By Austin Rivers ’17
As students preparing for future careers, we are often told that we need to network and build a marketable resumé to attract employers. Unfortunately, we are rarely told how to do these things.
This is where the Career and Leadership Development Center comes in handy. The CLDC offers several different programs and workshops to aid all students in finding future employment.
Being in my third year of undergrad, I was interested in what they had to offer, so on Tuesday evening I attended their Professional Leadership workshop called Who Are You and Why Should I Care?
The workshop lasts for about an hour and involves an interactive presentation that requires full participation from the audience. The main topics of discussion were networking, leadership, and building a brand. The presenters themselves are fellow students, which makes discussion much easier than with a professor or university faculty member. Despite their status as undergraduates, the presenters are pleasant to talk to, responsive and highly knowledgeable.
It is important to note that the workshop is not a straight lecture, but more of a conversation between the presenters and audience. This includes an interactive experience that teaches the audience immediate business skills they can apply once they leave the workshop.
‘Best Part of the Workshop’
The best part about the workshop is that it is suitable for all majors and fields of study. Usually when we hear words like “brand” or “networking” we think business or entrepreneur majors. However, these are skills that can be applied to any occupational field. The presenters themselves were journalism majors, and the audience members ranged from a Ph.D. chemical engineer student to an undecided undergraduate student. Regardless of your major, this workshop teaches you the ideas of how to put yourself out there in this competitive world and establish a marketable presence that attracts potential employers.
One thing about the meeting I will say is that if you are expecting a detailed seminar about the secrets of networking and how to climb the corporate ladder then you will be disappointed. This workshop is best suited for students who want to get a foundational understanding of how they can get a foot in the door within their field or industry. It covers the basics for how to emphasis your best leadership traits in simple conversation, how to simplify the networking process, and establishing a brand that attracts employers.
If you want to take advantage of this specific workshop or any of the other Professional Leadership workshops they offer you can attend the meetings any Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Baker University Center, room 366.
Rivers is a Sociology & Political Science double major at Ohio University.
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