Wearing business suits and carrying notebooks, Kelley School of Business students prepared to build professional skills and network with corporate sponsors at the annual Sophomore Professional Conference.
Sophomores in the business school spent Saturday in the Indiana Memorial Union, listening to speakers, working with their peers and attending workshops.
Beginning in 2009, the conference has prepared sophomores for internships, careers, interviews and study abroad.
After going through a year of the business school curriculum, sophomores are beginning the process of thinking about what kind of business professional they want to be, professor Josh Perry, the event’s keynote speaker, said.
“It makes a lot of sense because they still have two years up ahead to really focus and get some direction for the long term,” Perry said. “They can build on this self-discovery and the educational experiences.”
Students who attended said they agreed it is important for this conference to focus on second-year students.
“We’re all sophomores, so we’re kind of in the middle,” sophomore Katie Hager said. “It’s good to get a feel of what’s out there.”
Perry’s keynote speech focused on what it means to be professional.
“I think it’s deeply rooted in integrity, in being who you are and understanding who you are and being authentic,” Perry said.
Perry said professionalism is more than the external pieces — clothing, presentation, cover letter, résumé and a firm handshake.
“Really what I hope to prompt people to think about is more so the inner set of questions about what does it mean to be a professional, in your identity,” Perry said.
Networking with representatives from corporate sponsors and interacting with peers and faculty were two of the most important aspects of the conference, sophomore Zain Abdullah said.
Students also said learning more about the professional world and attending workshops were important parts of the conference.
“I think it’s important just to get as much experience in the professional world,” sophomore Caroline Hague said. “As college students, we don’t know a lot of what happens beyond college yet, so this is a good opportunity to learn about the professional world.”
Sessions at the conference were broken down into four categories: “Your Path,” “Your Brand,” “Your Network” and “Your Moment.”
Different organizations and corporate sponsors led these sessions, including the Kelley Institute for Social Impact, Kohl’s and Discover.
“There are some interesting sessions, and I hope to benefit from them indirectly and directly,” Abdullah said.
Perry urged students to ask themselves what it means to be professional.
He said business schools could characteristically serve the interests of shareholders, so students should ask themselves what that means for them and how that affects their role as a business professional.
“I want them to ask themselves what it means for them to be a professional,” Perry said. “Who are you trying to serve? What’s the bottom line?”
