Contributed by Emily Pelton

On Thursday, October 17, the GCC forum was filled with people from different local businesses. Each specific business had at least one person there who was there representing their company. They were there to talk to students and teachers, to network, and to discuss potential future jobs and internships. They were also there to share their own experiences and examples with students who might be interested in going into their field of work. The business that were there were Maurices, Verizon, Charles Men’s Shop, Dentino Marketing Group, GLOW area YMCA, Concentrix, Coastal Staffing, Darien Lake, Clarion Hotel and Entercom Rochester.  Representatives from each group were more than happy to talk and share any information that they could.

Each company was available for the entire time to talk to each student about any questions that they might have about their company. I went and talked to each person there that was a representative. It was very enjoyable and I was able to learn a great deal about each company and each representative. I also received a large amount of pamphlets, coupons, and even candy from one table. I met some very interesting and pleasant people, and I took away at least one thing from each company that I did not know before.

Common questions that arose as students networked with the representatives were potential internships that the companies offered, and what the experience of an internship would be like. Each company had a different answer. However, their reason for offering internships, if they did offer them, was the same. The overall goal that each company has is to keep improving where they are currently at, and to continue to be successful. In order to do this, it is important to hire the right people. Internships not only help students gain hands on experience, but also allow an employer to see if they would like to hire that student. If the student is successful and well liked during the course of the internship, it is possible that they have secured themselves a job with that company. Although they each had slightly different reasons and answers for offering internships, every representative gave this overall answer as their main reason.

Students that came to this event came to gain general information about the different businesses, or for extra credit for one of their classes. However, I think that each student that came and took the time to actually network left with more than just bonus points and coupons. This event provided the chance for students to ask questions in many fields of business. There was something there for any student, whether they were a business major or not. This event provided students with the rare opportunity of seeing what their actual future career may look like. In addition to the information and handouts that were offered by each company, there was also a raffle drawing for a $50.00 gift card that was put on by the  college. The winner of this drawing was Kamilah Bowens. Kamiliah is currently a business major here at GCC. This event was a great success, and is one that will be well remembered by both students and faculty in the future.