On The Job | Former Town House entrepreneur encourages students to explore options

Former Town House entrepreneur encourages students to explore options

Joshua Goodman Assistant Life Director

Unlike many college students reluctant to begin their “real lives,” Jonty Yamisha ’99 was eager to graduate and to enter the professional world full-time. During his senior year at Vassar, Yamisha, an International Studies major, started his first company called Teralong Interactive from his Town House.

Currently employed at the consulting firm Mercer Oliver Wyman, Yamisha will be coming to Vassar on Sept. 26 to talk about his career experiences, and to help students learn how to approach the career process, how to carry out an interview, and how to stand out against other applicants.
The Miscellany News: What were your career goals at Vassar? How did they develop during your undergraduate years?
Jonty Yamisha: As graduation came up, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I didn’t know a lot about professional work. After a Career Development meeting, I decided the answer was simply to start my own company. I helped start Teralong Interactive my senior year while living in TH D9. The company did Web-based software development and design work. We made $1 million in our first year.
MN: What have your career experiences been since Vassar?
JY: I took an internship at Razorfish Interactive and I learned quite a lot. They built Web-based software delivery programs. Things didn’t quite work out with Teralong and when the dot-com boom ended I launched an insurance claims processing company which I did for four years. Around the time of my five-year Vassar reunion, I decided to get my Masters of Business Administration (MBA). In two months, I had sold my company and enrolled in NYU’s Stern School of Business. I decided I wanted to get into management consulting. I went back to Vassar’s career advisory database and that’s when I found Mercer Oliver Wyman, and I’ve been there for two years. I will be done with my MBA in about a month.
MN: What do you think concerns most students entering the dreaded job search today?
JY: I think very few people know what they want to do. The reality is I still don’t know what I want to do, and that’s OK. College students are also rightfully concerned that recently real wages in the marketplace are stagnant to income. Yet, the price of education is on the rise at a rate of eight percent a year. When my daughters enter college, their tuition will be $90,000 a year.
MN: What do you think employers are looking for in potential job applicants?
JY: Employers are looking for people who have tremendous analytical skills. They also want people who are capable of working with both numbers and letters. Leadership attributes will never hurt a job applicant. Essentially, if you can connect with others and motivate individuals to a task, you are great asset to an employer.
MN: Do you have any tips or advice for Vassar students about career prospects that you wish you knew while at Vassar?
JY: Go to all the open houses and career events you possibly can to learn what you like and what you don’t. Also, remember that what you do is not nearly as important as who you work with. It’s also important to remember that it’s great to try many career fields. This way, you are more likely to find one you like. Remember, if you don’t like it, you can leave.