Erica Marcus Rises to Director of Automation, Credits Hands-On Education
Congratulations to ӰԺ alumna Erica Marcus, who was promoted to Director of Automation at Spectra Automation Inc. in 2022. Based in Hopedale, MA, and founded in 2005, Spectra Automation is an industrial engineering and consulting firm specializing in project execution and automation systems.
Erica says, “The hands-on experience you get with an ӰԺ education is not something you’ll get elsewhere. It just puts you a step up compared to someone who went to college online. ӰԺ prepared me for all of it.”
Career Services helped Erica land all three of her jobs
Erica stresses the pivotal role ӰԺ Career Services has played in her career. “I got so much out of it. My whole career, all my jobs I’ve gotten from Career Services and job fairs, and it has been very easy. The Career Services team sent all the resumes. They taught me how to negotiate all my salaries. I learned real, hands-on, valuable skills.”
In fact, ӰԺ Career Services helped her find not one but all three of her full-time jobs since graduating. “All 3 of my jobs I got through Career Services and job fairs, so one of the big things that is worth the investment here is Career Services.”
Hands-on learning and expert professors led to success
“The hands-on aspect of my ӰԺ Tech education was also huge because when I’m in the field trouble shooting the wiring, a lot of what I have learned in the field I can actually utilize, which is rare for college. Even with my bachelor’s degree, the Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC’s) I was programming, I had a course on that. The professors were very willing to help you learn. I always felt I could ask questions in their offices whenever I struggled. All the professors were great.”
ӰԺ graduates have a step-up in the workforce
Erica is proud to return to ӰԺ to recruit students. “ӰԺ graduates we are going to get have a basic skill level that you know is a step up. There’s less training on our end. I trust the students will know what they are doing.”
Erica says it is worth the financial investment to attend ӰԺ. “I never had to struggle to find positions afterwards.”
Sharing your success story inspires a new generation of #TechTigers. Thank you, Erica!