Career Paths for Paper and Bioprocess Engineering Graduates

On Wednesday, 13 October 2010, Mr Lester Lee spoke to the students about career paths after receiving your degree from SUNY-ESF.  In his talk, he used his career with Honeywell as an example.  Mr Lee was a 1963 graduate of the Paper Science program and after initially working for Hammermill Paper in Erie, PA, he joined a control system supplier that eventually became part of Honeywell.  After 41 years with this company, he recently retired and is currently consulting within the paper industry.

His message to the students included advice on how to create your own opportunities within the industry, with the first step being getting your degree.  With the degree, the students will have the technical requirements to succeed in the industry, but it is up to the student to continue learning and developing new skills, especially the personal and leadership skills.  Mr Lee pointed out that there are a large number of paths to develop these skills and to continue learning throughout a career including advanced degrees, short courses, seminars, and self-development tapes, CDs, and DVDs.  His two favorite self-learning courses are by Brain Tracy (www.briantracy.com):  "The Psychology of Achievement" and "The Psychology of Sales." 

In closing, Mr Lee gave the following advice:

• With your degree, you have a significant number of career opportunities open to you.
• Figure out which situation would make you happy, and go after it with enthusiasm.
• Continue your education, through DVD’s or tapes that allow you to learn from the best.
• Apply the positive thinking principles, to achieve great results in your career and in your life.