On Tuesday, February 20, at 4:30 p.m., Stockton’s chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America and Career Education & Development partnered up to host “I’m Graduating… Now What?” The event was co-hosted by Professors Toby Rosenthal, Erin O’Hanlon and Assistant Director of Career Education and Development Dayna DeFiore.

DeFiore, an Assistant Director of Career and Education Development here at Stockton, opened up the presentation by introducing LinkedIn. While the resource is widely utilized, there are still many people who have not yet heard of it or taken the time to explore it. LinkedIn is a website that offers users the ability to connect with employers, search for jobs, and even apply for positions!

She also shared an array of interesting ways to use the website that many attendees had not known about before. If you search for an institution, like Stockton, you can click on the alumni section to find several profiles of former students. You can also view statistics like where they work, where they live, what they do, and so on. This feature is also applicable to company pages, where you can view current and former employee profiles.

Attendees of the event were encouraged to visit the profiles of these people and analyze specific aspects like their job titles, skills, and the overall formatting of their profiles. Tapping into the professional lives of people who hold jobs you’re interested in is a great way to navigate your own career.

After delving into the world of LinkedIn, DeFiore transitioned the presentation into stressing the importance of networking. DeFiore encourages students to “find in your existing space if there’s opportunity and take advantage of it.” There are likely many professionals around you that are more than happy to help you along your journey! Many of our staff and faculty at Stockton were originally students who built connections within their space.

For more career assistance, please drop by the Career & Education Development Center in Campus Center 104 or visit their website.