Tameka Gibbs, Assistant Director of Employer Relations & Special Projects, Elizabeth City State University

In an interview with Invest:, Tameka Gibbs, assistant director of employer relations and special projects at Elizabeth City State University, discussed career exploration, employer expectations, paid internships, and expanding Career Development’s reach. “Those experiences can be a game changer because students get a chance to determine whether a career is actually something they want to pursue.”

What is guiding the university’s priorities for the student experience?

Since we have a new chancellor, we also have a new strategic plan, Ascending 2030, and we are making sure all of our goals align with those new strategic goals. We are also focused on telling the story and creating a strong Viking Experience.

What role does hands-on experience play in helping students choose a career?

Career treks, such as the New York Career Trek we had earlier this year, give students a chance to see what a day in the life looks like and get that first hands-on experience.

We have also made a push for internships, including opportunities through the State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Foundation. Those experiences can be a game changer because students get a chance to determine whether a career is actually something they want to pursue. I had a student come in last week who said he had realized he did not want to pursue the career he had originally chosen and was going to take a different path.

That kind of experience gives students what they need in terms of assessment and exploration.

What skills are employers seeking most from students today?

A lot of what employers are looking for is soft skills. Those can be hard to train, but they are at the top of the list right now. We are doing a lot of work with students to help them prepare and demonstrate those skills.

Transferable skills include communication, which is a big part of it, whether students are communicating verbally, in writing, or through email.

AI is also very big right now. I recently visited a financial software, data, and media company, and one of the things we discussed was how well students understand AI and what employers are looking for when hiring them. Employers want to know whether students are comfortable using AI and whether they can take those skills further in the work they will be doing. It is difficult to keep pace because the technology is changing so quickly.

What has the paid internship program shown about the value of work-based experiences?

One thing we have noticed is that the program has strengthened our community relationships. Students are able to work with organizations in local communities, and some have even been offered jobs after their internships. We had five students receive offers last year, which also helps strengthen the workforce.

Students are also developing skills such as punctuality and learning how to use those transferable skills wherever they go. The State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation program gives them access to paid internships, which is especially important because some of our students come from rural areas and need to support themselves and their families.

Being able to offer a paid internship means a lot to those students, especially when that experience can lead to a part-time or full-time job afterward.

Employers have also told us that a student may not have a 3.0 GPA, but that does not mean the student cannot do the work. They understand that these students bring value to the workplace, and they appreciate that we lowered the GPA requirement because it gives them an opportunity to connect with more of our students.

At our luncheon, the relationships between the students and employers were visible. They were fist-bumping and interacting almost like family. That has added a lot of value to the program.

We also had an adult learner who pursued a completely different path, and this internship was important for gaining transferable skills. He had submitted a lot of applications and told us, “I learned so much this summer.” He was very grateful for the opportunity the State Employees’ Credit Union Foundation program provided.

What would strengthen Career Development’s reach across the university?

We have momentum, and what I would love to see is for us to reach every Viking, whether they are online or in person. If our team can connect with every student at some point during their time here, then we are providing that Viking Experience.

Career development is not mandatory or automatically built into every student’s experience, so we have to continue getting in front of students and making sure they know who we are. The goal is to connect with as many students as possible.