Graduating seniors looking for guidance as they head into the job market got a little help from the first Employ the Pack conference.
Employ the Pack, held on Saturday, March 16, consisted of two keynote speakers to open and close the day along with various other presenters, who aimed to help students make themselves marketable employees.
The event was organized by Loyola’s Career Development Center and was held in the St. Charles Room in the Danna Center on a day where it may have been tempting to go join the St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
Tamara Baker, associate director of the career development center, said she was pleased with the number of students in attendance that day.
“I’ve learned that students will come out on a Saturday in New Orleans, even if there is a parade going on, if it affects their post-college life,” she said.
Baker also said that due to the positive feedback she got from the students and keynote speakers, the Career Development Center plans to put on the conference annually.
Closing keynote speaker Scott Beale, who founded the nonprofit organization Atlas Corps, said he hopes that the students who attended the conference don’t just focus on their wages when considering jobs.
“It’s not a choice between can I make a living or can I make a difference,” he said. “There are career paths where you can make a difference while making a living and living a comfortable life.”
Finance senior Jonathan Smith said he left the conference with some new ideas on how to bring future employers to his digital resume.
“I wanted to put a scanner code on the back of my business card and potential employers could see it, scan it with their phone and they’ll be able to see my resume,” Smith said.
One of the ways the Career Development Center got the word out about the conference was through social media.
Marketing senior Caroline Denniston was one of the students who made sure the event was promoted online.
“We posted a lot on all of (the Career Development Center’s) platforms to tell them to get registered,” Denniston said, who attended the event she helped organize. “This was definitely a nice educational way to spend my Saturday.”
Hasani Grayson can be reached at [email protected]
