Alister Murray completed his undergraduate degree at the Brooklyn Campus in 1996 with a double major in Information Systems and Finance, and in 2001 he completed his Master of Science degree in Management of Technology from Polytechnic University. While attending LIU, Alister was an active member of the Cooperative Education Program. His internships at JP Morgan and Securities Industries Automation Corporation-New York Stock Exchange provided him with technical experience, a realistic perspective of corporate culture and the attitudes and behaviors that lead to career success. Upon graduating from LIU, Alister began working for Prudential Securities as a systems analyst; he later worked for American International Group as a network facilitator, and then moved on to join Goldman Sachs & Co. as an associate in Investment Research Technology. Currently, he is a member of the Research Application Management System, a global research team.
Alister enjoys providing students with career guidance and certainly continues to be one of our most active alumni-mentors.

Errol Powell graduated from the Brooklyn Campus in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and is currently working on his Master of Arts degree in School Psychology. While at LIU, like many students, Errol sought career counseling at the Office of Career Services on numerous occasions. His experience with Career Services was very positive and, titlehough he didn’t have the opportunity to participate in the Cooperative Education Program while here, he certainly values the importance of the program as an avenue for career exploration.
After completing his undergraduate degree, Errol became a teacher thr the New York City Board of Education for a couple of years. Currently, he is working for the Virtual Y as a project coordinator! hiring manager and is enjoying the challenges of his new position. This fall, Errol interviewed nine coop student applicants on the Brooklyn Campus and made an employment offer to four of those students. Pleased with the outcome of the process, he will he returning this spring to continue recruiting. We are very pleased that Ernd has partnered with the Office of Career Services and joined our hank of Cooperative Education Employers and supporters.

Interview with Alum: Rosa Torres- Physical Therapist

I was initially interested in Co-op because it was a program that seemed to offer students a chance to excel in various professional careers and develop themselves as professionals. I remember sitting in on a freshman orientation where various students talked about how much coop helped them to achieve job connections and learn about what employers are looking for. I was interested but I didn't realize how important a program like coop was until my second year at LlU. I entered LIU initially as a Bio major however, after the first year I became interested in the physical therapy program. This meant that I needed some exposure to prior to applying for the PT program and like most students, income to be able to pay for fees and tuition. The coop program helped me through the process, from developing my resume to preparing me for interviews, to placing me on the job.

I feel the COOP program was very beneficial to my career development because my placement was in my field of study which offered me the opportunity to experience things that I learned in class. I was able to observe various aspects in my field including hands on work, administrative aspects in physical therapy, and the role of insurance in the field of physical therapy. It was good to have this experience because in class I felt that I had an advantage over some students because I was already introduced to some of the PT concepts. What I saw in the clinic reinforced what I learned in class.

I was placed at Joint Effort Physical Therapy, an outpatient orthopedic clinic in Manhattan.

While working as an aide at the facility, I learned how to handle multiple responsibilities and strengthen my interpersonal skills. I also learned various equipment, placements for modalities (i.e. electrical stimulation, iontophoresis, hot and cold packs), strengthening exercises, and basically how important each member or employee of the facility (aide, PT, clerical, insurance biller) is so crucial in an effort to provide quality care and service.

I would recommend the COOP program not only because it can help you find a paying job but because it really helps to provide you with the experience and exposure to the career you are interested in. This is important not only for supporting what you want to do professionally but also to “feel out” if the career you are choosing lives up to your expectations. Overall, the COOP program is an excellent program for helping you to develop a professional portfolio; resumes, interview skills, and workplace know-how. The Office of Career Services has a great and friendly staff with whom I have interacted on many occasions. They are always there whenever you need help or have a question. So why not take advantage of all that LlU has to offer?

What are you currently doing?

At LlU I was part of the LlU pep squad in 2000-2001, I was an Honors mentor, I was part of the LlU Physical Therapy Club 2001-2004 and helped in APTA Day. I was also a part of the CSTEP program and the COOP program. Outside of school I was a volunteer for providing Sunday school religious instruction for children ages 5-7, and volunteered as an aide at the Hospital for Joint Diseases.