“No matter how rich, wealthy, or accustomed you may be, if I can’t hold a conversation with you, I can’t see myself working under you,” Eastern Michigan student Xavier Cheatum said.
Cheatum is a marketing major and is in his third year at EMU. He is a member of the National Association of Black Accountants and has helped with several events at the College of Business. He said that if it ever came to be, he would not like working under the president.
“With a boss like Donald Trump, I don’t think I can work with him. Even if he wasn’t prejudice towards me, I would feel uncomfortable around him. That’s not a good boss to be around,” Cheatum said.
He looks to graduate and follow a path in business communications. Cheatum gave his thoughts on the matter in relation to Trump’s business background. The president has recently been putting business and economy on his public agenda.
Trump met with business executives on March 6 at the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board meeting. Apple CEO Tim Cook was sitting at his side, a famous name (that could be mistaken with Tim Apple) in the world of technology. The two and the other big names in business discussed progress in labor, human resources, and the United States economy in general.
Trump made a statement to the board about the work they were doing and brought up the border and immigration issue. He related it to international companies looking to expand into the U.S. markets.
“Last year, we took in a large number of highly qualified, wonderful people. For the most part, they’re working already in your companies. But we also have a lot of companies coming in,” Trump said.
He mentioned work in Michigan, specifically automotive manufacturers that he has referenced numerous times during his presidency.
“You saw a couple of openings, big openings in Michigan. Chrysler-Fiat just announced that they’re going to spend $4.5 billion in Michigan around the Detroit area. We have a lot of car companies coming in. They’re coming in, they’re building new, but they’re also expanding,” Trump said.
Ivanka Trump started the meeting by addressing topics for discussion. One area was the goal of making progress with the unemployment in the country.
“This board of industry, education, government, and non-profit leaders are deeply passionate about bringing more Americans off the sidelines and into the workforce,” she said.
Anthony Kurek is a certified public accountant and EMU graduate who teaches classes as a part-time professor at the College of Business. He has helped students, mostly in the accounting major, who were soon to graduate and had confusion on career plans.
“I really try to describe to them what your daily work might be like in a particular capacity,” Kurek said. “I try to give them a sense of what their daily environment would be so they can a sense of which job might fit their personality better.”
EMU has platforms for job placement that give students access to tools to connect them with employers. ‘Handshake’ is a search site that presents opportunities for jobs and internships in a desired area and field. ‘Portfolium’ is a website that lets students create and visualize their work in the classroom, to show to potential employers.
The Advising and Career Development Center in McKenny Hall also has resources for EMU students to utilize when it comes to planning for graduating and finding a job.
Kurek has tips for students who could be hesitant about their career.
“I think a lot of Eastern students are like this already, but I try and let them know that they shouldn’t strictly be chasing after the money. You have to make sure you’re comfortable in the place you’re working at and that you enjoy the work that you do. In many respects, its about the people…who you’re working with opposed to the work that you’re doing.”
