The Department of Communication held its second annual Communication Career Event last Tuesday, February 28, in Wilson Hall.
The purpose of the event was to give communication students and alumni the chance to participate in seminars about their degree and to network with professionals in the field. From 2:30 pm to 6:00 pm, several events were held including, “What You Can Do with a Communications Degree,” “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About A Career In ___ (But were too Afraid to Ask),” as well as networking, internships, and professional preparation opportunities. These events offered information for communication majors to gain a better understanding of options for a future career.
The lecture, “What You Can Do with a Communications Degree,” had five speakers positioned at the front of the room. The speakers introduced themselves and told their stories about the career paths their communication degrees led them on.
“I use my degree every day,” Attorney-at-Law Albert Calise said. The rooms were full of students paying attention and asking professionals questions.
The speakers gave advice, tips, and even helped with preferred resume styles. “It’s being able to open your mouth and open your mind. Say hi to people and be nice to everybody,” Calise said.
Anderson Diaz said, “In your career you can either decide to push against the tide or let the tide take you where it wants to go.”
The event held a variety of information panels along with interactional networking and an internship fair. As the second year the event was being held at the University, the number of speakers and professionals increased. Last year, the event had 50 speakers and professionals speaking to about 200 students. This year, 60 professionals and speakers came to the event along with representatives from businesses including ABC Radio, Fox5, Clear Channel, WWE, HBO, Cablevision, the New York Daily News and USA Today. Also, some major public rela- PHOTO COURTESY of Blaze Nowara Specialists in the field of journalism, radio, television and public relations made up panels and discussed the ins and outs of their careers. tions and marketing firms along with the professionals were there and available to have one-on-one conversations with students, including mock interviews.
“I hope the students in attendance hear helpful stories from professionals in the field about how they positioned themselves for their career, and how they used their communication degree to best advantage,” said Dr. Chad Dell, Chair of the Communication Department. The event was held by the staff of the University’s Department of Communication.
This event was seen as a good way for the students to make connections and get a guide to their degree. “We recognized early on that the job market is very competitive, and we wanted students to have every advantage when they graduate,” continued Dell. The staff of the department, Communication Council, Career Services and the Alumni Affairs office all helped to participate in this “natural step” to a career.
According to Dell, the student feedback on last year’s event was positive and the staff hopes to achieve the same, if not better feedback from this year’s event and for more events in the future.
