Staff Spotlight: Career Services Advisor, Mike Lester

When he’s not offering students career advisement, you can often find Mike Lester donning a large, furry saber-tooth tiger costume and wandering the halls of First Niagara Center during Buffalo Sabres games.

That’s right, from time to time, the man behind Saber-tooth mask is one of the Career Services Advisors at Bryant & Stratton College Online.

Mike has been with Bryant & Stratton for nearly two years and has been with the Career Services Department the entire time. Mike’s job function features a great deal of outreach to various businesses to help identify new career opportunities for students across the country. Of all the features of his work here, Mike notes that the most rewarding part of his job is helping students to not only obtain employment, but to ensure our graduates are starting a career in the field of study they pursued.

“It’s not easy landing employment these days and counseling a student that is able to land a position within their field is a rewarding experience,” he said.

Not all of Mike’s time is spent working with businesses and students or helping to cheer on the Sabres, he is spending time at home with his wife Laura and their nine-month old daughter, Mackenzie. As you might expect, Mike is a big Sabres and Bills fan but he also has a penchant for many outdoor hobbies. Among his favorites are fishing and camping, two activities that allows him to spend quality time with his family.

What is your favorite story related to your time at Bryant & Stratton When I started one of the first people I had the opportunity to work with was a December 2013 MRC grad, Yen Klikna. Yen worked in management with the Harris County Toll Department in the Houston, TX area. From the start Yen was engaging and clear in her goals, without any practical experience in her field, however, it was difficult to find her a coding position. The effort that Yen put in provided extra motivation. I was able to work with Yen, as she volunteered in her field while working full time. It was a difficult process but Yen was able to secure a full time opportunity within her field in March of 2014. Recently Yen accepted a new position as a Certified Biller/ Coder with Surgery Associates of Houston.

What advice would you give to current or future students? School is structured and as a student you typically understand what’s expected. Finishing school is a great accomplishment but finding a job is a sometimes uneasy and difficult process with numerous ups and downs. Your results are typically the byproduct of the effort you put in. While in school it’s never too early to start looking for positions and the Career Services Department at Bryant & Stratton is prepared to advocate for you as you approach a still unsettled future.