Riverdale, NY - Manhattan men's soccer alumnus
Greg Bohn '18 had the next few years of his life planned out. After graduating from Manhattan College last May with his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, he landed a summer internship with a local construction company in New Rochelle, NY. Once that concluded at the end of the summer, he was prepared to return to Manhattan to pursue his Master's in the same field.
However, one conversation altered his plan and accelerated his journey into the workforce. And one April afternoon in Kelly Commons set the wheels in motion.
Today, Bohn is working full-time at Paul J. Scariano, Inc., the same company he interned with early in the summer. Establishing connections with alumni he met at the Manhattan men's soccer's Alumni Networking Day on April 28, 2018, Bohn landed the internship and used his experience as a former student-athlete to make a lasting impression on the company and secure a full-time job.
GoJaspers.com recently caught up with Bohn to talk about how his life has changed in the last few months.
GoJaspers: What have you been up to since graduation?
Greg Bohn: After I graduated from Manhattan College, I began an internship at Paul J. Scariano Inc., a construction company in New Rochelle, NY. I initially planned on only working there for the summer and then returning to Manhattan College to pursue my Master's in Mechanical Engineering in the fall. However, after speaking with the CEO of the company, he convinced me that it would be better to start working full-time in order to gain real world experience. So about midway through the summer, I accepted a full-time position at the company. I still live around Manhattan College, with a few of my friends from school, as I thought I was coming back until a few months ago!
Q: What is your role with the company?
A: My job title is "Project Engineer", with my goal being to become a Project Manager in the near future. My job site is currently by JFK Airport. On a daily basis, I help manage all submissions to the owner and update all submittal logs, ordering materials for the project, approving shop drawings, and help understand and review contract documents. Put simply, I help run all facets of a construction site so that the job is run in the most efficient manner as possible, minimizing the amount of time we are there and maximizing the amount of money the company makes.
Q: How did this opportunity come about?
A: This opportunity came about thanks to the Alumni Networking Day organized by Coach Jorden Scott. One of the alumni who I spoke with, T. Jay Krzanowski '94, was roommates with the CEO of the company. He passed along my resume to him, which got me the initial internship. As I said before, that turned into a full-time position.
Q: How helpful was the Men's Soccer Alumni Networking Day in April in providing this opportunity?
A: The Men's Soccer Alumni Networking Day was the reason I received this opportunity! Without it, I would never have heard of this company and even thought to apply. Before my internship, I had no idea that I would be interested in Project Management, so I'm very happy that this opportunity presented itself. I went from thinking I was going to return to Manhattan for my Master's, to completely changing my career path.
Q: What advice did the alumni give that was beneficial to you?
A: All of the alumni gave very helpful advice. A lot of their advice was focused on how to build and structure a resume, as that can be very important in finding jobs in the future. They also gave great advice on really focusing on finding your passion in life. They emphasized that we were very young and have very long lives ahead of us, so there is no need to worry about not knowing what you want to do right away. I think a lot of young people are scared by the real world because they don't necessarily know what they want to pursue as a career. Having them give us perspective on how young we are and how much time we actually have was great.
Q: How did your time as a student-athlete help you transition into your industry?
A: I've definitely noticed that being a student-athlete has helped me excel in my short time at my job. I've observed that a lot of my bosses are impressed with my organizational skills and time-management abilities, as well as my drive to succeed and take on responsibility. I think that being a student-athlete teaches you all of these things. Being a Division I athlete while also being a full-time student is very difficult; however, it forces you to work hard and demand the best from yourself. These attributes then naturally continue into your professional life, which sets you apart from your colleagues.
Q: What advice would you give to a student-athlete that will be looking for employment opportunities in the near future?
A: I would tell all student-athletes looking for employment opportunities in the near future to reach out and speak to as many people as they can. Networking is incredibly important, and simply striking a conversation with a few people every day can lead to job opportunities you never would have thought you'd be interested in before. These people can be alumni, family friends, past teammates or people you find on LinkedIn. I think that more often than not, college kids are afraid to reach out to people and ask questions, thinking that they're wasting their time. In reality, most people are more than willing to spend a few minutes speaking with a young adult about their job and if they know of any possible opportunities in their industry. Not every conversation or phone call will result in an opportunity, but you can learn a lot regardless, and you only need one opportunity to change your life.
