Networking is an important skill for students to master to succeed in the business world, said Professor Jon Moore of the Operations and Information Management (OPIM) Department. On Wednesday, November 30th, the OPIM Department held the School of Business MIS, BDA, Business Technology Alumni & Student Dinner and Networking Dinner to offer current students the opportunity to network and gain valuable insight from alumni and faculty.
Undergraduate students, alumni, and faculty gathered in UConn’s Graduate Business Learning Center in Hartford where they took part in a dinner similar to speed-dating. The dinner was broken up into three courses – salad, entree and dessert. After each course, students were instructed to change tables, allowing them to sit and speak with a different set of alumni and faculty.
Management Information Systems (MIS) students were able to speak with alumni about different opportunities within the major and potential career paths after graduation. Alumni shared their experiences, giving students the tools to succeed in the field.
As a newly declared MIS major, Justin Holman (’18) saw the alumni and faculty as resources to introduce him to his career options. Holman said he was looking forward to speaking with alumni about their experiences and how they got to where they are now in their careers.
In addition to providing students with their expertise, the event provided alumni with a way to get involved with the department. During the dinner, Moore updated the attendees on the department’s new initiatives. Specifically, Moore invited alumni and their respective companies to get involved in OPIM Innovate, the innovation space and experiential learning initiative that the department is in the process of implementing.
A recent graduate of UConn, Kevin Brown (’16) said he decided to attend the event out of appreciation for the OPIM Department. Brown said that participating in the event was a great way for him to give back to the program that gave him so much during his time at UConn. Brown said he wanted to inform students about the less common, more technical options available to MIS students.
Moore got the chance to speak with many of the students and alumni in attendance, gathering feedback on the event.
“I spoke to an alumnus who was three years out of college and he said that he attended last night because he would have given anything for someone to help him out and give him advice when he was an undergraduate student. He thought that was the best way to give back and make a difference,” Moore said.
Wednesday’s networking event was a great success, Moore said. He said the department plans to have similar networking events in the coming semesters.