Career Services Hosts Speed Networking Event at Gilhooley’s

Ready…Set…Cougars Connect sxu.edu/student-life/career-services/speed-networking.asp

On Wednesday, March 21, Career Services will host a Speed Networking event from 6 – 8 pm in Gilhooley’s Heritage Room.

At this event, a student or two is paired with an alumni mentor.

From there, students will have three minutes to network with this professional.

After that, students will move to the next table to meet with another alumni mentor until everyone has had a chance to briefly speak with each alum.

When asked what students can expect at this year’s event, Career Services Assistant Director Jodi Malloy Martin explained, “Students can expect to meet SXU’s amazing alumni and learn about their career paths and experiences. They may also learn about internship and job opportunities.”

Students should consider bringing a portfolio to hold business cards, paper, pens, and copies of their resume. A resume, however, is not required.

As for attire, the FAQ for this event states, “This could be business attire such as a suit (and tie), or business casual such as dress slacks with a professional shirt, or khakis with a nice polo; women could also wear professional or business casual slacks, skirt, or dress.”

When asked what prompted her to organize this event, Martin said, “Career Services has been hosting networking events for several years. These events are wonderful because we have amazing alumni friends who provide mentorship to all students. We decided to try a new format – speed networking – because this format really encourages students and job seekers to practice their networking and conversational skills.”

Martin also gave some advice for those who plan to attend, “Students should be prepared to talk about themselves and their career interests. This is their opportunity to practice their networking skills while gaining knowledge about careers and possible job opportunities.”

Here is a list of the alumni participants:

Candace Ramirez, Lead Marketing Consultant, Allstate Insurance, (MBA 2005; MACS 2004; Liberal Arts 2002)

Carlos Correa, Chicago Hub Manager, Lyft Inc. (Professional Studies – Business Admin. & Org. Behavior 2016)

Dion McGill, Program Manager, Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (Social Science, Secondary Education 2010)

Elizabeth Keene Cichocki, Speech Language Pathologist, Lansing School District 158, (Communication Sciences & Disorders 2009; 2007)

Erica Aceves, Payroll Coordinator, Swoon Group (Sociology, 2016)

Kelly Small, Account Executive, Dunbar Armored, (Business Administration/Marketing 2011)

Lindsey Krassel, Manager, Member Marketing, Illinois State Medical Society, (Management/Marketing 2011)

Lorenzo Savino, Staffing Consultant, Robert Half, (Psychology/Sociology 2016)

Maloree Johnson, Police Officer, New Lenox Police Department, (MBA/Business Admin 2015)

Melissa Janicki, HR Coordinator, Little Company of Mary Hospital & Healthcare Centers, (Business/HR 2016)

Michelle Quiroz, Statistical Reports Analyst, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, (Accounting/Finance 2015)

Mike Ward, Quality Assurance Analyst I, ACE Hardware Corporation, (Computer Science 2012)

Monica Sanchez, Accountant, Novolex, (Accounting/Finance 2014)

Nathan Jimenez, Senior Buyer/Planner, VeePak Inc., (Accounting/Management 2011)

Ceasar Torres

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