A Moment in Time, Thirty Years in the Making 1973-2003 E-Book

Cynthia T. Jordin

• Herausgeber: Proisle Publishing Services
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 215

Beschreibung

A Moment in Time: Thirty Years in the Making is about the evolution of the Georgia Tech Placement Center into the current Georgia Tech Career Services Office. The idea behind this book is to commemorate the past thirty years, 1973-2003, and highlight the changes that have evolved over time within this environment. This book is easy to read, fun and enjoyable. It is about a group of people in one place, and in one occupation. Topics covered in this book are real events, written by real people, illustrating the best practices of the time. I hope that this book will illuminate Career Services as a unique department. The focus of this book is to highlight the many facets of the Placement Center/Career Services operation while incorporating the many historical events that took place during these years, including the manual or technical writing processes (in choosing different types of stylistic choices and/or different types of audiences) used to accomplish these jobs, and the immense technological changes that truly revolutionized the way we conduct business. The design, format, style and idea behind this book were created by me. However, I am not the sole author of this piece. I invited a number of people to contribute their insight to this work as well

Leseprobe

A MOMENT IN TIME, THIRTY YEARS IN THE MAKING

1973-2003

The Evolution of the Georgia Tech Placement Center Into the Present-Day Career Services Office As Seen Through the Eyes of the People Involved

BY

CYNTHIA T. JORDIN

A Moment in Time, Thirty Years in the Making

Copyright © 2022 by Cynthia T. Jordin

ISBN: 978-1-960224-04-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher disclaims any responsibility for them.

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Proisle Publishing Services LLC

39-67 58th 1st Floor Woodside

New York, NY 11377, USA

Phone: [phone])

[email protected]

Table of Contents

Acknowledgement

Introduction

Part I

Author's Placement Center Beginnings 1 1

April 1973 – September 1985

Chapter One

Mary N. Carmichael, 18

My Reflections on Placement,Georgia Institute of TechnologyMay 1962 – October 1983

Chapter Two

Michael A. Donhaue 33

Director of Placement, 1973-1978Director of Corporate Relations andPlacement,1979-1980

Wayne O. Thompson 37

Associate Director, Corporate Relations and PlacementAssistant Director of Placement, 1979-1985

Chapter Three

Dell B. Sikes, Director 42

corporate Relations & Placement, 1980History of Career Services

Roy Ludsvigsen, BIE, 1980 45

The Georgia Tech Placement Office,Memories, Experinces

Chapter Four

PART II

Author's Return to the 64

Georgia Institute of TechnologyBeginning a New Career wit Corporate Relations andPlacement, NOvember 1986-2007

Chapter Five

John Hannabach, 80

Director/ Corporate Relations and Placement/Career Services January 1988- July 1999

Chapter Six

Rosita Jackson Smith, 91

Associate Directotr of Placement1985-2000

Heidi Alexas, 93

Former Servant Assistant, Currently withDaimler, Chrysler, 1996-2000

Richard T. Koffenberger, 95

Director of Campus RecruitingE.I DuPont De Numours & COmpany,1960s-1980's

Leonard M. Contardo, Jr., 104

Director of Alumni Career Services,Georgia Tech Alumni Career ServicesAn Abridge History and Reflections, 2022

Chapter Seven

Britany Robinson, 109

Georgia Tech Student, Alumnus andRecruiting Manager, International Paper Company,1999-Present

Chapter Eight

Ralph Mobley, 118

Director of Career ServicesAugust 1999–Present

ILLUSTRATIONS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Addendums:A:Piece written by

Mrs. Mary N. Carmichael detailing 142

the early days of the Placement operationBefore it became an official office on campusB:President’s List 147

C:Guest Author’s List 150

D:Interesting Facts153

E: Copies of Relevant Annual 161

Reports from 1973-2003

Acknowledgement

A Moment in Time, Thirty Years in the Making would not have been possible without the support, time, and numerous hours of discussions I had with my guest authors. The authors included in this book are: Ms. Heidi Alexas, Mrs. Mary N. Carmichael, Mr. Leonard M. Contardo, Jr., Dr. Michael A. Donahue, Mr. John Hannabach, Mr. Richard T. Koffenberger, Mr. Roy Ludvigsen, Mr. Ralph Mobley, Dr. James B. Osborne, Ms. Brittany Robinson, Mr. Dell B. Sikes, Ms. Rosita Jackson Smith, and Mr. Wayne O. Thompson. Their significant contributions greatly enhanced this publication, forming it into a piece that all of us can be proud to call our own. I am genuinely indebted to each and every one of you for making this dream a reality for me. My hope is that you are just as pleased with the end product as much as I am.

In addition to the authors involved with this work, I want to thank Ralph Mobley, director of Career Services. This project would not have been possible without his tireless support, positive feedback, and immeasurable assistance throughout this endeavor. He was invaluable in making this project come alive. Mr. Mobley not only provided me the materials and supplies needed to put the text together; he also provided me with working space, computer and technology tools, and his trained eyes in catching my clerical mistakes. Ralph, it is because of your belief in me, and through your sponsorship, that this book has finally been produced. Thank you so much.

I must thank my wonderful family for sharing. You gave me the time and space I needed to accomplish this dream. Your patience, love and unselfish understanding made the difference for me. With your support, I have now taken an idea and developed it into a vision that has merit. All of you have blessed me in more ways than I can never express. Thank you for all that you have done to enrich my life. I will always be greatful to each of you for granting me the space to take this project all the way to the end.

No book can be ever be developed without the support of a good editor. Marilyn Somers, the director of Georgia Tech Living History Program at Georgia Tech, is that person for me. Truly, Marilyn, without your expertise, unbelievable knowledge of Georgia Tech history, and your incredible skills, this project would never have gotten off around. You have been my rock to lean on, and you have been absolutely invaluable in shaping this piece into a recognizable product. I will never be able to repay you for all you have done for me. I value your guidance and your friendship. Thank you so much for being part of this project and for supporting me throughout this entire p[rocess.

I would be remiss if I did not say thank you to my professors, faculty and staff, at Kennesaw State University. They provided me with the foundation I needed to become a writer. Throughout the Masters of Arts in Professional Writing Program (MAPW), I learned more than just book knowledge. I learned Valuable Skills, as well as , recognizing my own abilities as a writer. They have truly blessed me by sharing their valuable wisdom. Thank you.

Dr. Margaret walters and Dr. Robert W. Hill, my Capstone advisores at Kennesaw State University, were instrumental in the development of A Moment in Time, Thirty Year isn the Making. Thank you, both, for the countless hours you provided in editing, reading and correcting my work. I will always value your input, as well as, your friendship.

Last, but not least, to my bestfriend and confidant, Rosita Jackson Smith, Thank you for being a part of my life. I have so enjoyed our journey together. May our paths continue to cross!

A special thank you to Aimee Castenell for guiding me through the printing and production process. You are a jewel!

A MOMENT IN TIME, THIRTY YEARS IN THE MAKING

1973-2003

Introduction

The design, format, style, and idea behind this book, A Moment in Time, Thirty Years in the Making was created by me, however, I am not the only author for this piece. I have invited several writers to contribute to this work. The idea behind this book is to commemorate the past thirty years, 1973-2003, highlighting changes that have evolved over time within the career services environment.

In collecting information for this book, I drew upon the experts (the movers and shakers) that made these changes happen. These individual authors generated the ideas behind the plan, making the placement center/career services operation what it is today. These individual directors were the ones responsible for implementing these ideas into a reality.

I spent the summer of 2005 traveling throughout Georgia and Alabama, visiting with each one of these folks. I went to their homes if they were retired; to their place of business if they were still working, and some of them came to me, visiting my office. Seven directors were employed by Georgia Tech from 1973-2003. They were: Mrs. Mary Carmichael, Dr. Michael A. Donahue, Mr. Dell B. Sikes, Dr. James B. Osborne, Mr. John Hannabach, Ms. Rosita Jackson Smith, and Mr. Ralph Mobley.

I initially contacted them by email expressing my interest in creating a history of career services. In developing this piece, I said that I wanted to use each of them for the background, highlighting their time at Georgia Tech. They all agreed to participate, so the process of gathering information and setting up meetings with each of them began. Throughout this process, we have kept in touch by email, telephone, faxes, and in person. I traveled to Alabama to visit with Mrs. Mary Carmichael, spending the weekend with her, interviewing her about her time at Georgia Tech. I met with Mr. Sikes at his place of business; with Dr. Osborne and Mr. Mobley in my office. I drove to the north Georgia Mountains in Blairsville to meet with Dr. Donahue in his home; John Hannabach met me on several occasions on and off campus, as did Rosita Smith. Each of these authors wrote about the significant events that took place during their time at Georgia Tech, writing these events down on paper. We then met and discussed what took place, refined their thoughts, and then talked about what to include, what to emphasize, and about the overall theme of the book. The end result, and subsequent chapters, is written by them, in their own words, culminating into their own story.

I provided editing assistance of their documents, gathered information about the history of the time, and gave clerical support if they needed. Other than that, most everything they wrote about remains intact and are as they designed it.

The book is divided into two parts: Part One is from 1973 through 1985. Part Two is from 1986 to the present. An introduction describing my connection to each period comes before the chapters of each section. Some of my descriptions include personal events. My experiences at Georgia Tech were so closely aligned with my life outside of Georgia Tech, I felt it important to include them for a better understanding of my position and the times.

The introductions found in each part, introduces the background for the rest of the section. They are written in such a way as to provide the logistics for the chapters that follow, giving the reader a clearer understanding of the sequence of events, the history of the period, major events taking place, as well as, some interesting antidotes worth reading.

In choosing this format for this book, I hope that the reader will find it easier to read and will be able to understand from what perspective each author is coming from within their respective time period. Each chapter has one or more guest authors associated with it. The reader will know that there are additional authors just by reading the headings at the start of each piece.

My goal for this book was to record the years of my employment with the Georgia Institute of Technology Career Services Office. I wanted something to show others that could stand as a testament of time, the history of change if you will, that had taken place.

A Moment in Time, Thirty Years in the Making has taken me three years to complete. I did this while employed full time with career services, raising my family as a single parent, and enrolling in school.

I applied to the Kennesaw State University, Masters of Professional Writing (MAPW) program, in the fall of 2004. I felt that this particular program would help prepare me for the task at hand. Now that I am completing my Masters in the MAPW program at Kennesaw State University, I feel ready to take on the challenge of writing this book. I began the MAPW program to learn how to communicate my thoughts and ideas in a form that would help me express my story. I believe that this program has accomplished its goal of teaching me how to write a story, so to that end it is now time for me to write my ideas into story format. Thus, my capstone project is my completed book: A Moment in Time, Thirty Years in the Making.

Since I have spent the better part of my working life in this area I feel that sharing my experiences will help those that may be interested in pursuing a career in this field. Other readers may enjoy reading this book for the history or about the people associated with Georgia Tech. The guest authors represent the diverse groups of individuals that interact with the Career Services Office on a regular basis.

I thoroughly enjoyed working at the Placement Center because the environment was such that you never really knew what the day would bring. It would appear to be normal when I unlocked the back door in the morning, but from that moment forward, it was like being swept up into a vortex. You would not stop swirling around until the end of the day when you walked back out the door. You had no life once you arrived at work; only the immediate needs of the office rush, because it demanded all of your attention. The rush of adventure, not knowing what the day would bring, was what made the environment of the office so exciting and fulfilling to me.

A synopsis of the chapters found in Parts I and II are as follows:

Part I begins with introducing the directors for chapters one through chapter four. In Chapter One, Mrs. Mary N. Carmichael begins her reflections on placement starting from when she first began at Georgia Tech in 1962 and ends with her departure in 1983. The second document in this chapter is a reprint of Mr. Pickel’s annual report for 1969-70. This annual report helps to define the setting surrounding the early formation of the program.

Chapter Two highlights the Placement Office under the direction of Dr. Michael A. Donahue. He was director from 1973-1980. He and his wife, Colleen, were both offered positions at Georgia Tech. As a team, working together, they both made many significant contributions to their respective programs during their tenure on the campus. Mr. Wayne Thompson is part of chapter two as well. He was hired by Dr. Donahue and was responsible for the development of new recruiting policies, maintaining statistical records for each year, and helped with employer hosting during the recruiting season.

Chapter Three begins with the brief tenure of Mr. Dell Sikes who came to the Placement Center in 1980. He was only in the Placement Office for one year, but had a tremendous amount of influence and drive during his time in office. He was a great leader, implementing some significant programs that made a difference to the functionality of the operation at the time. Mr. Roy Ludvigsen, an alum and campus recruiter, wrote about both of his experiences in chapter three, too. Through his descriptions, the reader gets a sense of what life was like on campus in the 1980s.

The last chapter in Part I, ChapterFour, includes pieces written by Dr. James B. Osborne and Mr. John Hannabach, respectively. Dr. Osborne’s tenure marked the leap into a focused, targeted fundraising program. He was responsible for developing a lot of new fundraising initiatives. He enjoyed the challenges of writing sponsorship grants and proposals for federal monies, and actually was responsible for increasing corporate support for Georgia Tech substantially during his tenure. He also was the longest running director we had up to this point, 1982-1987. Mr. John Hannabach, as the lead recruiter for General Electric, writes about his experiences as a campus recruiter.

Part II of A Moment of Time, Thirty Years in the Making, heralds in chapters five through eight. ChapterFive introduces John Hannabach as the fifth director of the Georgia Tech Corporate Relations and Placement/Career Services Office. He eventually broke Dr. Osborne’s record, as the longest running director. He guided the operation for twelve years, from 1988 through 1999.

ChapterSix has several authors attached to it. Ms. Rosita Jackson Smith, the Associate Director of Placement; Heidi Alexis, a former student assistant; Richard T. Koffenberger, a key campus recruiter and long-time associate to the office, and Leonard M. Contardo, Alumni.

Part I

Author’s Placement Center Beginnings

April 1973 – September 1985

My purpose in writing about my life during my employment with the Georgia Institute of Technology Placement Center is to reveal my relationships with the guest writers. Each of them tells their story and I tell mine.

My Georgia Tech story begins with my relocation to Georgia from Okinawa. After resettling my family, I went to the Georgia Tech campus to apply for a job. I needed to earn money to help with expenses. In the 1970s, careers were considered a man’s responsibility, while women were responsible for cooking, cleaning, and bearing the children. I didn't agree with that so I began looking for a job right away.

I went to the Human Resources office at Georgia Tech in April of 1973 to fill out an application and submit my resume. I was asked a couple of questions about interests, skills, then given a typing test and sent to the Placement Center. I thought this was the office that really hired and placed applicants for jobs on campus. Little did I know that I was actually applying for a job with the Fred W. Ajax Placement Center itself!

I walked through the double-tiered doors in the front of the building into the lobby. No one was around, so I stood by the reception desk waiting for someone to return. Soon I heard some noise down the hallway and a lady, all dressed up in spike heels, coiffed hair, a gorgeous suit, came from around the corner. You could actually hear her talking before you saw her. She looked like she owned the place and I knew immediately that this was the boss of the Placement Center.

I stretched out my hand for a shake and she nodded and said, “Follow me.” She took me to the director’s office, introduced herself as Mrs. Mary Carmichael, then began asking me questions, not about the job, but what brought me to Georgia and Georgia Tech. Since we were in the director’s office, I assumed she was the Director. Later I learned that Mr. Bill (B. D.) Pickle had been the Director of Placement but he had just resigned, returning to the Ford Motor Company, his former employer. Mrs. Carmichael was serving as the Acting Director until a new Director could be appointed.

My interview went well and we hit it off right away. I told her my story of relocating to Atlanta from Okinawa with my husband and baby daughter, Elisabeth Renee. My husband decided he wanted to return to finish his degree at Georgia Tech, while working part-time. I just wanted to get back to work since I had not worked overseas, just volunteered part-time. Mary said she knew some people that I knew and she thought I would enjoy working at the Center. Fifteen minutes later she asked me if I wanted the job and I said yes. So I asked her where I would be working on campus. She looked at me kind of funny and said, “Right here of course!” “Here,” I said, “doing what?” I still thought, but did not say out loud, that interviewing with Mrs. Carmichael was just part of the interview process before I was sent somewhere else on campus to meet my potential boss. Little did I know this interview was for real!

I was hired as Secretary I, reporting directly to Mrs. Carmichael. My responsibilities varied. I typed up recruiting schedules, answered phones and assisted recruiters and students. I also helped with the part-time job board and took job openings over the phone. I guess there was not a lot of “red tape” in those days because I began work the very next day. When I got home the night of the interview, I was still very confused but since I had a fulltime job, I figured things would work out. Little did I dream that I would find a job that would evolve into a fulfilling career at Georgia Tech, spanning over the next thirty years.

No matter what title Mrs. Carmichael held: Acting, Associate, or Director, she was the driver behind the Placement Center. She directed how the office was to be run and you did exactly as she said, or you would end up doing it all over again.

Mrs. Carmichael was always a stickler for details and I learned a lot from her. Mistakes were not really allowed and she, being the perfectionist that she was, always checked everything going out of the office. I remember one time when we got a new “correcting typewriter” in the office. I was typing a letter and made a typo. I corrected the mistake, using the machine as correcting typewriters were designed to do. She actually held the letter up to the light, saw the indentation in the paper where I had made the correction and made me retype the letter. “If she could see it,” she said, “others could see it as well.” Thank goodness I could type 120 words a minute with minimal errors, or I would have been in lots of trouble working for her!

In 1973 we were on the quarter system which meant that we had on-campus recruiting four times a year, fall/winter/spring/summer. Manual typewriters were the norm so we had to know how to type as fast as possible with minimal errors. Smoking in our offices was not taboo so the majority of the staff smoked. Ashtrays were scattered throughout the lobby, in our offices, and in all of the recruiting rooms.

Employers knew everyone in the office and most recruiters returned year after year so we got to know them really well. I remember one recruiter coming to the office to show off his fiance (another recruiter) and to let us know that they met in our office. The ring on that young lady’s hand was incredible! Recruiters used to take the entire staff out to lunches and dinners or send gifts during the holidays (hams, food baskets, candy, popcorn and so on). We all ate very well in those days and we welcomed the attention. That is what made the job fun and not appear to be so overwhelming and demanding.

The phones were always a challenge in that office. All job postings, on campus recruiting forms and schedules were manually done. Job descriptions were posted on the walls, students signed up manually in notebooks, and all schedules and resumes were mailed out to the employers. Whew! It was an incredible amount of time consuming work for all of us. But it was fun and I loved it. I would not want to go back to the old ways, but that is what it was like at the time.

Mrs. Carmichael knew everyone and had a phenomenal way with people. In her own words, she recounts what the center was like in the early days when it was getting established as a placement center. She knew of, and worked with, the founding fathers of the program at Georgia Tech and genuinely helped to guide the direction of the Placement Center as much as she could in those early years. In chapter one you will see Mrs. Carmichael’s biographical sketch, where she wrote “that she was responsible for approximately 700 employers which scheduled annual visits, student employment counseling, part-time and summer employment programs,” and she did oversee all of it. Mrs. Carmichael had incredible stamina and drive, loved the pace demanded by her position, and glowed during the peek hours of stress better than anyone else on the staff. I could never figure out how she did it! Mrs. Carmichael was recognized for her innovations and hard work when she was featured in the February 1982 issue of the Graduating Engineer magazine.

Mr. Bill Pickel, the former director of placement, wrote in his 1969-70 annual report, “praising Mary (Carmichael) for her contributions to the placement center” and promoted her to Associate Director.” He went on to say that “with the death of the former director, A. P. DeRosa, and with the difficulty in finding a replacement, the director position was vacant for one year and Mary (Carmichael) carried the burden of the full operation of the office.” Mr. Pickel’s annual report has been included because he did a great job of describing the processes, events, and conditions taking place during this time period.

Mr. Pickel was director for a very short time, starting in the fall of 1970. In 1972, Mrs. Carmichael once again was holding down the responsibilities of the Placement Office while a new search was begun for his replacement.

Mr. Pickel eloquently described what took place within the environment of the placement center in those early years and how it was designed to function. I deemed it a very necessary piece of history that would help the reader understand the makeup and background for the center. It would also help the reader move forward to Chapter Two when the next two key players are introduced.

ChapterTwo introduces you to Dr. Michael A. Donahue, 1973-1980, and Mr. Wayne O. Thompson, 1973- 1985. I was a Secretary I, working for Mrs. Carmichael until 1977, at which time I was promoted to Administrative Secretary to Mrs. Carmichael until 1982. In 1982 my duties were realigned and I was promoted to Staff Assistant, working directly with’ Dr. Donahue as his personal assistant, involved with fundraising and administrative duties.

From 1973, and during the next nine years, many changes in placement services were getting ready to take place. No one on the staff knew exactly what those changes were to be, but you could sense that change was imminent. Not only were work related changes taking place, I had some pretty surprising personal developments as well. I began work in April of that year and the night before I was to report to work, I developed a horrible ear ache. After a sleepless night, I got up the next day, dressed and reported for my first day as requested. I worked all day, despite my ear ache, because I didn’t want to let them know I was having a health issue on my very first day. I survived the day, but my ear drum ruptured as I was leaving the office for the day. What a relief! The pain and pressure was gone.