A former NIU student spoke Wednesday to a group of around 100 business students about the need to have experience in one’s degree area during college before applying for a job.

Mark Ricotta, a 1985 graduate, works for Northern Illinois Advertising Council in Rockford as an account executive. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations.

“It is imperative to get experience in a job directly related to your major,” Ricotta told American Marketing Association and Association of Finance students. “Get hands-on experience by being actively involved.”

The 28-year old speaker said he was involved with Contact Communications, a student-run public relations agency, while he attended NIU.

icotta suggested that business students go to AMA and AFS meetings in Chicago and develop contacts for future references. Students should ask for a businessperson’s or professor’s card, he said.

Plus, students should consider approaching local merchants about possibly helping them with their marketing, he said.

Students should learn basic information about businesses to which they plan to apply, Ricotta said. One should inquire about the products these businesses sell, their sales, their future plans and the company’s employee total, he said.

icotta said a starting salary for an account executive is between $15,000 and $18,000 in Chicago, but he started at $20,000.

esponding to questions about the value of a master’s degree, Ricotta said it might not be required if a student can show an employer skills on the job that would have been obtained in graduate school.