March 20, 2011 - 4:36pm
At event, 'U' alumni encourage students entering media careers
BY ALEXA BREEDVELD
About 100 University students attended Alumni Connection, an annual event hosted by the University’s Department of Communication Studies, Friday to help students learn about career opportunities within the competitive communications field.
The event included six panelists who graduated from the University with degrees in Communication Studies. The alumni — who work in public relations, advertising and publishing — discussed how they got their current jobs and gave advice about how to start successful careers in the media industry.
Kari Pleiman, an account manager for AdWords, a company that organizes advertisements for Google, Inc., advised students at the event to not be discouraged when looking for careers in the competitive job market.
“I understand what you guys are going through, and it’s scary, but don’t be afraid to take chances,” said Pleiman to the crowd of undergraduate students. “Always keep thinking above and beyond.”
Andrew Bracht, another panelist at the event, is the manager of Shopper Marketing for MARS advertising. In an interview after the talk, Bracht stressed how it is important for students to network and meet professionals in the field they are interested in.
“These events help you learn a little bit about the real world,” Bracht said. “You don’t necessarily get that practical experience without hearing from people within the field.”
Bracht added that the panelists also benefit from hearing about the career experiences of other Michigan alumni.
Cheryl Erdmann, the undergraduate program coordinator for the Department of Communication Studies, has organized Alumni Connection every year since it was started in 2005 by Susan Douglas, chair and professor for the department.
“Professor Douglas, when she became chair, wanted to do something to bring the alumni back to talk to our current students about careers,” said Erdmann in an interview after the event.
She added that the purpose of the event is to help students looking for internships and jobs.
“This is not a recruiting event; it’s a career exploration event,” Erdmann said. “The students get information that helps them get careers and internships with the information from this event.”
Students who attended said they learned a lot about the different career options in the communications field.
LSA sophomore Taylor Collins, who is majoring in Communication Studies, said the event helped her decide to pursue a career in public relations.
“It was really nice that they had a panelist who worked in the public relations field because I got a better idea of what she does on a day-to-day basis, and it solidified what I want to do,” Collins said.
LSA freshman Mickenzie Carpenter, also majoring in Communication Studies, said the discussion helped her learn about various careers.
“It definitely opened my eyes to different opportunities that I didn’t think were out there,” Carpenter said.
Erdmann said she hopes career exploration events like Alumni Connection become more popular among other departments at the University.
“I think it’s important to have events like this all over campus,” Erdmann said. “It gives students ideas for what they can do now.”
