Last Friday, on March 25th I attended my first workshop here at LIU in my three years I have been a student here. I did not go, because I wanted to attend, but because my Professor for Management of Human Resources had required us to attend. I forced my self up early last Friday and went to school for the first time on a Friday. The workshop was the 6th Annual leadership Skills Development Workshop hosted in the gymnasium. The moderator Frank Ross, as well as the panelists were LIU alumni, who came to talk about and answer questions about their careers and jobs in their respective fields.Mr. Ross is the managing partner of the Washington, D.C. office of the accounting firm KPMG LLP, positions he held from July 1, 1996 to December 31, 2003. He is currently a Visiting Professor of Accounting at Howard University, Washington, D.C. and the Director of its Center for Accounting Education. For the past six years, he has been working with the LIU's School of Business Administration to sponsor the Annual leadership Skills Development Workshop.
The workshop lasted all day. we started the day with breakfast and some informal meetings. We then sat at different tables with five to six other students, whom we became a group with. Then, the presenters and the moderators talked about many different things that affect our personalities. What I liked the most about this workshop is after a brief presentation, usually a few slides of PowerPoint, the presenter would ask each group a question which a group member had to get up to the microphone and discuss what the group had discussed. I really learned a lot about myself and my career in this workshop, and that's is why it is of critical importance to attend these kind of events as a student especially if you are undecided. Check this website to learn about possible careers for you, http://www.jobweb.com/studentarticles.aspx?id=76.
Aside from the fact that the workshop was unnecessarily long, it was effective in that many students including myself left with more knowledge about our careers and education. One of the earliest exercises we did as groups, we had to each generate a "Burning Question" which was to be asked later to the panelists. Some, if not all of our questions were answered with real answers from the panelists usually with a motivational experience they had. One of the questions that seemed to resonate with many of the students was the future of job market and "how to stand out?".
Again why should you attend workshops and job fairs as much as you possibly can? Well, let's be realistic, the economy is not in the best shape it has been in years, and after graduation, you will be another college graduate available in the marketplace or workforce.
We all know there are secrets to each trade, and as a college student and future graduate you need to learn the secrets to becoming a successful student and an outstanding job candidate. These secrets are usually not hidden, but they are revealed to you in these kinds of environments by people who have been in that path before you. They can teach you a thing or two about what you might face in the future. You will also expand your social and professional base. It's a rare opportunity you can seize to form relationships with professionals in your perspective career to expand your networking base.
You can even ask some participants to act as advisers, mentors, or coaches to you in your pursuit of your goals. Moreover, you will also find out that many other students share similar career aspirations whom you can associate with, form personal and professional bonds with, and express concerns and dilemmas with.
The best thing about these events is that they are free. You are paying a lot of money to get an education here at LIU, but they only teach you from, sometimes outdated textbooks and sometimes outdated professors who have not been in the real workforce for decades, but these events offer real life examples as well as advices to college students pursuing their careers. Further, you can land an internship and possibly a job attending an event. An upcoming event that I am sure not to miss is Best of Brooklyn Career Fair on April 5th, here at LIU, and you should not miss it too. Check out some of the employers who are looking for YOU.
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