Students eager to enter job market

• Reprints

Updated: February 21, 2012 8:23AM

When Purdue University North Central students Will Culbertson of Westville and Amy Kanyer of Michigan City earn their degrees later this year, they will be ready to compete in the job market.

The communication majors have spent the last four years attending classes, pursuing internships, earning academic honors, joining campus activities and being active off campus. They’ve taken advantage of every opportunity presented to them to network with professionals so they could find out as much as possible about their career fields.

Both feel they are ready to pursue their dreams.

Culbertson looks forward to a career in the front office of a professional sports team. Kanyer would love to work for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

“Right now, I’m trying to get my feet wet in the field,” Kanyer said. “I’m trying to establish some contacts.”

She had a remarkable learning experience with a Disney World internship. It gave her knowledge of one of the most respected businesses in the world.

Culbertson served an internship with the Gary SouthShore RailCats professional baseball team, working in all levels of the organization. He got to know how a sports franchise operates and played an integral role in the front office.

“Internships let you to take what you’ve learned in class and apply it in the real world,” Culbertson said. “I could not have duplicated that learning experience anywhere else. It was a tremendous opportunity.”

The pair also took part in the fall semester New Professional Night for communication majors at PNC. The event brought together employers and students interested in internships or post-graduation careers. It differed from the usual career fairs by placing employers and students in round-table discussions to explore employers’ hiring needs and allow students to ask questions, seek advice and gain valuable insights from professionals.

“It was a great opportunity to network,” Culbertson said. “We’re so close to graduation, it’s important to speak to potential employers and learn all that we can about the job market.”

Because students had the chance to chat with prospective employers, they came away with clear ideas of what employers look for and gave them ideas on how to make themselves more marketable.

“This was a good way to learn how to make myself stand out,” Kanyer said.

Culbertson and Kanyer have networked to put themselves positions to succeed. Both have met people in their professions, and talked about their career interests.

“I am not afraid to introduce myself,” Culbertson said. “I will make calls and send emails. I will do everything I need to get where I need to be to succeed.”

Added Kanyer: “You have to do whatever you can to create opportunities for yourself. You have to tell everyone you interact with what you want to do.”

Kanyer and Culbertson take challenging classes to learn as much as they can while they’re at PNC.

“You get out of college what you put in to it,” Kanyer said. “I have a chance to learn from the best professors in the field. PNC offers so many opportunities, you have to want it and go for it.”

Both belong to Lambda Pi Eta, a communication honor society, and look forward to graduating this year.