James Day Builds Upon Successful Summer Internship at Department of Defense Subcontractor

(Bluefield)—A very busy schedule and hard work don’t bother James Day. The Bluefield State College senior maintains an outstanding grade point average while playing for the Big Blues basketball team. 

Day, A Business Management major, spent his summer working in an internship for Zenetex, a U.S. Department of Defense Contractor, at the Patuxent River Naval Base in St. Mary’s County, Maryland.  “After an orientation period, I was trained to handle new contacts and task orders,” he explained.  Those responsibilities included helping the recruiting department fill jobs, review resumes, and matched candidates to the positions for which their skill set projected to be the best fit.

“I then setup interviews and screened candidates through telephone interviews,” he continued.  “We sought employees for positions that included aircraft maintenance, logistics management, web development, help desk positions.”  As the summer continued, Day helped to create a recruitment binder for new interns.”  At the conclusion of his internship, Zenetex invited Day to work for the firm during his Christmas and Spring Breaks.  

Ashley Nichalson, the Recruiting Manager for Zenetex, stated, “James was truly an asset to the recruiting department here at Zenetex. He has a real knack for communicating with applicants and helping to pull out skills they may not have included in their resumes, or even realized that they had. He was able to tackle a large work load, always with a smile on his face, and those efforts led to the successful onboarding of approximately 15 new employees just over the course of his summer internship. He was even recognized at our awards ceremony for his remarkable performance in such a short period of time. It is not every day that a person can walk in and pick up a profession as if they had been doing it for years. It is my desire to bring James onboard our team in the future. He is business savvy, an excellent communicator and incredibly knowledgeable young man. I believe he will make Bluefield State College just as proud.” 

“I learned much about communications etiquette through my courses in the BSC School of Business,” Day added.  “When I began the internship, I understood how to present myself and how to be proactive in a business setting.  This helped me a lot.”

According to Ms. Nichalson, “James came in on day one prepared to work in a professional setting, something unheard of for many of his peers.”

The challenge of performing at a high level in the classroom and on the basketball court can be daunting, but Day embraces it.  “Juggling my academics and athletics can be hectic, but it has really taught me the value of time management,” he said.

“Before the internship, I thought I would probably own my business or work for a sports branding firm after I graduated, but now I am also considering a career in the Department of Defense.”

“James would most certainly excel in the Department of Defense workforce, Nichalson added. “He thinks on his feet, responding to crisis in a calm, collected and admirable manner. He breaks down difficult tasking and works his way through it like a freight train. We look forward to James’ return during his next break from school.”