The University recently hosted a “Senior Career Summit” to prepare seniors in the College of Arts and Sciences and Sawyer Business School to enter the professional workplace.

“This inaugural Senior Career Summit was designed to jump-start the career search for graduating seniors by capitalizing on the expertise and advice of employers, a marketing communications expert, trade association executives, and recent alumni,” said Paul Tanklefsky, director of Career Services and Cooperative Education.

The three-hour event featured a panel of hiring employers discussing the skills and knowledge they seek in today’s college graduates. They were:

• Cheryl Barrett, Human Resources Generalist, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary;
• Richard C. Curtis, Manager of University Relations, State Street Corporation
• David Hartstein, CEO, Kabloom; Executive-in-Residence, Suffolk Business School.

Advice from the experts

Trisha Griffin-Carty, president of Griffin-Carty Communications, advised the 2010 Suffolk graduates to be confident of their skills. She said that persuasively conveying their experience can make a difference in getting interviews and earning job offers.

Ann Quigley, president-elect of the American Marketing Association, Boston Chapter, discussed how professional associations can help students in their job search, and how identifying and leveraging these groups can make them more industry savvy.

A panel of 2009 alumni returned to Suffolk to share their experiences of what works and what doesn't when entering the job market. They were:

• Jeremy Cyran, auditor, Department of Health and Human Services
• Cristina Ducharme, inside sales manager, Roush Life Sciences
• Natasha Minichino, assistant media planner, PJA Advertising and Marketing

“Our goal was for each and every participating student to be a more knowledgeable, smarter, and savvier job seeker at the end of the summit,” said Tanklefsky. “That should translate into a clearer understanding of how the job market operates and greater confidence in working the system to secure a career opportunity upon graduation.”