The Association for Men and Women in Communications held its first meeting on Sept. 20 to discuss upcoming events and fundraisers as well as to help build a resume.The first two events are on Oct. 4. A bake sale will be held in outside Main Hall from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There will be traditional baked goods as well as Krispy Kreme donughts on sale.
A “Career Success” evening will also occur on Oct. 4 and will begin at 4 p.m. in Sykes. The program will feature representatives from Enterprise Rent A Car, Cintas, Target andApplied Card Systems. An informational session is planned from 4 p.m. until about 6 p.m. and will consist of tips for a successful interview, information about the companies and attendance and open interviews for available positions within those companies. Tickets for this event are$5 and can be obtained by contacting Dr. Ed Lordan, Dr. Jack Gault or Dr. Michelle Patrick. Students are advised to bring a current resume and dress business casual.
On Oct. 11 the association will be at the new senior citizens center on 530 E. Union Street for its main kick-off event. The event will be a public relationsfocused event for those interested in that line of work.
The association is planning a trip to Baltimore on Oct. 28-29 to visit a few businesses that focus in the communication studies field. The sites will include The Baltimore Sun, the Orioles’ stadium and possibly an advertising or public relations firm.After a list of the association’s upcoming events were announced, Dr. Kanan Sawyer presented a PowerPoint presentation on ways for students to stand out when networking, writing and submitting rsums and cover letters, and staying in touch with potential business partners.
The first tip she stressed was the importance of business cards. She said that carrying a business card would make anyone, student or graduate, seem more professional. “This is your first good impression in any networking,” said Dr. Sawyer.
She also said that business cards are fairly inexpensive, estimating that 1000 cards can be purchased from office supply stores or the Internet for about $15.
Dr. Sawyer also suggested mailing holiday cards to business contacts who have given business cards to the student. She said doing this simple act keeps an impression of the person sending the card in the mind of the person receiving the card.
The two sure ways to get a resume thrown away without a second glance according to Sawyer were scenting it with fragrance or forgetting to put on a name or contact information. If those two steps are avoided then the next concerns are making sure that the document is free of any typographical or grammatical errors. She said that style matters, and it is best when the style of the resume matches that of the cover letter.
Finally, she stressed the importance of sending a follow-up thank you letter to the person who received the documents. The meeting concluded with a chance for questions with Dr. Sawyer and office holders in the AMWC.
Students who were not able to attend the meeting are encouraged to contact President Adria Eichner or Vice-President Emilie Pickett. Students can be added to the AMWC e-mail ListServ by visiting www.communicationwcupa.edu