Between his junior and senior years at Union, Mark Serchuck '84 landed an internship at an advertising agency.
Remembering the many positives of that
experience, Serchuck began an internship program two
summers ago at his Long Island company, PBC
International, a publisher of colorful trade books for
architects and interior designers. PBC International is
an up-beat, creative, bustling place — a great workplace
for eager college students.
Last spring, he returned to campus for
the second time to encourage prospective interns and give
interested students a glimpse of the world of publishing,
design, advertising, and marketing.
“Understand, that from a
businessman's point of view, an internship allows me to
train someone,” said Serchuck. Interns are exposed
to all different perspectives of the business — from art
and design to marketing and advertising. Sarah Lane '98,
who accompanied Serchuck to campus, had a summer
internship at PBC International in the creative and
complex workings of production, and she joined the staff
after graduation.
Serchuck stressed how much the
experiences he had as an intern in an advertising agency
helped him decide what he wanted to do as a professional
— even though he had to wash the boss's Porsche on his
first day as a full-time agency employee.
Eventually, Serchuck bought his own
publishing company. He has owned PBC International for
nearly nine years, in which the company has grown six
times over.
Serchuck says that he's looking for
“shirt-sleeve oriented,” creative and critical
thinkers willing to do whatever it takes to get a job
done. He offered students advice about being persistent,
being prepared to take risks, and sticking to their
decisions. Above all, says Serchuck, “Never be
afraid to ask, 'Is that negotiable?'”
Serchuck is just one of many alumni
helping Union students get a foot in the door. According
to Janet Mattis, assistant director of the Career
Development Center, the Union Career Advisor Nework
(U*CAN) links students to more than 1,100 alumni willing
to provide general information about their fields of
expertise, the job market, and job opportunities.
If you are interested in joining U*CAN
or have internship, co-op, or permanent positions
available at your company, please contact Janet Mattis, interim director of the Career Development Center, at
mattisj@alice.union.edu or call (518) 388-6176.