Rensselaer’s very own Tom Tarantelli was selected as the president-elect for the Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers. The EACE is an association with 1,200 members and representatives from all over the Eastern United States. The mission statement of EACE is to “develop working relationships and promote the exchange of ideas and information among those concerned with the career development and employment of the college educated.” This association allows for open discussion, covering topis such as current issues, methods to bring students into direct contact with recruiters, and how to further the profession of career development. Tarantelli will be president-elect for a year, and president the following year. This new role is directly related to his position as the director of the RPI Career Development Center.
In this newly elected role, Tarantelli is currently leading in a partnership with Honeywell recruiting manager, Adam Fordes. They are leading the organization in strategic planning processing, reorganizing, and developing of young members. Ultimately, this means that Tarantelli is in constant contact with professionals in both the college and industry sides. As President of the EACE, he has been asked to participate in panel discussions and through this avenue will spread the name of EACE and also Rensselaer to outside organizations.
Over the past 23 years, Tarantelli has held a number of positions in the CDC. He started as a career counselor and worked up his way to his current role as the director. He has been in the career field for almost 30 years. Before coming to Rensselaer, Tarantelli worked for two years at a community college and almost four years as a FORSTAT Specialist for the HQ U.S. Army Europe and 7th Army. He is an example of a life-long learner with his master’s degree in International Relations from Boston University and currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Higher Education at University of Albany. Most important, though, is that Tarantelli has learned from the students of Rensselaer. He explained, “I learn details, how to do things better and differently, and traits of how I could manage the CDC” through interactions with RPI students.
Tarantelli truly believes in the opportunities of the CDC as the “glue that brings it all together,” which bridges the gap between students and employers. Currently there are about 300 recruiters that interact with the center. He stressed that the CDC provides all the necessary high-tech tools for looking up employers and mentors. Students need face-to-face communication with employers, however. The CDC again services these needs by having workshops and other leadership-building programs. The staff encourages all students to go to the upcoming career fair that is happening this coming Friday, September 29 and Saturday, September 30.
Looking foward, Tarantelli stated that life is keeping doors open and being a life-long learner. With his energy, he would like to teach or mentor during his post-RPI years and give back to the students the insights from his years of experience.
