Virtual Career Engagement Summit 2021
June 24, 2021
10:00am – 3:45pm
Zoom
The Career Engagement Summit is a one-day virtual conference that will allow you to interact, connect, and engage with the University of Florida’s Career Connections Center staff. Our 2021 theme is “The Future of Recruiting is Here.” This year’s conference will enhance your recruitment strategy by introducing you to new trends and techniques for building your UF talent pipeline in this new age of recruiting.
Introducing Artificial Intelligence at UF
Dr. David Reed, University of Florida
Dr. David Reed, Associate Provost and point person for the university-wide artificial intelligence initiative will present the 30,000-ft view of AI at UF. UF has invested over $100M in the last year into the AI Initiative. This includes academia’s largest AI supercomputer, $1M in seed funding for AI Research, a new Data Science building, and hiring 100 new faculty. One of the most important aspects of AI at UF relates to workforce training, which Dr. Reed will discuss in more detail.
Career Engagement Summit Schedule
Opening Session
10:00am – 10:30am EST
Welcome
- Ja’Net Glover, Career Connections Center
Join us as we kick off the 2021 Virtual Career Engagement Summit with the Career Connections Center’s Senior Director, Ja’Net Glover. Ja’Net will highlight priorities for the future of career services and how employers can discover the future of recruiting here at the University of Florida.
Career Influencer Awards
- Ja’Net Glover, Career Connections Center
The University of Florida Career Influencer Awards celebrate the collaboration and innovation of our partners who have had an exceptional impact on career development and career engagements during the preceding academic year.
Keynote
10:30am – 11:15am EST
The Virtual Candidate Experience: Students’ Benchmarks and Differentiators
- Mary Scott, Scott Resource Group
Early Talent consultant and researcher Mary Scott will present the findings of her recent comprehensive study with students at 20 national universities specific to the virtual candidate experience during their job search. Topics include: the impact of virtual recruiting platforms and tools; the ‘most’ and ‘least’ effective and impressive employer virtual recruiting practices; and students’ preferences for the future state of early talent recruiting. Prepare to be surprised!
Session 1
11:35am – 12:15pm EST
Student Perspectives Panel
- Sara Gould, Career Connections Center
- Panel of UF students with various majors and backgrounds
Join us for an interactive Q & A session with some of UF’s top students as they share their feedback and experience about recruitment and employer engagement. Hear from the student perspective about preferences for recruitment activities and what your organization can do to best connect with campus.
Break
12:15pm – 12:45pm EST
Session 2 Breakouts
12:45pm – 1:15pm EST
Tell Gators Who You Are: Employer Branding at UF
- Enterprise Holdings
- Bank of America
Hear from seasoned recruiters about their experience building a brand for their organization on University of Florida’s campus. This presentation will include ideas for maintaining a strong presence when not actively hiring. Recruiters will also discuss best practices for connecting through virtual and in-person interactions with University of Florida students to attract top talent.
Beyond the Job Posting: Imagining New Ways to Recruit Gators
- Erin Lin, Career Connections Center
- David Adams, Career Connections Center
As we enthusiastically reimagine “post-pandemic” recruiting experiences for both students and employers, we will provide an overview of opportunities for employers to hire and engage students at UF. Presenters will share examples of successful employer recruitment initiatives, including authentic engagement in virtual and in-person spaces, creative campus involvement, and ways to connect through the Career Connections Center.
Session 3
1:20pm – 2:00pm EST
Employer Perspectives Panel
- Nicole Yucht, Career Connections Center
- PepsiCo
- AdventHealth
- Northrop Grumman
- Accenture
Employers from a variety of companies will discuss how the pandemic caused changes to their recruiting strategy and their creative responses. Panelists will share which strategies they will maintain and plans for upcoming recruitment cycles. In addition, employers will include how they have onboarded interns and new hires to ensure their success at the organization.
Break
2:00pm – 2:10pm EST
Session 4
2:10pm – 2:55pm EST
Inclusive Hiring Practices for Campus Recruiters
- Matthew Cowley, Career Connections Center
This session will outline the ways in which traditional hiring practices can lead to less diverse candidate pools and workplaces. Attendees will learn practical, inclusive hiring practices that help recruiters locate, recruit, and hire diverse students from the UF. Specifically, this presentation will offer alternatives to common recruiting practices that marginalize would-be applicants and create barriers that keep candidates from successfully converting into their organization.
Session 5
3:00pm – 3:45pm EST
Connect with Campus: Virtual Resource Fair
Departments Attending:
- University Athletic Association
- First Generation Student Success
- Innovation Academy
- UF Online
- Student Activities and Involvement
- Brown Center for Leadership and Service
This session will allow attendees to network and learn about a variety of departments on campus, including information about students that engage with these departments, why the skills they are learning are important to future employers and how employers can engage.