Hosted by Montgomery County Community College’s STEM Division and Career & Alumni Engagement office, Merck Day provided students of all majors and interests with the opportunity to learn about career options and potential pathways at the multinational pharmaceutical company.

As students gathered on September 19 in the Montco Cultural Center theater on the Blue Bell Campus, Joe Sanchez, Director, Site Learning and Development at Merck, emphasized the event’s significance for students. “It’s not what you know or even who you know, but it’s about who knows you,” he said. “Today, is about helping us get to know you.”

“It’s about putting a face with a name, learning about your story and what you want for yourself and your future. When they [Merck representatives] get to know you, they will become a part of your network, and it’s your network that is going to create opportunities for you. It’s your network that is going to advocate for you,” he said, challenging the students to see who they could get to know them.

In the Science Center lobby areas, numerous representatives from an array of divisions at Merck along with several of their vendor partners were on hand to talk to students about job opportunities, review resumes and answer questions. They also provided breakfast, lunch and giveaways for the attendees.

In the Engineering classrooms, Merck and Stäubli hosted various robotics demonstrations and opportunities for students to learn about the use of robotics in industry.

“Merck Day at Montco is a great opportunity to connect our talented Montco students with the largest employer in Montgomery County,” said Dr. James Bretz, Dean of STEM and Temporary Dean of Liberal Studies. “ We are excited to share with our students and community the wide variety of careers available at Merck and amazing cutting-edge research done there. Our expanding partnership with Merck not only provides new career opportunities for talented Montco students but will allow the college to expand programs that lead to jobs with family-sustaining wages.”

“Allowing students the opportunity to discover, or re-discover, who Merck is and to meet their representatives is a great first step in helping them see a future for themselves at Merck,” said Dr. Rebecca Hays, Assistant Dean of STEM.  “Many people think of Merck as a company that requires at least one science degree to work for, however, they employ far more non-scientists than scientists.”

Inside the theater, a panel of Merck employees – including Kay Hunsberger, Executive Director, Project Management; Jamar Martin (MCCC alumnus), Associate Scientist, Clinical Operations; Kason Morris, Director, Future of Talent & Skills; Dolan Stimson (MCCC alumnus), Associate Scientist, Clinical Operations; and Marcus Willis, Manager, Enterprise Shared Service Center — spoke about their educational and career journeys, offering advice and guidance.

Stimson’s journey started at MCCC. He graduated in 2013 with an associate degree, originally with the goal of becoming a chemistry teacher. However, after taking a class with Dr. Margaret Bryans, Biology Professor, and learning about MCCC’s Biotechnology program, he decided to pursue a second associate degree in biotechnology. This led to an apprenticeship with a pharmaceutical company, where eventually he was hired full-time after completing his bachelor’s degree. Later, he started doing contractor work for Merck and was then hired for a full-time position.

He credited his educational path and work experience with preparing him for success at Merck.

“There are three currencies we have: money, time and experience. We want to balance those three things to live our best life,” Stimson said.

He chose MCCC for college because it was affordable and allowed him to avoid student debt. Since he was working while going to college, he needed the flexible class schedule at MCCC to keep his part-time job. Working while attending college gave him valuable experience in meeting his supervisor’s expectations and collaborating with diverse people.

“All of this is important. Merck is a big company, and we need people who can work well across divisions,” he said.

In addition to strong collaboration skills, Morris talked about the significance of having versatile skills in today’s workforce.

“When you think about what opportunity means for anyone in this audience, the next era of work is thinking of your skills as your career. When you look at your holistic success profile, it’s a combination of your skills, knowledge and experiences and how you start to build an understanding of that as an individual,” he said. “At the end of the day what we’re looking for are ‘skill adjacencies’ so even if you don’t have the skills and knowledge yet, do you have skills and experiences that are close and can we cultivate that.”

Hunsberger, who has 45 years of industry experience and held 12 different roles during her 33-year career at Merck, encouraged students to pursue their interests.

“Don’t let people stop you or tell you what you can do,” she said. “There will always be hurdles, but you have to make the decision for yourself.”

She also stressed the importance of a concise two to three-minute personal introduction that highlights “who you are and what you bring to the table.”

Merck Day provided students not only with valuable insights from seasoned professionals but also practical opportunities to connect with potential employers. Merck operates a facility in neighboring West Point, less than 5 miles away from MCCC’s Blue Bell Campus, and its headquarters are located in Rahway, New Jersey.