Tabor School of Business and Regional Decatur Chamber of Commerce Host Career Networking Event

October 02, 2024 by Danielle Fields

One of the many special events that took place over �鶹Լ��’s 2024 Homecoming and Family Weekend was the Tabor School of Business Career Networking Event, conducted in collaboration with the Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce. The event, which allowed students and alumni to forge professional connections with local area employers, was by all accounts a great success.
More than 60 students attended the 90-minute event, filling the Oberhelman Center for Leadership Performance in �鶹Լ��’s University Commons. Representatives from more than 15of the Decatur Chamber’s workforce partner businesses — including ADM, Decatur Public Schools, Caterpillar, Hickory Point Bank and many others — spoke with students about internship opportunities, career options and networking strategies.
Dean of the Tabor School of Business, RJ Podeschi ’02/MBA ’04, championed the event as one that aligns with �鶹Լ��’s strategic plan initiative to invigorate community partnerships. “We continue to hear that area businesses want to hire locally and help keep people in central Illinois.”
- This event allows businesses and students to get to know one another and build relationships. We wanted to make a space available to allow students to have more in-depth conversations with employers than they would get at a typical career fair.
— RJ Podeschi, Dean of the Tabor School of Business
Decatur Chamber President Mirinda Rothrock ’04 was excited about the opportunity to partner with �鶹Լ�� in connecting employers with students. “We realized that a lot of our local employers have a great need to hire, and there was a void of trying to make that connection [with potential employees],” said Rothrock. “That’s a number one issue when we are networking and talking with our different employers in town. What’s their number one need? Workforce, workforce, workforce.”
To streamline connections, students were given color-coded nametags that correlated to their majors, which allowed employers to identify students who would be good fits for their industries.Rothrock believed this served to facilitate dialogue between students and employers. “This is about having a meaningful conversation about what a job looks like at that place of business. What are their requirements? What is that training?”
�鶹Լ��’s students repeatedly referenced the benefits afforded to them by the opportunity to collaborate with potential employers in a structured, accessible environment. “I love networking opportunities,” said Remi Mendenhall, a junior Business Management major from Buffalo, Ill. “I love what �鶹Լ�� is offering us here — the chance to get our names out there … Rather than just getting on LinkedIn and applying for something, we can build relationships.”
While the event was a collaborative effort between Tabor and the Decatur Chamber, studentsfrom all majors were welcome to attend and take advantage of the opportunity to speak with potential employers. Seth Eridanus from Decatur, a Chemistry major graduating in December 2024, appreciated the opportunity to network with professionals in a more informal, relaxed setting. “I’m trying to get myself ready [to move into a job] as soon as I graduate. This event is great for helping us to get a foot in the door.”
The workforce partners who participated in the event also sang its praises for helping to connect them with students for internships or future employment. Steve Grohne, Managing Partner with MCK CPAs & Advisors, is no stranger to collaborating with �鶹Լ�� students — both working with them at MCK and previously teaching Auditing in the Tabor School of Business — and is eager to continue those relationships. “For degreed accountants, �鶹Լ�� is our number one recruiting destination. It’s also where we get our interns,” Grohne said.
- We’re always looking to find a good, firm, quality person for full-time, so we keep coming back. We’re very invested in �鶹Լ��.
— Steve Grohne, Managing Partner with MCK CPAs & Advisors
Grohne was pleased with the outcome of the networking event, emphasizing that it helps students nurture their soft skills while creating important connections between the University, its students and local community businesses. “�鶹Լ�� does a good job with [events] like this. It helps students learn how to talk to people,” he said. “I also think that anybody who is willing to come to Decatur for school is someone I want to talk to, because I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’m a big advocate for the community.”
Mendenhall believes the event is a great one to continue and had specific advice for students interested in attending: “Come prepared with résumés. If you don’t, [employers are] not going to have your name. But if they have your résumé, they remember your face, see the résumé, and they’ll remember you later. They’ll put your face to your name.”