SU Alumni Association

SHIP Alumni Career Newsletter

April 2016 Edition

April 25, 2016
In This Issue
The Ship Journey, Melissa Mimna '08
Highlighted Jobs
Networking Opportunity for Young Alumni
Interviewing
Join Our Mailing List!
Quick Links
Welcome to the April edition of the Alumni Career Newsletter!
The Ship Journey
The Ship Journey 
Experience by SU alumna Melissa Mimna '08  
The five years since I left Shippensburg University have been quite a journey, full of excitement, frustration, challenges, rewards, and everything in between.  After receiving my masters of science in geoenvironmental studies in May 2008, I was excited and ready to take on the world. Little did I know that the world wasn't quite ready for me and the economy wasn't going to cooperate, either.  My first job offer was very tempting. However, it was located in D.C. and, after much internal struggle, my family and I decided that we didn't want to move to the D.C. area. Instead, we decided to move to the beautiful state of Colorado, where we knew we would enjoy living, and hope that an equally lucrative job offer would follow.
 
And then the economy crashed. I couldn't find a job to save my life. After a few months, I finally got a job as geek squad admin at the local Best Buy. And a few months later, I found a job in my field from a craigslist posting. I became a laboratory technician, performing Whole Effluent Toxicity tests. I learned a lot in my new job and quickly advanced to lead laboratory technician and then to QA/QC officer. Within two years I was managing all aspects of the laboratory as the quality assurance manager. While I was learning a lot and grateful to be working in my field, I knew that I was destined for a little more.

In November 2012, I was offered the position of water quality analyst for the City of Boulder and I was thrilled to accept this position. Because I had suspected the City of Boulder would be a fantastic employer, I had been keeping my eye on the City's website for job openings. I feel like my education and background were all in preparation for this position. 
 
I'm so grateful to be a scientist for the City of Boulder. I am given the tools to excel and feel like the work I do and the data I produce is very important. It's an incredible feeling to be working in the field that is my passion and to be contributing valuable data. I'm also extremely thankful for the skills I gained during my education at Shippensburg University. I was given an extremely solid foundation in the environmental field and the skills necessary to excel in my career path. My experiences at Shippensburg also gave me the confidence in my abilities to adapt to new situations and circumstances and the confidence that I can do anything, if I put my mind to it.
 
If I could share any wisdom with current Ship students, it would be to enjoy the entire journey. It's going to be full of challenges and victories, frustrations and rewards. But, attitude is everything. With the skills developed at Ship, the confidence that builds over time, the right attitude, and some patience you can achieve all your dreams.  
Highlighted Job Postings
More information on all of these jobs and many more can be found on SHIP Career Connections.  Sign up for SHIP Career Connections at http://www.ship.edu/Alumni/ACES/Bulletin/ 






Senior Compensation & Benefits Analyst
,Gladfelter Paper, York
The senior compensation and benefits analyst is responsible for providing analytical and project management support for various global total rewards initiatives in support of Glatfelter's business units. The role will focus primarily on health and welfare benefit programs, and merit and incentive compensation programs. Duties & Responsibilities: Daily administration of the compensation and benefits programs for all employees and retirees, including health and welfare benefits and merit and incentive processes. Assist with managing external vendors for both project and daily operations.  Administer annual global compensation process for merit and incentive processes, including salary surveys. Act as liaison between employees, retirees and vendors to resolve outstanding issues. Work with the compensation manager and benefits manager to deliver employee communications. Ensure compliance with ERISA and other legal requirements including but not limited to annual updates and communication of plan documents and summary plan descriptions. Requirements: 5 years of combined experience with compensation and benefits plan administration or consulting experience, or equivalent HR or finance experience. Strong project management abilities both in leadership and individual contributor roles. Ability to work with complex concepts and communicate these in a clear and concise manner. Demonstrated skill and experience writing technical plans and process documentation for varied audiences. Education - Bachelor's degree in HR, finance, general Business or related required.Send resume to Melissa Ural at [email protected]
 
Multiple Positions, US Tech Solutions, Carlisle
Accounting, Customer Service, Data Entry, Administrative Assistant. Positions for recent college grads and all levels of experience. Contact US Tech Solutions at www.ustechsolutions.com or Jill Evans, program manager at [email protected] 

Additional Jobs:
Telecommunicator Trainee, Emergency Services, Chambersburg
Child and Family Therapist, Hoffman Homes for Youth, Littlestown
Account Executive Trainee, PLS Logistics Services, Pittsburgh 
General Sales Manager, WGTY, Gettysburg, Hanover, York  
Networking Opportunity for Young Alumni
Ship Young Alumni Night at Appalachian Brewing Co., Harrisburg 
Join the Alumni Association at ABC Harrisburg on June 9. Connect with other SHIP young alumni!  Networking is the #1 way to learn about job opportunities. Stop in between 5:00PM - 7:00PM!  From the day you graduate until your 10 th Reunion, you are automatically a part of the SU Young Alumni group.
Interviewing
Have an interview coming up? Don't make the #1 mistake that many recent graduates make. Read the May edition of the alumni career newsletter for information on interviewing and hear from employers on what they believe is the #1 mistake interviewees make. 
 
Pass it on!
Please feel free to forward this alumni career newsletter to any of your fellow Ship grads. Reach out to [email protected] if you need any type of career assistance.
University Relations
Shippensburg University Alumni Association
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