At the end of the Spring semester, current students and alumni attended another Career Coffee Talks session.  

The sessions are hosted virtually by Career Exploration and Development and the Division of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, and each one covers new topics related to employment. 

LuAnn Coldwell, a Career Adviser for the Visual and Performing Arts, was the presenter at the most recent talk. She covered topics ranging from using LinkedIn, including the alumni search tool, to navigating Handshake’s layout.  

Coldwell began the presentation by explaining the important role LinkedIn plays in networking.  

“It’s a great way to keep in touch with what people are doing with your network,” she said. “It’s a professional presence online. It’s a way for you to be visible as a professional.” 

The presentation then contained tutorials regarding LinkedIn features and how to set up a professional account, with an emphasis on connecting with the Kent State network of alumni. 

“There are currently around 183,000 Kent State Alumni, current students, faculty, and staff that are currently on LinkedIn,” Coldwell said. “That’s a huge network to tap into.” 

The discussion then shifted to Handshake, which is a national platform for university-focused recruiting that is given to all Kent State students automatically. 

After discussing LinkedIn and Handshake, Coldwell presented a list of the services given to students and alumni by Career Exploration and Development, which included individualized career advising, job search and mock interviews. 

This Career Coffee Talk presentation concluded with a Q&A chat and encouragement from Coldwell. 

“My wish is that whatever you’re doing, you find a career that you love and has deeper meaning and purpose for you,” she said. “We know from research that you live longer, are happier, have happier relationships, make more money – all the good things come when you enjoy the work that you’re doing.”  

The idea for Career Coffee Talks first developed because of the pandemic, since there were no in-person events. For Jasmine Pennino, the Career Coffee Talks event manager, it was a way to stay connected with alumni during an uncertain time. 

“They just kind of stuck, but now that we are more in person, these will become more like a hybrid I foresee,” said Pennino. “Then people can come in and it can be more like an interactive workshop.” 

Pennino said that Career Exploration and Development is an especially helpful resource for students looking for employment advice or tools to help build their resumes. 

“They also provide insight on what is happening in the professional landscape, trends that they see, because they have to follow up on all of that in order to give good advice on what to do for certain career paths,” she said. “They’re just a good tool to learn information of what’s happening out in the world right now.” 

While a new topic is still in the works for the next Career Coffee Talk, Pennino looks at student or alumni suggestions to see what is most needed. The next Career Coffee Talk is scheduled for Fall 2023.

Kayla Gleason is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].