This spring, students in the Ted Bauer Leadership Certificate Program (TBLCP) were given a unique opportunity to help them grow their networking skills. During the month of April, TBLCP students attended a two-part series on networking held in partnership with Deloitte.
Every fall, 80 Bauer undergraduates are accepted into TBLCP where they spend a year focused on developing their leadership and professional skills. Each week students in TBLCP learn about important skills such as public speaking, emotional intelligence, global leadership, and more. The events they attended this spring gave students the opportunity to put these skills to use in a practical and educational setting.
On Friday, April 7, TBLCP students attended part one of the events series. This event was a workshop led by several Deloitte partners and managers. The presenters included Amy Fread, Patrick Spaulding, Danetta English Bland, and Raymond Gonzalez.
Throughout the workshop, the Deloitte staff members focused on important skills students would need to be successful at a networking event. The presentation included tips on preparing for networking events and following up after such events. The workshop focused on preparing students for all types of networking events – not ones solely with Deloitte.
Two weeks later, students had the chance to put their lessons into practice. On Tuesday, April 18, TBLCP hosted the “Networking-In-Action” event with Deloitte. At this event, over 15 Deloitte staff members came out take part in “mock networking” with TBLCP students. Students had a chance to practice their elevator speeches and general networking skills in an interactive setting. Throughout the event, students were able to receive direct feedback on their networking skills from Deloitte staff members.
This is the first time TBLCP has hosted this type of event. The TBLCP Program Manager and the staff members at Deloitte hope to make this an annual event to provide students with meaningful ways to develop their networking skills.
By Allison Marz
