Networking Reception Draws Students and Alumni

by Rachel Miller ’14

Rachel Miller '14 and Shan Lin, marketing Ph.D. student
Rachel Miller ’14 and Shan Lin, marketing Ph.D. student

NETWORKING. As a senior marketing major, this is a word I have become very familiar with over the past four years. Like other business majors, we are told that networking is one of the most valuable skills for business success. However, many times it is difficult to practice and become a “skilled networker” as a student. On February 10th, at the Alumni and Student Networking Reception, the Marketing Department provided students the opportunity to improve their networking skills.

Despite relentless winter weather, the event was a success, and the Wilbur Cross library was filled with marketing students and faculty members. Keynote speaker John Fodor, a UConn alum and the Executive Vice President of Sales & Distribution for the Capital Group/American Fund, related how he used his business skills to quickly come up with a new family vacation after his family’s Caribbean flights were cancelled by an erupting volcano. Many of us are familiar with the stress of planning family vacations, and he used this relatable topic as a platform to highlight the importance of being prepared with a “plan B,” whether it is for a family vacation or a business deal.

At a large university like UConn, it can sometimes be difficult and intimidating for students to talk to alumni and faculty one-to-one. However, these networking events are one of the best ways to transfer what we learn in the classroom to the “real world.” These networking events transform “networking” from a familiar term to a practiced skill.

Click here to see more photos from the event.

 

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