ASPIRE to Connect 2014 Agenda

A G E N D A

Time	Session Title	Location
12:30-1:00pm	Registration	Student Life Center (SLC), Board of Trust Room
1:00-2:00pm	Welcome and Keynote, "Relationship Building Success" by Justin Graham	SLC, Board of Trust Room
2:10pm-2:45pm	Breakout Session 1 (choose from below)	SLC, Room TBD
2:50pm-3:25pm	Breakout Session 2 (choose from below)	SLC, Room TBD
3:30pm-4:15pm	Plenary Session, "Professional Communication for Career Success: How to Say What You Want and Get What You Need" by John English	SLC, Board of Trust Room
4:15pm-5:30pm	Put It Into Practice: Wine and Cheese Networking Reception	SLC, Ballroom C

B R E A K O U T S E S S I O N S
(Choose two.)

Tell Me About Your Research with Ruth Schemmer	As a professional, you’ll hear some form of this statement in multiple settings. Phone interviews, in-person interviews, social events, presentations to funding agencies – these are just a few of the places you’ll need to have a 30-second “Elevator Speech” ready to go. This workshop will get you started on the process.
Leveraging LinkedIn with Kim Petrie	Come discover why LinkedIn is the social media tool of choice for over 250 million professionals around the world! In this session, you'll learn how LinkedIn can help you create a professional online presence, build your professional network, explore career paths, research companies and industries, and find job opportunities.
Etiquette Express with Kate Stuart	This crash course will explore the how-to's of entering and exiting conversations, introductions, and follow-up protocol. This light-hearted seminar will make you feel a bit more at ease during otherwise nerve-wracking interactions.
Making the Most of a Professional Conference – with various faculty depending on discipline	Professional conferences offer excellent opportunities to showcase your work AND develop new connections and relationships that can help you in your research, training, and career search. In this panel discussion, VU faculty will share their approach to preparing for professional conferences and provide advice for making the most of conference activities.