Man, what a night at SPARK! The rain didn’t deter motivated students and recent grads from gaining real insight into launching a successful career in Philadelphia straight from employers who’ve thrived here.
Wait, what’s SPARK:Philly? It’s Campus Philly’s newest event, which was built on the premise that real connections should always be at the center of every career search.
The event format was divided into two parts. The first half of the event was very intimate with leaders from Philadelphia-area companies and students sitting in a circle. This personal set-up encouraged small group discussions where leaders drew upon their own experiences and answered any questions students had.
The second half was all about making connections! 28 employers from across the Philadelphia region gathered in a room to meet students who were ready to start the conversation about THE next step– landing that first job. You can check out the full list of leaders and employers below.
With all those meaningful convos happening in one place, we overheard a lot of great things. Here are a few so you can get the vibe of the event:
“I learned that you should network within a company once you get hired. I never thought about that. Stephon from IBC told me that and described how he does it. ”
“I didn’t know there would be so many other schools here. I thought it would just be the big ones but I met students from Bryn Mawr College and Chestnut Hill College in my discussion group and that was cool.”
“I learned that before you go in for an interview, read the job description and really study it and then use the words they use in the job description when you’re talking to the interviewer.”
“I rushed over after class because I never pass up an opportunity to get a job that’s not me working at a grocery store.” We asked him how the evening was turning out for him and he said, “‘Great. I have an interview tomorrow at Republic Bank.’”
We realized we couldn’t fit all of Philadelphia’s greatness and coolness into one event so we’re having another one! Join us at Pipeline Philly on Thursday, October 13 for Create-adelphia. It will be your chance to learn the ins and outs of all sectors of the local creative industry. Hear about the range of local opportunities available in Philadelphia’s thriving creative and cultural sector and learn how to get started from a panel of local professionals working at companies and arts institutions across the Philadelphia region. Afterwards, stay for a networking reception to meet the panelists and other students interested in building a creative career. Register here.
Employers included:
GSK, Bentley Systems, Vanguard, SEPTA, SEER Interactive, Saxbys, Philly Pretzel Factory, URBN, Bancroft, Campbell Soup Company, Comcast, CubeSmart, Deloitte, DiD, First Financial Group, Frontline Education, IKEA, Independence Blue Cross, Inspire Energy, New Penn Financial, Publicis Health, Republic Bank, TD Bank, TherapyNotes, Verizon Wireless and Villa.
Discussion leaders included:
Jeffrey Bierman | Bentley Systems, Kenny Kim | Brownstein Group, Courtneay Friday | Campbell Soup Company, Maulan Byron | Comcast, Keim Calafiore | CubeSmart, Khoa Huynh | Deloitte, Kate Concannon | DiD, Logan Axelson | DVRC, Robert Johnson | Einstein Healthcare Network, Melissa Alam | Femme & Fortune, Drew An Brubaker | Frontline Education, Michael Koetting | GSK, Brian Drozd | IKEA, Stephon Singleton | Independence Blue Cross, Casey Plasket | Inspire Energy, Emma Fried-Cassorla | J2 Design Partnership, Adam Brunner | New Penn Financial, Laurie Mellon | Publicis Health, Ali Freezman | SEER Interactive, Micah Sulaiman | SEPTA, Nicole Gill | Stradley, Ronon, Stevens & Young, Aaron Horton | Temple University, STHM, Anthony Wisniewski | TherapyNotes, Gavin Grant | Vanguard, and Dion Ringgold | Villa.
