- This past Monday, GCC was able to receive a visit from a representative of one of the most distinguished fashion schools in New York and the world. Anthony M. Urmey, Assistant Director of Admissions and Transfer Services at LIM, spoke to the Fashion Business students of GCC about all that LIM has to offer. LIM is situated amongst the skyscrapers of NYC; with its academic buildings located in Midtown East, and dorm buildings a 15-minute metro ride away on 1760 3rd Ave, LIM is the best choice of school for fashion students who are looking to break-in to the industry. LIM offers a variety of degrees, including (but not limited to): BBA BPS in Fashion Merchandising, BBA in Marketing, BBA in Management, and BBA in Visual Merchandising. LIM is one of a few fashion schools that offers a bachelor’s degree in visual merchandising. During his presentation, Anthony Urmey made a point of mentioning that when looking at schools for transfer that it is important to be aware of the accreditation of the school you are looking to transfer to. LIM for example is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs. Anthony also placed great emphasis on finding the transfer school that fits you best through the use of exploring the credentials of the school’s faculty. Professors tend to be most effective in teaching subject matter when they have experience in/worked in the field of concern. Many of LIM’s professors work full-time in the fashion industry while teaching, making them readily available to provide students with insight on topics of concern and professional connections.
Anthony M. Urmey of LIM speaking to fashion students
Part of what sets LIM apart from other fashion schools based out of NYC is its unique internship requirements. All students at LIM are required to have completed three internships (approximately 150 hours). The first internship the students are required to participate in is in the area of retail. The second internship is within corporate/management and can be picked based upon the specific career interests/goals of the student. The third internship that students must complete is the senior co-op, which involves intensive hands-on work and serves as a career transition for students. Anthony said this of LIM’s internship programs: “the more proactive students are going to get the better spots”, landing an internship in NYC is very competitive, therefore students who are looking to apply to LIM should have a strong passion for the fashion industry and be willing to work hard. Anthony advised the fashion students at GCC to also be aware of the employment rates of graduates from schools that you are looking to transfer to. The whole concept of university-based education relies on the hope of being employable after receiving your degree, by looking at these stats you become informed of your chances of earning a professional position after you have received your degree. In 2011, 97% of LIM graduates seeking positions were employed within nine months of graduation. Tuition at LIM is $24,225; though it may come at a high cost, the education earned from LIM is a great investment; this is proved through the very low loan default rate of 2 ½ % and high employment rates of LIM graduates. If the price tag of LIM is the only thing stopping you from sending in your application for transfer then its time to reconsider. GCC students have an advantage when applying to LIM; everyone who graduates from GCC will receive $1,000 tacked onto their financial awards from LIM. GCC and LIM also have an articulation agreement as of 2011, enabling GCC students to enter LIM as a junior in their program of choice. So get your applications in right away! If you’re planning on transferring Anthony recommends that students at GCC should send in applications as early as possible. Don’t forget to submit your college transcripts, high school transcripts, a well-written essay, two letters of recommendation, and your resume! Good luck to all those who are currently applying to LIM, and for all those who follow in their footsteps.
-Ami Cornell
Author: Ami
It’s Time to Get LinkedIn
StandardWant to scare a college student? Just ask them: “What are you going to do after you graduate?” Nothing will get their palms sweating quicker; their eyes will enlarge to the size of satellites as they begin an internal monologue “oh god, what am I going to do after college, I have the degree but now what?” Exactly. Now what? When you’ve just recently graduated from college, finding a job in your professional field can be impossible. According to a recent survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), businesses planned to hire only 2.1 percent more college graduates from the class of 2013 than they did from the class of 2012. The future of college grads is looking bleaker than ever; however, there is no need to throw in the proverbial towel. There is hope for us all yet. As current college students it is time for us to build up our resumes and differentiate ourselves as much as we possibly can from other job candidates. We have increasingly become a social media and technology reliant society; the job application process has now become heavily focused on separating oneself from other applicants through the use of technology as well. With the use of the social networking site for people in professional occupations known as LinkedIn recent college grads have the opportunity to include all of the factoids about themselves that make them who they are in and outside of the workplace.
Jackie Vetrano helping a student with their profile
On Wednesday, Jackie Vetrano, the Web and Social Media Coordinator here at GCC, and John McGowan, career services coordinator at GCC, spoke to the Professional Sales class about how to make the LinkedIn profile the best reflection of yourself and use it as a tool to gain job offers in professional fields. Jackie and John told the class that the LinkedIn profile should be looked at as a supplement to your existent resume. Any photos posted on the LinkedIn profile page should be professional, especially the profile image that is used, as it serves as the first impression for potential employers and other people who browse through your profile. Other important points that Jackie and John went over include: editing the web link to your LinkedIn profile and making it simpler and easy to search for, using a professional email address (this means no xoxogossipgirl@aim.com email addresses, time to put them to bed), a personal statement that sells your skillset in an appealing way. Honors and awards received should not be overlooked as well; they provide employers with context of your provided skills and encourage follow-up inquiry if a job position is on the table. During the LinkedIn instruction, Jackie Vetrano told the students “ nothing is too trivial, you have infinite space, take advantage of it!” This is the beauty of LinkedIn, it’s a website filled with professionals, this is your chance to show-off; this type of opportunity should be taken seriously.
With the use of LinkedIn, and people like Jackie Vetrano and John McGowan who are grooming college students to make themselves standout on these social media platforms, GCC graduates will have a much easier time finding careers in the professional fields of their choosing. So it’s time for everyone to get LinkedIn and link up!
Genesee Community College Blog 