Equipping students to plan for the future

Elizabeth Harmon (from back left), Scott Strzyzykowski, Marty Stroud and Mike Lennex participate in a panel discussion at the School of Business Professional Seminar on Oct. 22. They answered questions from associate professor Heather Bachman, who ran the seminar and took questions from the audience. The Q&A was aimed to help students in the job search and interviewing process.

      

      To improve retention, help students connect with faculty, and network with hiring professionals in the field; according to Heather Bachman, associate professor, these were the goals of the Professional Seminar held on Oct. 22 by the School of Business in the Terrace View Café. “We did a seminar last fall and spring but it was only for the Office Administration (OAD) majors. This year we’ve opened it up for the entire School of Business,” says Bachman.

      The seminar was run by Bachman who began the event with a short introductory speech. Two advisors spoke briefly about registration information and Reti Shutina, program director, gave information about the Ohio Means Internships and Co-ops program. It was then thrown back to Bachman who did a Q & A session with a panel of four professionals. The panel consisted of Scott Strzyzykowski from Robert Half Account Temps, Marty Stroud from Owens Community College, Mike Lennex from The Andersons, and Elizabeth Harmon from the Office Team Division of Robert Half. These professionals are all in charge of hiring so they gave insight about the interview process and job search tips. The students were then split into small groups based on their major so they could talk on a more personal level with the professionals that were there.

      According to Bachman the seminar was funded by a grant they received from the Carl Perkins Fund. The grant allows them to not only put on these seminars but also gives them funds to improve curriculum. Bachman says they hope to continue doing these seminars every semester and they are already planning another one in the spring (we will let you know as soon as we have a confirmed date).

Elizabeth Harmon (standing far left) speaks to a group of OAD students about entering the job market in their field of study at the school of Business Professional Seminar on Oct. 22.