From classroom to career: Durham Tech student lands $70,000 job at Siemens

For students in skilled trades, the path from classroom to career often begins with a chance to put their knowledge into practice. At Durham Tech, Career Services and faculty help students take that step, preparing them for internships and interviews that can lead to permanent employment.

James Perez is one example. A student in the Electrical Systems Technology program, Perez will graduate Dec. 11 with an associate in applied science degree and start a full-time technician job at Siemens in January, earning $70,000 a year and traveling 80 percent of the time.

“I knew I wanted a career working with my hands,” Perez said. “I’ve had desk jobs. I just didn’t feel I contributed. I am looking forward to the travel. I haven’t been out of North Carolina before.”

Perez had been applying for industry jobs without getting callbacks when a co-worker brought him to the lab of Mervin Moats, Director and Instructor of Advanced Manufacturing/Industrial Systems Technology at the College.

“Students know my background in industry and as a hiring manager, so they come to have me review their résumés and talk about industry dos and don’ts when it comes to panel interviews,” Moats said. “After reading two lines of James’ résumé, I knew why he hadn’t received any hits.”

“I was lost and I had lost hope,” Perez said. “I went to Career Services, met Mr. Moats, got help and I got inspired.”

Moats and Perez revamped the résumé, and Moats invited Perez to join him and his students on visits to local employers, including Siemens and Novo Nordisk.

“James took the initiative to attend the visits, and he was able to get in front of people in industry,” Moats said. “His visit to Siemens opened the door to the interview process.”

“During the visit to Siemens, I was saying to myself, ‘You can do this’,” Perez said. “I returned to classes and applied in September. It seemed like Siemens almost instantly replied, saying I got it. I didn’t know what to think. The welcome to Siemens letter made it real.”

In his new role, Perez will work with nearly everything Siemens produces and will have the chance to travel across the U.S. and internationally.

Perez is not alone in landing a full-time position with help from Career Services. Intern Rashad Johnson landed a position at North Carolina Central University after interning with the college.

“Career Services helped me find a career I was interested in, obtain financial aid to make sure money concerns did not interfere with my studies, get an internship at Central and then put me with Instructor Roper who made me want to learn,” Johnson said. “Mr. Roper always told us, ‘You are going to land where you need to be’ and I did just that.”

Stories like Perez’s and Johnson’s show the role community colleges play in building a skilled workforce. In fields such as electrical work, advanced manufacturing, HVAC and welding, technical knowledge is only part of the job. Workers must also communicate well, collaborate, and meet employers’ expectations.

Career Services helps students build those skills through résumé preparation, interview practice and guidance on the job search.  

“I enjoy being a part of the student journey and being a conduit to putting them in the position to sell themselves and get a foot in the door in this industry,” Moats said.

“Durham Tech has so many opportunities for students,” Perez said. “The people are so friendly and helpful. I live in Durham and want to do a trade, so Durham Tech was the place.”