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NEWS RELEASE

Auburn management information systems graduates find work with help from the

COB advisory board and “Tech Tours”

AUBURN, Ala. – During a slow economy some college students see graduation as the

precursor to a dismal career future. The job market for many has contracted with the

economy and the promised fruits of higher education seem to be spoiling for graduates

seeking entry-level positions in today’s bearish marketplace.

Fortunately for graduates of Auburn University, there are still companies

recruiting Tigers. According to the university, 96 percent of graduates say their

education at Auburn helped them once they found jobs.

In particular, students graduating in management information systems at Auburn

are often having lunch with prospective employers. Their early success is attributable to

the College of Business Advisory Council and the “Technology Tours” arranged just for

them.

The College of Business Advisory Council is proud to arrange these beneficial

rendezvous for its MIS students. The college’s reputation among employers in the

region, and its rank as 31st against all public universities in the U.S, makes its graduates a

precious commodity for businesses.

The council functions as a consultation resource for ways the college can prepare

students for industry. It consists of Auburn alumni who are well established in

organizations such as Coca Cola and Southern Company. These alumni keep the College

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of Business in touch with the current business climate and help find ways to prepare

students for the atmosphere they will encounter once they leave the classroom.

“They are people who want to give back to the university in some way,” said

Dina Kanellos, the Director of Communications for the College of Business, ”This is a

good fit because they can use their expertise and give back.”

Michael Kirkpatrick, chair of the MIS advisory board and executive vice

president of DESE research in Huntsville, has played an active role in connecting

businesses with Auburn students by organizing Tech Tours.

“We like to think Auburn students are better new hires because they have a great

education and they have benefited from what we like to call the Auburn experience,” said

Kirkpatrick.

Tech Tours showcase attractive opportunities to students with organizations in

Birmingham and Huntsville, and provide a forum for MIS students to converse with a

variety of potential employers.

The Birmingham Tech Tour gives students a taste of the Magic City by mixing

them with professionals and collecting a view of the environment at companies such as

Blue Cross Blue Shield, Southern Company and DAXKO.

“I went to the Tech Tours last year and made a bunch of good contacts,” said

Trent Kocurek, a recent graduate of Auburn’s MIS program who is now working in

Birmingham for DAXKO.

“I met with a lot of people, a lot of people from Huntsville too,” said Kocurek.

“There were a lot of openings where people wanted to talk and actually give interviews to

me.”

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DAXKO is an accounting software firm with a staff of 70 percent Auburn alumni.

Founded by Auburn alum David Grey, an active member of the College of Business

Advisory Board, DAXKO provides a unique company culture for employees that

translates into a work environment that is both innovative and comfortable. The rooms

are all named after corresponding local restaurant icons instead of names like “conference

room,” and attire is business casual.

“We aren’t burning through money like some companies,” said Kris Dunn, Vice

President of People at DAXKO, ”and we are always looking to hire smart people.”

For the Huntsville Tech Tour students ride all the way from the Plains up to the

Rocket City to learn about opportunities to work with various space and military

technology. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, NASA Marshall Space

Flight Center and Lockheed Martin are among the many distinguished employers

Huntsville has to offer.

“Auburn has contributed mightily to the success of our country’s space and

defense program and in developing some of the greatest technology our country has to

offer,” said Rick Davis, executive director of Cummings Research Park at Chamber of

Commerce of Huntsville.

Dr. Rodney L. Robertson, president of the Air, Space and Missile Defense

Association described a zeppelin that will shoot magnetic pulses down to a pinpoint

location on the ground from 60,000 feet in the air. These magnetic pulses are capable of

completely disabling all enemy defense weaponry without any loss of life. The ASMDA

seeks out AU students for work in developing this type of innovative military technology.

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According to Dunn, personal references are game changers for job seekers, and

internal channels are reliable resources for employers. Organizations are more inclined

to take on a new hire through personal contact rather than spend time hunting through

stacks of paper for candidates.

“I would encourage students to go out and find referenceable work,” said Dunn.

“That’s going to make you look better than 90 percent of the people out there.”

Initial contacts provided by the College of Business MIS Advisory Board and

Tech Tours can often develop into opportunities for students to get involved with co-op

programs and internships. Council members say such programs allow students to apply

themselves in real work that employers can see as tangible experience over grades and

recommendations.

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