Ouachita’s Career Services will be hosting a social media workshop, Friday at noon for students in the Alumni Room at the Commons. Alumnus Brent Gambill will be the guest speaker for this event.
Career Services’ main goals are equipping students with the answers, opportunities, and connections needed to succeed both on and off campus. One of the techniques Career Services director Lauren Land is using to fulfill this goal is informational and educational workshops and speaking engagements that open students up to the workforce and life outside of our campus.
Over the next couple weeks, Ouachita’s Career Services Department will be hosting two different events based specifically around social media and networking.
“We are focusing on using social media as a professional. That means not just using it for catching up with friends,” Land said, “But it’s how do you use social media not just for fun, but for branding. How you are presenting yourself as a competitive individual.”
2001 Ouachita Alumni, Brent Gambill, will be the special guest speaker for this event. The workshop is a “brown bag” or “bring your tray” meeting that will take place from noon to 12:50 p.m. on Friday.
Gambill has a career in the public relations industry where he has worked in sports, radio and production. Social media was on the cutting edge while he was working in communications, and he has been able to use social media as a technique to advance his career in many ways.
“When I started, social media didn’t exist,” said Gambill, “Now it is a well grown sector and a large means of growing businesses in Arkansas and around the world.”
The following week, on Thursday, Career Services will be trying a new technique to help students build networking with Ouachita alumni in certain professions.
“I hate to equate it to speed dating, because that makes it sound kind of cheesy and negative,” Land said, “So, you are not eliminating people, but really growing your network. You will have about two and a half minutes with each alumnus, and it is your time to do with what you wish.”
Career Services will bring together a set number of students, approximately 30, and a set number of alums, setting aside about two hours, from 4-6 to give the students the opportunity to connect and grow their network of connections. This is going to be focused mainly for seniors and some juniors but will be on a firs./]t come, first serve basis as far as signing up. This is a test trial event, and if it goes well, Career Services will be doing more of this in the future.
For more information regarding Friday’s Social Media workshop or how to be a part of the speed networking event, contact Lauren Land at landl@obu.edu.
