Terrell Darden, 24
College: Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
Degree: Master of Science in Information Systems Engineering and Management
Current job: Systems Engineer/Project Associate at JPMorgan Chase in Newark, Del.
How I got my job: I attended a lot of conferences while I was in school. I had two internships at JPMorgan, and I also had an internship with NASA in 2012 as an IT infrastructure specialist. Overall I had six internships across the country in various Fortune 500 companies.
I broke my mother's computer when I was a kid and I wanted to learn how to fix it. That created my passion. Since then, I wanted to be a systems engineer.
The National Society of Black Engineers hosted conferences and gave me the opportunity to network with people, not only in the engineering field but also in the business field. The professors at my school reached out. It was a small school so the one-on-one interaction was great.
Advice for current students and recent graduates: Don't wait until graduation. Be determined and be aware of the challenges that come with finding employment. Find something temporary while still looking for that perfect job that you really want. Your attitude, drive and determination are most important.
