Career Week Wrap Up
By: Meredith Aronson, Career & Professional Development
Hello there, Zag Families,
What a busy fall semester! Here at Career & Professional Development, we just wrapped up a very successful Career Week full of events such as our Speed Mock Interviews, two Career Fairs, and Spokane Corporate Excursions to some amazing local companies. So we took a few minutes to celebrate a week of facilitating amazing connections between students and potential employers, but then we got right back to work. We are now gearing up for our next round of Treks, this time to Portland and Seattle! So, while your student is home basking in home-cooked dinners and family bonding time, why not use the opportunity to encourage a little career development? Here is what one of our amazing seniors, Ellie Stephenson, has to say about her experience on the Treks and why your student should definitely attend:
As I meet employers and ask about what they are looking for in recent grads, they always talk about finding employees who will fit in with their company culture. I think the Trek excursions are a really tangible way for students to get an idea of what it would be like to work for a company, and to see if the company is a good fit for their personality and their passions.
While there are excursions that focus on students with particular majors, there are opportunities for students of all majors to select the companies they want to visit, and the career fair and networking dinner are both really good places to meet employers and alumni from all industries.
I think it’s important for students of all grades to attend the Treks because even if you do not have clear career goals or aspirations, it’s never too early to practice networking and to get a sense of what is out there! I still keep in touch with alumni and employers I met at the Seattle Trek my freshman year, and it’s wonderful to see them at the event every year and catch up with them.
Gonzaga students are really lucky to have a program like the Treks that operate from coast to coast and give students a really unique experience. The office of Career and Professional Development and our Zag Alumni network make the Trek program possible, and I am so thankful for the opportunity. Not all college students can say they have had dinner with their university’s Board of Directors, toured an Oreo factory, or sipped coffee in the Starbucks world headquarters.
The Trek program is designed to engage students in career development and networking opportunities with alumni and potential employers in key metro areas (currently Spokane, New York, Portland, Seattle, and the Bay Area). Through the Treks, students get to meet companies and learn about internship and job opportunities at the career fair, visit exciting and innovative companies on a corporate excursion, and network with employers and alumni over dinner. In an effort to create opportunities for all students, regardless of class year or major, we have put together a wide range of corporate excursions. This year, students will have the opportunity to choose from a number of visits, including the following companies:
| In Portland on Tuesday, January 5th:
· Nike · Oregon Hist. Society · Portland General Electric · Hewlett Packard · Oregon Health Science University · Columbia Sportswear |
In Seattle on Thursday, January 7th:
· PACCAR · Microsoft · Boeing · Starbucks · Nordstrom · Liberty Mutual |
We also invite parents and families to attend several of our Trek events! Below is the itinerary for the days, with *stars* next to the events in which we welcome parent participation:
*Women in Leadership Symposium 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- In Portland: DoubleTree by Hilton-Lloyd Center
- In Seattle: Seattle Renaissance Hotel
Career Fair 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Portland DoubleTree by Hilton-Lloyd Center & Renaissance Seattle Hotel)
Lunch with Career Fair Employers 12:00 PM – 1:00PM
Corporate Excursions 1:00 PM – 5:00PM
*Alumni Networking Social 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
- In Portland: Nike Headquarters, Main Lobby of the Tiger Woods Center.
- In Seattle: The Renaissance Hotel
*Dinner and Program 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
- In Portland: Nike Headquarters, Bay Hill/Wollaston Room of the Tiger Woods Center.
- In Seattle: The Renaissance Hotel
For more information about the Treks, please feel free to share my contact information with your student, or direct them to our website. Your student can register on ZagTrax.net, or you can register them here: https://gonzaga-csm.symplicity.com/events/ (please note, there is a $35 fee to participate in each of the cities, or $60 to participate in both).
Registration is open now. Happy Trekking!
Cheers,
Meredith Aronson
Employer & Alumni Relations Manager
Career & Professional Development