tiger connects IW students with MP, southeastern Iowa employers

Devanta Stafford doesn't know what he wants to do after college, but the Hire A Tiger career fair at Iowa Wesleyan University on Wednesday, Oct. 24, was a good place to start dreaming.

The sophomore IW student from Houston, Texas is working toward a degree in business management - a broad field of study - and was looking for inspiration for a career path.

Chatting with Rich Mueller, of Edward-Jones in Mt. Pleasant, Stafford was given some words of advice: 'Don't take no for an answer, and have faith in yourself,” the longtime salesman said to the college student.

IW hosts Hire A Tiger every year, inviting local and regional businesses to campus for students to network with. Whether it's an internship, a part-time job during the semester or a full-time career, students are sure to find some luck shaking hands with representatives from the 21 businesses present Wednesday.

'It encourages them to start thinking about careers and opportunities earlier,” said Katherine Evans, IW director of career development and internships.

Mueller, who was born and raised in Mt. Pleasant, counts himself lucky to continue working for Edward-Jones in the area he grew up. At the career fair, Mueller hoped to share his love for the community with the students, as well as introduce them to all the opportunities working for the investment company presented.

In Mueller's 20 years with Edward Jones, five IW students have been hired and two now work in Canada. Whether financial adviser, home office employer, marketer or graphic designer, there's a place for every educational background at Edward Jones.

'Life is about relationships. It's critical in any career if you're going to be successful,” Mueller said. 'If you're going to have someone handle your money, there's a good deal of trust.”

The health care field was also represented at Hire A Tiger.

Desiree McDonough, with Ottumwa Regional Health Center, has been impressed with the level of experience and readiness nursing students graduate with from IW. At Hire A Tiger, McDonough was looking for potential registered nurses, lab techs, respiratory therapists and other staff for the health center.

'Students who come out of IW are ready to work,” McDonough said.

IW student Catiera Taylor, of Clinton, may only be a freshman nursing student, but she is already a Certified Nurses Assistant, qualifying her for her job at Sunrise Terrace. Taylor was doubling as a student during Hire A Tiger and a representative for Sunrise Terrace as she spoke to her peers about the experience she was getting as a full-time employee and full-time college student.

Sunrise Terrace was looking for nurses, housekeepers and other staff members for the 50-bed Sunrise Terrace facility.

Taylor wants to be an Emergency Room nurse after graduation. Going into her freshman year just this past August, Taylor sent her resume to 'anywhere and everywhere” in Mt. Pleasant searching for a job.

'It was very scary, especially being away from home,” Taylor said. 'But you just have to take a deep breath, lay steppingstones and hope for the best. Take it easy and trust your abilities.”

Nonprofits present at Hire A Tiger, like the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, were not only looking for future interns and employees, but volunteers.

Allison Peterson, a Henry County advocate with the Domestic Violence Intervention Program and an IW graduate herself, said their presence gives students a different career to think about. She never considered nonprofit work before coming across the job opening with the Domestic Violence Intervention Program and hopes the career fair 'sparks interest” in a student.

'It gives them a different avenue of thinking about what's available to be doing in nonprofit and victim services,” Peterson said.

An AmeriCorps VISTA position is opening at the program in January, a perfect opportunity for December college graduates, volunteer coordinator Rose Cooney pointed out.

Students at the career fair found the experience less intimidating and more eye-opening than they were expecting.

Tahnia Love, a freshman studying criminal justice, said she came into Hire A Tiger looking for an internship. While there weren't any jobs that completely coincided with her dream of becoming a lawyer, the Mt. Pleasant News stuck out to her as a potential learning experience.

Love, who used to do yearbook in high school, thought reporting would align well with all the asking questions, researching and writing that goes into being a lawyer.

Although Love still has a couple of years to find an internship for college credit, 'they drill into us what's coming,” she said.