Greater Memphis Chamber, Companies Visit Morehouse to Share Memphis Career Opportunities with Morehouse Students

After graduation, you quickly learn the value of an alumni network. And that’s one of the reasons Douglas Scarboro, Senior Vice President of the Memphis branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and Morehouse graduate believes Memphis is a great place for Morehouse alumni to start their career.

“In addition to Memphis being a great community for starting your career, the strong Morehouse alumni network provides a meaningful on-ramp to opportunities,” said Scarboro (Class of ’97). “From fostering strong social connections to providing mentoring and networking opportunities for recent grads, there’s power in having a support system in your city of choice.”“Memphis has a strong Morehouse Alumni Chapter,” said Odell Horton, Jr., Partner, Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP (Class of ‘83). “Alumni hold political and government offices and corporate positions. You have opportunities to discuss issues and cultivate business relationships.”

“The Morehouse Alumni network has been instrumental to my time in Memphis,” said Richard Watkins, Patient Counsel for Medtronic (Class of ’97). “It has eased my transition to Memphis by connecting me with people of shared values and common experiences.”

Access and Opportunity Abound in Memphis

In addition to multiple corporate leaders, Morehouse alumni are well represented in the public sector in Greater Memphis. Newly elected Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris (Class of ’00) and Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner (Class of ’97) are both Morehouse alumni.

Other predominant Morehouse alumni are also convinced that the vibrancy of the city and its low cost of living make the Bluff City a great next step for Morehouse students transitioning from college to the workforce.“Memphis is a large city with the feel of a southern town,” Horton said. “There are numerous neighborhoods and suburbs with affordable housing opportunities. Memphis is a sports town. Memphis has professional basketball, Triple-A baseball and numerous collegiate sports. Memphis also has a vibrant music community.”In addition to a variety of sports and entertainment options, Memphis enjoys a cost of living that is consistently 12 percent lower than the national average. The city is home to the headquarters of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – recently named the most desirable place to work for Gen Z – as well as FedEx, AutoZone, ServiceMaster and International Paper. More than 100 Fortune 500 companies have operations in Memphis.

Williams Brack went to Morehouse to play football and moved back to Memphis in 2014. He credits the access and opportunities Memphis has to offer with attracting him to the city.

“I came back to Memphis for my family, but I stayed because of the opportunities Memphis has,” said Brack (Class of ’10). “Memphis has a lower barrier to opportunity than many other cities. If you have the hustle and hunger it make it much easier to navigate up stream in your career.”

Explore Memphis Job Opportunities

The Greater Memphis Chamber and representatives from Memphis-area employers will be on the Morehouse campus for the 2nd Annual Career Carnival on Wednesday, September 19. The event will be held at Century Campus Green from 4-8 pm.

Learn more about career opportunities from Memphis companies including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/ALSAC, AutoZone, DuPont, FedEx, First Tennessee, Hunter Fan and Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare.

In addition to campus visits, the Chamber and partner companies will have a booth at the Atlanta University Center Consortium Fall 2018 Career Fair. Each year more than 1,500 students and recent graduates from Atlanta area universities attend this career fair. Invited Universities include: Clark Atlanta, Morehouse College, Morehouse College of Medicine and Spelman College. Students have the opportunity to sign up in advance for interviews and to meet company leaders to hear more about employment opportunities in Memphis.

Job seekers and ex-Memphians in Atlanta are also invited to attend a networking reception featuring Memphis company representatives and Chamber representatives.

Students can send an RSVP or upload a resume here for the Career Fair Wednesday, September 19, or click here to RSVP for the free Memphis networking reception at Foxtrot Liquor Bar Thursday, September 20 (open to students and all ex-Memphians).Students can send an RSVP or upload a resume here for the Career Fair Wednesday, September 19, or click here to RSVP for the free Memphis networking reception at Foxtrot Liquor Bar Thursday, September 20 (open to students and all ex-Memphians).