On June 7^th, Tuesday’s Children’s Career Resource Center continued its event series and presented a “Career Networking Seminar for College Aged Students.” Given that networking is one of the most powerful tools for success in today’s challenging job market, the event was hosted at the Empire State Building LinkedIn Offices and focused on building a diverse group of professional contacts.

The LinkedIn team began the seminar with an interactive presentation on optimizing professional profiles. Participants learned about best practices on utilizing LinkedIn throughout their career search and discovered how to ensure employers view them as top candidates. Presenter Vincent Gatti, from AJAX Social Media, stressed the importance of taking advantage of this virtual doorway to connect with millions of other professionals and potential employers. One young adult shared, “I hadn’t realized what using LinkedIn opens up such an important job market. I really learned how to make the most of my professional presence on my profile and will be sure to continue connecting!”

After the informative session, attendees separated into small groups to partake in a unique Speed Networking Event. High level professionals from various fields shared their experience with each group of students. By engaging with these professionals in industries such as finance, communication, medicine, and many others, students received a wide range of helpful advice and referrals, enforcing the importance of developing their networking skills and expanding their contacts. One of our professional partners described: “There was so much connecting and networking taking place it was hard to keep track. The professionals and students were so passionate and engaged-- it was extremely impressive.” Another Tuesday’s Children young adult echoed these sentiments, “I feel really great about the networking I did tonight. It taught me so much. I’d recommend others come to these events to learn more as well!

A big thanks to John Hassett, Patrick Sullivan, and the entire LinkedIn team for all of their support, and to Fred Strobel and Lori Perillo at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney for facilitating the event!