Career Development Summit for Students
01.12.2009
On Thursday & Friday, January 15 and 16, Bay Path College will hold its annual Career Summit for juniors and seniors to prepare them for life after college, including career transition and graduate school. Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, co-author of Get Ahead By Going Abroad: A Woman’s Guide to Fast-Track Career Success, will present the keynote address on Thursday, January 15, and Michael Taylor, director for the Department of Workforce Development for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, will speak with students on Friday, January 16. Other speakers include a business etiquette expert, a fashion consultant and stylist, and professionals providing advice to students. Panels include information on financial management, resume writing, interviewing tips, and discussions by various company and field representatives.
Berdan, along with Kraft Foods Senior Vice President C. Perry Yeatman, authored Get Ahead By Going Abroad: A Woman’s Guide to Fast-Track Career Success, a ground-breaking, award-winning book, which focuses on how working abroad can fast-track your career, broaden your professional capabilities, increase your pay, and expand your personal horizons. At age 27, Berdan became a vice president at Burson-Marsteller, the world's leading public relations firm, and she later jumped to global managing director after a three-year stint in Asia. She is now a successful author, speaker, and consultant.
In September 2008, Taylor was appointed director of the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) by Governor Deval Patrick. DWD oversees the operation of the Division of Career Services, Division of Unemployment Assistance and the Division of Apprentice Training, and publishes the state’s Labor Market Information. The Department is part of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development, and Taylor serves as a member of the senior staff to Secretary Suzanne M. Bump.
He was a member of the Patrick/Murray Transition Team Task Force on Workforce Development, and currently serves as a member of the Life Science Collaborative Human Capital Task Force with the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. Taylor holds a Master in Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science from Boston State College.
Other speakers of interest include:
- Bay Path College President Carol A. Leary will discuss the importance of networking.
- Fashion consultant and stylist and Project Closet owner Debbie Wright will provide helpful information on professional dress.
- Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place Hotel Catering Manager and Wedding Consultant and Connecticut Culinary Institute Instructor Will Smith will offer dining etiquette tips.
- Paul DiGrigoli of DiGrigoli Salons in West Springfield will focus on the importance of a positive attitude and professional image.
- A discussion about graduate schools will be led by The Princeton Review Inc. Director of Human Resources Carin Zinter.
- Professionals from area financial institutions will address financial management and responsibility.
Bay Path is a comprehensive, four-year private college with an enrollment of over 1,700 students at its Longmeadow, Burlington, and Central Massachusetts (Sturbridge/Charlton, MA) campuses. The College offers undergraduate degrees for women and graduate degrees for men and women. Through its focus on leadership, communication, and technology, the College educates students to become confident and resourceful contributors to our increasingly interdependent world.
