The Frostburg State University Political Science Career Expo took place on October 19, 2012. The guest speakers were all graduates from Frostburg’s Political Science Department that had secured stimulating, and very diverse, employment. The speakers were Todd Smith from the D.C. Attorney General’s Office, Civil Litigation Division, Tiffany Myers Franc, an Associate Attorney from Pessin Kate Law in Pasadena Maryland, Lelia Walsh a Counter-Terrorism Analyst for the F.B.I., and Tara Yurgin Mazer, the Director of Scheduling for Senator Al Franken. The Career Expo’s main purpose was to expose current students to possible career paths, while offering them advice from working professionals on how to acquire the employment that they seek.
Each speaker emphasized certain qualities that they found to be the most helpful for securing employment.
The first speaker, Todd Smith, graduated from Frostburg State University in 2007 and graduated from George Washington University in 2011. The main focus of his speech was to supplement the knowledge learned in a certain career field with classes that will help understand the world in general. Classes such as economics, management, and marketing will help in the successful pursuit of any career. While admitting that the specific classes taken hold some importance, he made sure to let everyone know that grades were most important. Upon concluding his presentation, he said, “If you want to become a successful lawyer, the first and most important step is to get good grades in law school, especially your first year”.
The second speaker, Tiffany Myers Franc, was a Frostburg graduate in 2005 and a University of Baltimore School of Law graduate in 2009. She was a dual psychology and political science major while in Frostburg. The main focus of her presentation was the importance of being proud of your past. She claimed that the main thing that employers look for is someone who is confident and proud of the education and experience that they have received. Joining groups, organizations, and clubs on campus are good ways to get involved in something that you can be proud of, and will give you something to bring up in a positive way in an interview. Ms. Franc’s last piece of advice was to, “Take lots of communications and leadership classes to better prepare… public speaking, networking, and marketing yourself are important no matter what career you plan to go into”.
The third speaker was Lelia Walsh, a 2009 Frostburg graduate and dual political science, criminal justice major. The main focus of her speech was to learn to be professionally assertive. She got her job by bringing up her career search while at a party with federal government employees. The basic purpose of her presentation was to inform every one of the importance of getting rid of shy tendencies, and learning to communicate and network with everyone that they meet. When concluding her talk, she summed up her thoughts by saying, “You never know when you’re talking to someone who you could benefit from knowing”
Lastly, Tara Yurgin Mazer was a political science major and Frostburg State University graduate from 2005. Her main advice was simple; Internships, Internships, Internships! Tara pointed out that she had had six internships in the past, and had even worked an internship three years after graduating from college. She said that internships help to gain valuable contacts and work experience, and are essentially ways to enter whatever field you’re passionate about.
At the end of the Expo, the four speakers answered questions from the crowd and gave a few last tips for the soon to be job seekers. The consensus was that any skills that set a person apart from others are unimaginably important; second language skills, I.T. skills, or knowledge of certain areas of the world are all alone capable of getting someone a political science related job. All in all, the presenters agreed that the most important ways to prepare for the future was to network whenever given the chance, to learn to speak in public situations, and to learn marketable skills that set you apart from others.
Each speaker emphasized certain qualities that they found to be the most helpful for securing employment.
The first speaker, Todd Smith, graduated from Frostburg State University in 2007 and graduated from George Washington University in 2011. The main focus of his speech was to supplement the knowledge learned in a certain career field with classes that will help understand the world in general. Classes such as economics, management, and marketing will help in the successful pursuit of any career. While admitting that the specific classes taken hold some importance, he made sure to let everyone know that grades were most important. Upon concluding his presentation, he said, “If you want to become a successful lawyer, the first and most important step is to get good grades in law school, especially your first year”.
The second speaker, Tiffany Myers Franc, was a Frostburg graduate in 2005 and a University of Baltimore School of Law graduate in 2009. She was a dual psychology and political science major while in Frostburg. The main focus of her presentation was the importance of being proud of your past. She claimed that the main thing that employers look for is someone who is confident and proud of the education and experience that they have received. Joining groups, organizations, and clubs on campus are good ways to get involved in something that you can be proud of, and will give you something to bring up in a positive way in an interview. Ms. Franc’s last piece of advice was to, “Take lots of communications and leadership classes to better prepare… public speaking, networking, and marketing yourself are important no matter what career you plan to go into”.
The third speaker was Lelia Walsh, a 2009 Frostburg graduate and dual political science, criminal justice major. The main focus of her speech was to learn to be professionally assertive. She got her job by bringing up her career search while at a party with federal government employees. The basic purpose of her presentation was to inform every one of the importance of getting rid of shy tendencies, and learning to communicate and network with everyone that they meet. When concluding her talk, she summed up her thoughts by saying, “You never know when you’re talking to someone who you could benefit from knowing”
Lastly, Tara Yurgin Mazer was a political science major and Frostburg State University graduate from 2005. Her main advice was simple; Internships, Internships, Internships! Tara pointed out that she had had six internships in the past, and had even worked an internship three years after graduating from college. She said that internships help to gain valuable contacts and work experience, and are essentially ways to enter whatever field you’re passionate about.
At the end of the Expo, the four speakers answered questions from the crowd and gave a few last tips for the soon to be job seekers. The consensus was that any skills that set a person apart from others are unimaginably important; second language skills, I.T. skills, or knowledge of certain areas of the world are all alone capable of getting someone a political science related job. All in all, the presenters agreed that the most important ways to prepare for the future was to network whenever given the chance, to learn to speak in public situations, and to learn marketable skills that set you apart from others.
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