I’m looking for anyone who’s looking for me.
Garrett Ely was struggling with a knotty problem.
The Milwaukee Area Technical College student was preparing to attend a career fair at the college’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus on Wednesday, March 4, when he realized he didn’t know how to tie his new tie.
“I spent the morning watching videos on how to do a Windsor knot,” said Ely, a student in the Legal Studies/Paralegal program. “I have never owned clothes like this before. I bought these on Tuesday afternoon after class. But this is the uniform you need.”
With his dapper blue blazer, pressed gray trousers, crisp white shirt and — thanks to YouTube — perfectly dimpled necktie, Ely was more than ready to meet and greet prospective employers.
Ely was one of more than 250 MATC students who attended the Career and Internship Fair, sponsored by the college’s CareerHub, which offers students career readiness services such as resume reviews, mock interviews and employer connections.
Representatives from 56 southeastern Wisconsin employers, including Associated Bank, Milwaukee Tool, Froedtert Health and Bartolotta Restaurants, offered information about their career openings and gathered resumes.
“I’m looking for anyone who’s looking for me,” said Ely, 45. “I’m open to anything. When I got here I was kind of nervous, but I’m enjoying this.”
During the academic year, CareerHub hosts several career fairs where students can meet employers seeking to fill full- and part-time jobs, internships and apprenticeships, said Nutan Amrute, manager of career experience and transfer programs at the college.
“Many of the employers have immediate openings to fill and offer flexibility in scheduling,” Amrute said.
Ely was hoping for some of that flexibility. He never finished high school because at age 16 he was sent to prison. After he was released, Ely earned his High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) in 2001. He took classes in education and machine tooling, but his experience with the justice system got him interested in being a paralegal.
“I became familiar with the court system from the other side of it,” Ely said. “I know what people can go through and I want to help.”
Finding employment as a person with a criminal record has been a challenge, Ely admitted, but he’s optimistic. “What happened with me was a long time ago,” he said. “I have discovered I am a different person. I hope others can see that, too.”
Christa Cohrs was trying something different, too. Dressed in neat, dark jeans and a stylish dark overcoat, the MATC student came to the career fair looking for an entry-level position in her new field of study. She holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science from Texas A&M University and has worked as a veterinary technician since 2005.
Now she’s studying accounting.
“I needed a change,” Cohrs said. “I have always liked numbers, spreadsheets and being organized. I thought this would be a good fit.”
She enrolled in the Accounting associate degree program last fall. She plans to attend classes part time while working and raising her daughter.
“I came to MATC because this is the career college,” Cohrs said. “This is the place to come when you want to start your career.”
Learn more about MATC’s CareerHub
About MATC: Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 35,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 45 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
