From left to right: Paul Milton, Angi Wesson, Brian Formica, Kristen Genszler
Elon University is hosting its annual Professional Discovery Week hosted by the Student Professional Development Center. Events will be held through out the day on the week of February 17-20 focused on helping students progress along their professional growth. The first event of the week was “You’re Hired! Now What?” a panel discussion about what students can expect in their new job or internship.
The panel for the discussion consisted of: Paul Milton, Assistant Managing Editor, Targeted Media, Baltimore Sun Media Group; Brian Formica ’07, Main Sports Anchor, WFMY News 2; Kristin Genszler ’12, Assistance Producer and Production Manager, Trailblazer Studios; and Angi Wesson, Account Supervisor, Trone Brand Energy. All the panel members are also involved in the recruiting and hiring departments of their companies. They offered students advice on how to adjust and thrive in new workplaces, and allowed students to ask questions about what else to expect when beginning a new job.
“Be driven and be humble” Brian Formica’s response to a question about what the best things to do in the first month after entering a new job proved to summarize the theme of the discussion. Being willing to work hard while also being willing to learn are the two core characteristics of a successful new employee.
“You don’t know everything. But you better be willing to learn it.” The panel stressed the importance of initiative. The traits they look for in interns are ambition and drive. Show that you are engaged and enthusiastic and people are more likely to be impressed with you. The more eager a student is to work the more likely people will select that student for assignments. Getting assignments is the greatest way to create results that will further impress employers.
Paul Milton summed up his thoughts on the ambition of new employees with the analogy, “I’d rather you get picked off stealing second than tagged out waiting around on first.”
Another trait the panel stressed is the ability to be versatile and adapt to new or challenging environments. It is not often that someone’s dream job is the first job they get out of college. That does not mean that dream job is now out of reach. Employers sometimes simply do not need the position you want to fill. But if they offer you another job in the mean time it is worth taking.
“I may not have the director position you want, but I do have the audio or video position. And once the director leaves I’m going to move you up to that position, because I know you can do it, and you have shown your dedication and work ethic.” Said Formica on people not being offered the job they are seeking.
The panelists rounded up the session by giving some final tips for students to take to their future jobs and internships. Brian Formica stated one thing that the entire panel agreed on that is essential throughout any field of profession, “Be Kind.”
For a schedule of further events taking place this week or more information on Professional Discovery Week and the Student Professional Development Center visit their website.
Professional Discovery Week Schedule of Events
Student Professional Development Center Website
“You’re Hired! Now What?” was hosted in McEwen Studio B
Paul Milton answers a question from a student
A student takes notes during the panel
Assistant Director of Career Services Marianne Brigola was moderator for the discussion
Nevin Lally Portfolio 
The article was good. Just some punctuation errors and missed words occasionally, but overall it was good. You were very descriptive and helped me understand what this particular event was for. You put a couple quotes from the event that fit it good and Brian Formica’s quotes were motivating. The first picture needed more focus, it was a good picture but there are some words on the screen you can’t see clearly. Maybe the white balance can be adjusted or the
shutter speed. The second picture was a good shot. It’s a little blurry and try to center the subject and get the arm out of the picture. For the third picture, i would focus a little more and have a better background. There are a lot of things in the back that can take attention off the subject. The last picture is the best one. Reduce the head room and center her and that’s all. Good job bro!
Hi! I thought this was a great blog post about a really interesting event that many students probably don’ t know about. One main suggestion I have about the writing is to be sure that you are using complete sentences and that they all correlate to each other. I think this would help with the flow of your article. Your pictures are really nice but you could have maybe integrated the pictures into the text instead of having them all at the bottom. This would help to tie the whole piece together.
Your first picture of the screen and the lights has a great focus on the lights themselves, however I feel like the screen is slightly overexposed and therefore detracts from the lights. It’s also slightly confusing trying to read the words on the screen and having it be the focal point even though it is blurry.
As we talked about in class it is slightly distracting in the second picture that the yellow thing is in front of the man’s face, but that is not something that you could have helped. The picture is slightly out of focus on the main but I like how much room you give his eye line; it doesn’t feel as though he is cut off.
My favorite picture was the one at the very top because you had all four members of the speech looking at the camera, but it is also a little blurry. Maybe next time if you got closer up so you didn’t have to zoom at all or used a lower ISO so it is less grainy it would be good.
Throughout all the pictures you did a nice job of using the rule of thirds and not having things be too centered. Great article, I look forward to reading another one!