Spotlight Majors:
Business Administration and Management & Labor Relations

Get an insiders look at the first event from Anna Gibson, Diversity Programs Specialist at the Monte Ahuja College of Business.

On Tuesday, September 24, 2013 from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m., students, faculty, staff and business professionals gathered together in the Board Room for the first event in the Career Connection Series. We had a great turnout, with 24 students in attendance. Faculty and staff included Anne Nelson, then Assistant Director of Undergraduate Programs & Academic Advising; Dr. Mary Hrivnak, then Interim Associate Dean of Academic Affairs; and Dr. Oya Tukel, then Chair of the Business Administration Department. Lunch was provided and the Q&A panel discussion got started after a brief introduction of the panelists. With many students having to leave early for class at 1pm, we tried to keep everything on schedule in order to give everyone an opportunity to get the most out of the experience despite the short time-frame.

I can imagine that most students didn’t know what to expect. Since this was only my second time moderating a panel discussion, I was a bit uncertain myself. This is a new program at the Monte Ahuja College of Business and for those of you who don’t know, I’m new to this position as well.

That being said, I think overall the event went great! The panelists were eager to share their insight into the career options for students who major in Business Administration and Management & Labor Relations. Although I frequently tried to keep the discussion on track with the prepared questions, the natural flow of the Q&A panel discussion led to unscripted questions from students in the audience. The panelists discussed career paths, employment skill sets, diversity in the workplace and pre-professional experiences such as internships, co-ops, networking and monitoring your online presence.

After the Q&A panel discussion was over, the panelists spent time talking to students one-on-one. I could see that the students really connected during the networking session. Speaking to business professionals can be intimidating, but all I saw was curious students having genuine conversations with panelists who were happy to share their knowledge and experiences.

As I’m sorting through the short surveys that students filled out during the event, I see a recurring theme in the responses that I’m proud to share.

Students that attended:

1. Have a better understanding about possible career options and employment skills necessary for these majors;
2. Found that the Q&A panel discussion was useful in learning more about the majors;
3. Indicated that they want to learn more about these majors;
4. Now know more about diversity in the workplace than before attending; and
5. Plan to attend one or more future events in the series.

Thank you to all the students, faculty, staff and business professionals who attended! I’m excited to see both new and familiar faces at the next event in the series on Thursday, October 24, 2013, Spotlight Major: Operations & Supply Chain Management.

Panelist Included: 

Photos: