Career and Professional Development Presents ‘Foundations of Career Development’ Series The Feb. 23 event is part of a series covering key career development topics such as professional documents, developing your story, networking, interviewing and succeeding on the job.

By Erica Turman
February 19, 2021

Washington and Lee University’s Office of Career and Professional Development invites students to join Career Advisor Kelley Melvin ’08 for a program about best practices for networking and utilizing LinkedIn tools on Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. This program is part of Career and Professional Development’s new “Foundations of Career Development’” series, a seven-part series covering key career development topics such as professional documents, developing your story, networking, interviewing and succeeding on the job.

During the Feb. 23 virtual event, students will learn about the basics of networking, critical steps in the networking process, and how to develop and expand their network using LinkedIn.

All students are encouraged to attend the online event and can register in advance here.

“Whether students are drafting their first resume or sharpening their interviewing skills, there is a program in this series for everyone,” Melvin said. “Learning how and why to network are crucial steps in the professional development process, but networking can feel intimidating, and often students don’t know where to start. One of the best things about W&L is our strong alumni network. This event also aims to show students that the alumni network is there, and it is ready to help them succeed.”

The program will break down the process into simple steps for students to follow to get started and gain the skills and confidence to network effectively. In addition, students will walk through building a LinkedIn profile and tips for searching for networking contacts on the platform.

Other upcoming events in the “Foundations of Career Development” series include:

• Interview Preparation: Tuesday, March 16 at 7:30 p.m.
• Interview Madness Speed Interviews: Tuesday, March 23 from 10 a.m.-noon and Wednesday, March 24 from 1-3 p.m. Students can sign up for one-hour slots.
• Succeeding on the Job: Tuesday, May 4 at 7:30 p.m.

Recordings of past programs in the series are available on Handshake in the Resource Library, and the schedule for future events can also be found on Handshake by searching under “Events.” Students can sign up for Career and Professional Development emails and follow along on Instagram @wlucareers to stay up-to-date.