Excellence in Networking
Bauer Sales Students Build Connections During Corporate Networking Event
Students from the A. R. “Tony” and Maria J. Sanchez Program for Excellence in Selling (PES) in the Stephen Stagner Sales Excellence Institute at the C. T. Bauer College of Business started the spring semester with a bi-annual Corporate Partner Networking event that brought employers from leading organizations to discuss career opportunities.
Every semester, the program invites their 30 corporate sponsors to meet with 150 students in a more casual setting than a traditional career fair, allowing students to build connections and learn about a range of companies for potential internships and post-graduation job opportunities.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to identify companies they may pursue a career at or even just a mentor they can turn to for guidance,” Program for Excellence in Selling Manager Halas Rawas said. “The connections students can make with directors, VPs and other high-level people is invaluable for their career. Your network is your net worth.”
Students like marketing junior Stephen Mendiola took advantage of this opportunity to build his network while learning about the different industries in attendance.
“It is such a fun way to meet partners and companies by just getting to know them on a personal level,” he said. “You usually get caught up on things like a résumé at a typical career fair but here you can just introduce yourself and have a normal conversation.”
The open-discussion atmosphere works as a two-way street, allowing corporate partners the opportunity to learn about students and what their future goals are. TDECU Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist Darren Hendricks said he enjoys in-person networking events like this because it allows him and other partners to become familiar with students who are looking for that first step into their career.
“Networking is one of those things that have become lost because of the digital era,” Hendricks said. “Being able to meet with a person one-on-one or a group to share ideas and get new information about things they like to do and the goals they have are great.”
For students networking, making a first impression is everything. Fidelity Investments Assistant Branch Leader Iris Modlin stressed having good questions and doing the homework before networking because it shows how serious a student is about their future career.
“It gives students the opportunity on how to get started,” she said. “They get to learn the steps it takes to get into our businesses and our industries. We are always looking for people with a desire, a drive, a passion and just an excitement for what we do.”
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