What to Expect From Career Week 2016
| January 22, 2016 |
|---|
By Tim McManus
The annual Career Week for the School of Communication is upon us. Starting next Tuesday, January 26, students will have the opportunity, not only to network with professionals at the top of various communication fields, but also to attend workshops designed to develop the skills necessary for launching their career.
鈥淐areer Week is part of the 鈥榲alue-add鈥� you benefit from as a Loyola SOC student. Over three nights, right here on campus in Regents Hall of Lewis Tower, you have access to more than 40 industry professionals who are ready to meet, coach and help you,鈥� said Cheryl McPhilimy, Director of Internship and Career Services, said. 鈥淭hese are people you wouldn鈥檛 usually have easy access to. There鈥檚 no better, more convenient way for an SOC student to learn and to network.鈥�
These events have proven to be very successful in helping Loyola students get a coveted internship or full-time job. Every year, attendees are able to separate themselves from a stack of r茅sum茅s and start to build relationships with employers.
鈥淟ast year, we had a woman who hosts a morning radio show serve on one of our panels. We had a student go up to her afterwards and express her interest in media. The student ended up shadowing her during the radio show, meeting a number of her colleagues at the station and was then offered a job,鈥� said Meghan Ashbrock, Event Coordinator. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had major results and with top paying agencies.鈥�
The first night is dedicated to a panel of four industry experts discussing effective and current strategies for breaking into desired fields. Also, panelists will show examples of standout r茅sum茅s and portfolios that resulted in the applicants being hired for entry-level positions.
On Wednesday, January 27, some 30 communication professionals will meet one-on-one with students for r茅sum茅 critiques and interview advice. It has been consistently the most popular event of the week.
鈥淲e run the r茅sum茅 workshop almost like speed dating, Ashbrock said. 鈥淲e will have tables set up around the room where students can meet with a professional for about 12 minutes to do a r茅sum茅 review, some networking, and exchange business cards. We ring a bell, and then you go to the next person. So in a two-hour event, it鈥檚 a good chance for students to meet with four or five different professionals.鈥�
The workshop on Thursday, January 28, will go beyond the r茅sum茅 and will stress the importance of appearance, on and offline. Students will again get to ask questions and work with various professionals to come up with a game plan for the Career and Networking Fair the following Tuesday, February 2.
鈥淭hursday's event, January 28, is a must-attend for anyone wanting to ace the job and internship search. We will have experts in to share wisdom on using LinkedIn, the professional wardrobe, what makes a successful portfolio, how to introduce yourself and how to work a career fair,鈥� McPhilimy said.
With more than 50 employers in attendance at the Career and Networking Fair, it is important that students come prepared. Spend time researching the individuals and companies (the list of registered employers is ), dress professionally, and bring plenty of r茅sum茅s to hand out.
鈥淲e try to make sure that all the professionals who are coming represent all of the different disciplines,鈥� Ms. Ashbrock said. 鈥淪o, no matter if you are studying non-profit communication or if you鈥檙e wanting to be a diehard print-journalist, there will be somebody there that you want to meet.鈥�