Last Tuesday, students dressed in business attire were seen walking around and chatting with members of on-campus student organizations as well as potential employers at San Diego State’s first-ever Leadership Development Panel and Fashion Show.

SDSU Career Services associate director Sandra Williams planned the event.

“The goal is to help students understand leadership through the employer’s perspective,” Williams said.

Students were able to talk to representatives from Associated Students, Student Life and Leadership, Veterans Center and College Councils for the first half of the event. A.S. Vice President of University Affairs Matt Cecil stressed the benefits of gaining leadership opportunities early on in your college career.

“The reason A.S. is here today is to really explain to students that having a leadership opportunity in college is going to separate you from the rest when you’re applying for jobs,” Cecil said. “So we’re showing the opportunities available through A.S.”

At the A.S. table, students learned about more than 22 different boards and committees and how to get involved in them.
The Student Life and Leadership table listed multiple student organizations on campus where students can get involved.

The Veteran Center had an informational table promoting the Joan and Art Barron Veterans Center on campus.
The second half of the event consisted of a panel of businessmen and women, as well as a fashion show. The fashion show was brief; students modeled business, casual and evening attire. The blazers and suit pants the students paraded were courtesy of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls.
Following the fashion show, the panel, which included SDSU alumni, discussed how to successfully communicate with potential employers.

The panel was facilitated by Jackie Robinson Family YMCA Executive Director Michael Brunker. Brunker began the panel discussion with a lighthearted joke by saying, “only elevator speeches, no dissertations” as a way to remind the panelists to keep their answers short because they were pressed for time.

Some of the panelists included representatives from San Diego Gas and Electricity, SDSU College of Education, Wildcat Discovery Technologies, SDSU Joan and Art Barron Veterans Center and the Pepsi Co. Inc.
The panelists shared with the students the qualities that they look for in people when they’re hiring.

“Everyone says, ‘I’m a team player,’ I need concrete examples,” Marion said.

She emphasized having specific examples of being a team player ready before going into the interview.

“The last part was my favorite,” social work freshman Ugochi Apakama said.
“I enjoyed hearing from the panelists. I learned what to do during an interview; it’s the biggest thing I take away from this.”