Diversity Business Summit, career fair, fashion seminar on tap for job- and internship-hunting students

Diversity Business Summit, career fair, fashion seminar on tap for job- and internship-hunting studentsSeptember 22, 2003Michele Barrettmibarret@syr.edu

More than 200 students are expected to attend Syracuse University’s Annual Diversity Business Summit on Sept. 24. Audrey Jones ’83, a producer with ABC’s “The View,” will be the Summit’s keynote speaker. Prior to joining “The View,” Jones was a producer with CNN’s “Larry King Live” and a senior producer for “Johnnie Cochran Tonight.”

The summit will include seminars for students, an interactive session for students and employers, and a networking reception on the Quad. The educational seminars are designed to prepare students for the workforce. Students will also have an opportunity to meet employers in a smaller setting than normal and employers will have direct access to students from diverse populations.

“The Diversity Business Summit is important because it provides an opportunity for students from diverse populations to have direct contact with employers who value diversity in their workforces,” says Gregory Victory, assistant director of outreach and training in the Center for Career Services. “We are fortunate that we can offer a program that underscores SU’s core value of diversity.”

This year’s summit culminates the work of a committee of faculty and staff, including individuals from the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Career Services Network, CIGNA, PricewaterhouseCoopers and a number of student groups. The Diversity Business Summit was established by the African American Male Congress as the Black Business Summit in 2001, and was renamed the Diversity Business Summit in 2002.

The Summit is open to all SU students, though it is specifically designed to address the professional development needs of students of color, students with disabilities, international students, LGBT populations, students with different religious affiliations and women. Last year, more than 150 students attended the Diversity Business Summit.

Students can register for the summit at http://students.syr.edu/careerservices/. For more information on the Diversity Business Summit and related events contact Victory at 443-3616.

Also this week, SU’s Career Services Network will hold its annual Career Fair at the Goldstein Auditorium of the Schine Student Center on Sept. 25 from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. As many as 75 booths staffed by Accenture, General Electric, IBM, PricewaterhouseCooopers, Lockheed Martin, U.S. Peace Corps, Kohl’s, Federated Dept. Stores, Morgan Stanley, Aetna, Wells Fargo, the Central Intelligence Agency, Teach for America, Tiffany & Company, Air Force Research Laboratory and AXA Financial/Equitable are scheduled to participate.

According to Debi Walker, assistant director of recruitment services for the Center for Career Services, several new employers have signed up to participate and recruit students from SU. “Since September 11, Career Fair attendance had decreased some. But this year, we’ve noticed a significant increase in the number of employers wanting to take part in the fair. New interest shows us that employers are opening up again and we’re very excited about that,” says Walker.

The Career Fair will provide students and alumni an opportunity to get an early start on the job-and-internship-hunting year. The event will also provide many networking opportunities, which could lead to future employment or mentorship.

Prior to the Fall 2003 Career Fair, the Center for Career Services will host several events, including a “Dress for Success” seminar on Sept. 23. For more information on the Career Fair and other career-related events, please contact the Center for Career Services at 443-3616 or visit http://students.syr.edu/careerservices