Hired Before Graduation: Blue collar to white collar

There’s a saying by an unknown author that “The best way to get something done is to begin.”

Derrick Ludtke, a graduate of Moraine Park Technical College’s accounting program, can certainly vouch for that. He admits he literally spent years putting off going to college.

Now that he has a diploma in hand, though, Derrick has some sound advice:

“My advice after many years of procrastination is this: If it’s something you’re considering doing, just be spontaneous and do it. I put off college for many years, though I considered it many of times. I always had excuses or reasons why I couldn’t make it work. Till one day I said ‘I don’t care what programs they are offering I’m signing up for something,’ and here I am with the white collar job I’ve always wanted after many years of physical blue collar work. However, my factory experience played a big part in getting me hired as well. So no matter what you’re considering going to school for, take your experience with you and it may just be the determining factor over other candidates.”

Derrick’s job is as a cost accountant at Mayville Engineering Company – a position he earned before graduation from Moraine Park.

“I hope to learn the ins and outs of cost accounting from my great mentors and become a highly effective cost accountant. I am very excited to see where it may take me,” Derrick said.

There’s certainly no shortage of options in the accounting field! According to the United States Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, “employment of accountants and auditors is projected to grow 11 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations.”

If you’re interested in becoming part of the accounting field, remember, “the best way to get something done is to begin.”

And, according to Derrick, Moraine Park is a great place to get your start.

“I would have to say the biggest impact on me at Moraine Park was the hands on projects and activities. It gave me a small taste of what I might be doing and gave me a confidence I could only gain via hands on activities. The majority of this came from the following classes: Business Practice Firm, Micro Accounting, Integrated Accounting Applications, and Applied Income Tax (VITA). These were all towards the end of my program and they were the bread and butter of my college accounting experience.”

To learn more about Moraine Park’s accounting program, among others, visitmorainepark.edu/programs.

You can also explore many more stories of Moraine Park alumni who found employment in their fields prior to graduation. These students were “Hired Before Graduation,” and so can you!