Five events throughout the day on Tuesday, Sept. 20, will provide opportunities for students with a variety of interests to meet employers seeking to fill internships and job openings.
From first-year students to seniors, all Elon University students are invited to attend the Connect to Your Future Event on Tuesday, Sept. 20. Students will get the chance to connect with potential employers, search for internship opportunities and develop networking skills.
“It has created an authentic atmosphere where students feel like they can be themselves,” says Kristin Walker, associate director of employer experience and technology at the Student Professional Development Center (SPDC). ”Everyone just wants to talk to each other and make that good connection.”
Walker explained that the day will have five events. The first will be hiring initiatives for underrepresented students, followed by three meet-and-greet opportunities for communications, business and STEM students. The final event will be open to all Elon students, including those who are just looking to network and engage with employers.
“We’ll have glow necklaces too,” said Brooke Buffington, director of the SPDC. “They act as visual identifiers. A freshman could wear one that says, ‘networking,’ while a senior on the other hand would wear one that says, ‘looking to find a job.’ Overall, it’s an inviting, casual and fun networking time for students to connect with employers.”
The work of Buffington and Walker through the SPDC’s Cooperate and Employer Relations Team focuses on employer connections and analyzing the ever-evolving job market, and how those relate to the career goals of Elon students. Previous Connect to Your Future events have produced high outcomes for success and helped students reach all their benchmarks, from acquiring an internship to eventually landing a stable position in the field of their choice.
Employers that will be in attendance include Wells Fargo, ESPN, Ernst & Young and Volvo. Last spring marked the first hosting of Elon’s Connect to Your Future Event, and many of the same employers are coming back to meet a new set of Elon students to provide information, resources and opportunities for employment and internships.
The day will begin with the Diversity and Inclusion Networking Event (DINE) at the LaRose Student Commons from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. The meetings for communications, business and STEM students will all take place from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Event for business students will be held in the Koury Business Center, communications students will connect with employers in the Snow Family Grand Atrium and Schar Hall, while STEM students will attend their event in Hunt Atrium in Founders Hall.
The final Networking event, Network@Night, will take place in McKinnon Hall in the Mosley Center from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
While there is no set dress code, students are encouraged to attend wearing Elon apparel. All those able to attend are welcome.