Mastering the Art of Networking: A Career Conference & Etiquette Dinner

Whether you are a first-year student learning to network and make friends or a soon to be graduating student trying to enhance your job search prospects, join us for an immersive experience that empowers you to overcome the initial fears of networking, master the art of working a room, feel confident with small talk, and develop a professional online brand. Capped off by a facilitated etiquette dinner, invest a few hours, and acquire the tools necessary to succeed in your future career endeavors and everyday life.

Dress attire for this event is business casual. There is a discounted fee of $10 per Rutgers–New Brunswick student.  Refund Policy: You must cancel by 5 pm on December 2 in order to receive a full refund. To request a refund, contact the conference chair, William Jones.

Conference Highlights Include:

• Sessions on small talk and how to work the room
• Interactive LinkedIn labs and photo sessions
• A facilitated business etiquette dining experience
• Attendance at this conference earns you FOUR #RutgersWorks Free Tuition Challenge stamps.

Register Here by 5 pm on December 2.
 Registration is REQUIRED.

Conference Agenda:

• 1:00 PM - 1:20 PM Check-in
• 1:20 PM - 2:10 PM Welcome and “How to Ignite Successful Careers in a World Gone Social” Keynote
• 2:20 PM - 3:10 PM Breakout Session Block 1
• 3:20 PM - 4:10 PM Breakout Session Block 2
• 4:20 PM - 5:10 PM Breakout Session Block 3
• 5:20 PM - 6:35 PM Facilitated Business Etiquette Dinner
• 6:35 PM - 6:45 PM Closing Remarks

Breakout Session Topics:

• The Art of Improv: Mastering Small Talk
• The Art of Working a Room: An Interactive Networking Clinic
• The Art of Your Online Branding: LinkedIn Learning Labs and Professional Headshots

About Our Speakers:

Mark Babbitt, “How to Ignite Successful Careers in a World Gone Social” Keynote
Mr. Babbitt is the CEO and Founder of YouTern, a social career resource for college students, recent graduates, and young professionals that enables them to find their first or next internship or job – and then thrive within that experience. YouTern has been named a top career website by many publications, including Forbes, WSJ, and Mashable. Mark is also President and Senior Partner of WorqIQ, a community and change management consultancy that helps organizations understand leadership’s impact on culture. Their work also helps organizations gain clarity on their collective level of Workplace Intelligence (WQ) while understanding how to attract the best young talent. Babbitt is a co-author of the best-seller, A World Gone Social: How Companies Must Adapt to Survive. His next book, Good Comes First: How Companies Can Create an Uncompromising Company Culture in a Confrontational World, comes out in 2020. An in-demand speaker, Mark was named one of Inc. Magazines Top 100 Leadership Speakers.

Jean O'Toole, "The Art of Working a Room: An Interactive Networking Clinic" Session
Ms. O’Toole is the co-founder of Connections101, a youth empowerment company specializing in motivational tools for outside scholarship searching. She is a scholarship strategist, author, and speaker, and over 150,000 students nationwide have attended her programs. Her strategies have helped students win up to $200,000 for college. Her book, Scholarship Strategies, published by Morgan James Publishing, is available at every major bookseller. She is dedicated to empowering all students to remove financial obstacles and design the life of their dreams.

Sue Pye, "The Art of Your Online Branding: LinkedIn Learning Labs and Professional Headshots" Session
Ms. Pye provides oversight to the Career Readiness & Experiential Education Unit within the Office of Career Exploration and Success at Rutgers.  The unit focuses on curricular initiatives, including the First-Year Interest Group Seminars (FIGS) and the credit-based, Rutgers Internship and Co-op Program co-sponsored by the School of Arts & Sciences. Her unit strives to connect students with the many resources available through CES to help them with their career journey.  

Andrew Seguel, "The Art of Improv: Mastering Small Talk" Session
Formerly a career counselor for several years at Rutgers University, Mr. Seguel currently works in the Office of Career and Internship Services at LIM College, overseeing the career education and career coaching teams as Senior Associate Director. He has both presented at and received several awards from regional and national associations for his work within higher education career development. He has a Master of Science degree in Mental Health Counseling, is a licensed professional counselor, and is certified in the clinical supervision of career counseling. In his free time, he is an avid gamer (both computer and tabletop), a group fitness instructor, and student of improv comedy. He enjoys incorporating components from these hobbies into his career counseling work.

Robert A. Shutt, "The Art of the Meal: Facilitated Business Etiquette Dinner"
Mr. Shutt is recognized as a business etiquette expert who has been featured on CBS Evening News. His range of expertise includes business dining, workplace, networking, customer service, sales, and communications etiquette offered through his business RASolutions.Net. Robert is the author of Shine While You Dine, released in 2011 and Modern Scholars: Fundamentals of Business Etiquette, released by Recorded Books in 2012, and Modern Scholars: On Your Best Behavior: Fundamentals of Etiquette. Robert was honored with the Binghamton University Graduate School of Management “Excellence in Adjunct Teaching” award in 2018.