Robert Ewusi of Haverhill, who graduated from Northern Essex with an associate degree in business transfer, networks with Tim Burke of the Burke Group, USA and Connell Tarr of Prudential at the NECC Networking Night on May 14.

Robert Ewusi of Haverhill graduated from Northern Essex Community College on Saturday with an associate degree in business transfer and plans to continue his education, majoring in economics at UMass Lowell.

His goal is to work in the business end of the music industry, and on Thursday night he was polishing the networking skills that will help him get there.

Ewusi was one of 55 Northern Essex Community College students who signed up to attend a Networking Night for the NECC Class of 2015 that was held on Thursday evening, May 14 in the Technology Center on the college’s Haverhill Campus.

The Networking Night was offered for the first time this year to help graduating seniors connect with local employers and hone their networking skills, says Dawna Perez, Ph.D., dean, Student Success, NECC. 

Ewusi and the other students attending networked informally with the 38 employers– including banks, financial services companies, and hospitals; played networking bingo; and had Linkedin portraits taken by a professional photographer.  The keynote speaker was Rosalin Acosta, managing director of enterprise investment advisors, who spoke about the importance of having perseverance when trying to break into the job market.  Acosta shared her own experiences and credited her friends and family with giving her the push she needed to secure her first job.

All in all, Ewusi was pleased with the event.  “It’s valuable to have this time to make connections.  I’m learning more and more that it’s all about who you know.  This is a good place to start and to put yourself out there.”

A local employer who attended was Patricia Lyon of Methuen, assistant to the deputy director of athletics at UMass Lowell.  Lyon graduated from Northern Essex with an Associate Degree in Business Management in 2013 and says she loves coming back to the college to share what she’s learned with students.  “I enjoy being able to use my own experiences to help someone else.  I want to be someone who graduates can connect with as they move forward.”

Based on feedback from students and employers, the college hopes to make this an annual event, according to Perez.  “We think it is an exciting culminating activity for graduating NECC students.  We know the important role that networking can play in landing careers.  Hopefully this will become an annual event.”

View additional photos from the Networking Night.

To learn more about career opportunities at Northern Essex, visit the website https://www.necc.mass.edu/student-services/career-services/

With campuses in Haverhill and Lawrence, Northern Essex Community College offers over 70 associate degree and certificate programs as well as hundreds of noncredit courses designed for personal enrichment and career growth.  More than 7,400 students are enrolled in credit associate degree and certificate programs on the Haverhill and Lawrence campuses; and another 6,700 take noncredit workforce development and community education classes on campus, and at businesses and community sites across the Merrimack Valley.  Northern Essex is the only state college located in the lower Merrimack Valley Region of Massachusetts. For more information, visit the website at www.necc.mass.edu.