A group of Martha and Spencer Love School of Business students organized Elon’s first annual International Career Conference (ICC) held March 1 in Moseley Center.
Lizzy Larson ’13, Austin Rhoads ’14, Scott Bishopric ’14 and Lauren Teltsch ’13, under the guidance of Jefferson Pilot Professor of Economics Thomas Tiemann, planned an event to encourage global thinking and cultural awareness, prepare students for the global workplace, and showcase career opportunities outside the U.S.
“Given the astonishing rate of technological advancement and globalization, the majority of careers are going to have an international component,” said Austin Rhoads, an international business and marketing major. “Undergraduate students need to be open to the very real possibility of working in a foreign country. The Elon ICC was an opportunity for students to network with professionals and gain a better understanding of what an international career truly entails.”
Geoff Scott, president of Scott Asset Management, delivered the keynote address titled, “The Impact of International Careers,” which was followed by four breakout sessions and a panel discussion.
The breakout sessions included:
• “International Business and Global Supply Chains” – Michael Schofer, Coats Plc.
• “The Department of Commerce and International Trade” – Samuel Troy, U.S. Department of Commerce
• “Living/Working in a Foreign Country” – Thomas Nelson, associate professor of communications, Elon University
• “The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations Abroad” – David Sokal, FHI 360.
“We focused on buying abroad, selling abroad and living abroad,” Rhoads said. “The speakers were absolutely phenomenal.”
“This was a great student-run event,” Tiemann said. “We had professionals with diverse international careers on campus sharing their experiences with undergraduate students.”
The next Elon ICC will be held Spring 2013.