As an international student who joined the Eastern Connecticut State University community from China (and with Chinese as her primary language), Fang Cui had to work harder than most students to achieve her goals. An accounting major, Fang knew that it would be important for her to gain professional and cultural experiences working in a field setting. With help from Eastern’s Office of Career Services, Fang was offered a paid co-operative placement at United Technologies Corporation (UTC), based in Hartford. Some products manufactured by UTC companies include Carrier heating and air conditioning, Otis elevators and escalators, Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines and Sikorsky helicopters. Fang gained valuable experience while working in UTC’s financial department.
At Eastern, Fang was a member of Eastern’s Accounting Club. It was at a club meeting that a professor recommended she utilize the help that the Office of Career Services has to offer. While spending time with a career counselor, Fang refined and perfected her résumé. She also took part in mock interviews to better familiarize herself with the intricacies of the English language. “Because I am not native to the United States, the mock interviews really helped,” she said. “The career counselors had me answer questions that they knew would be asked.”
Fang graduated from Eastern in May 2010. She plans to acquire her master’s degree in accounting in the near future.