Wednesday, June 10

1:30 – 3:00 PM Opening Keynote Speaker –
Dr. Rajeev Dhawan.   Dr. Dhawan is the Director of the Economic Forecasting Center at the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University (http://www.rdhawan.com/)Dr. Dhawan will be presenting on the economic trends and the future of hiring in the southeast and across the country.

3:00 – 4:00 PM Breakout Sessions (2)

New Employment Laws
The federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) turned 70 years old in 2008. The modern working world is completely different from that of 1938, and the FLSA's requirements have changed and remain strict and unforgiving. This dangerous combination has spurred an unprecedented explosion of wage-hour lawsuits. In the last five years,  individuals and large groups of current and former employees have filed almost 25,000 FLSA lawsuits across the U.S. against employers of all sizes. Employers should evaluate whether their compensation practices are fully in compliance with the FLSA and any other applicable wage-hour laws. Our presentation will review the recent changes with the FLSA and will cover issues you must know about in order to reduce the risk that your organization will be sued.

(2) Dorsey Baldwin, Heather Scarboro, Stephanie Saunders, Georgia Southern University
Operation: ReVamp!
Discover how our office assessed our campus image and made it new and improved.  Through an intensive research plan in which we examined our office (physical, presence on campus, event turn out, print material, etc) we discovered that our office was not changing with the students. During the research, we conducted surveys, held focus groups, and had mystery shopper’s visit. We spoke with all of our client populations (students, faculty, and alumni) asking them how our services met their needs.  We set about finding out how students perceived us and then making changes to revamp and update our image.

4:30 – 5:30 PM Breakout Sessions (3)
(3) Gayle Oliver-Plath, G3 Agency
Go Eco Job Search Strategies
The presentation will be designed to focus on job search strategies that will most benefit college students and recent graduates who would like to focus on pursuing careers with eco-minded companies. The topics to be discussed will include: Understanding Growth Markets, Jobs Outlook, Top Resources, Ways to Differentiate, Eco-minded Networking, and Social Media Tools. Because the CleanTech and Green Technology market is expected to account for significant economic growth in the coming decades, my goal of this presentation is to help educate Career Services professionals on some of the trends, resources, and opportunities of this emerging market so they can better coach and support their students who would like to align themselves with the careers that will address Energy Efficiency, Carbon Emissions, Reduction, Environmental Sustainability, and Clean-Green Technologies.

(4) Karen McGrath, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
It's a jungle out there!!  Really. 
What are your students doing to prepare for the toughest job market in years?  How can Career Services leverage contacts, relationships and insight to the fullest extent?  This panel discussion will feature an employer’s perspective on what trends they see from job candidates, new challenges in finding the best employees for their organization as well other shortcomings from job seekers that prevent them from securing employment.  Come join us to learn more about the impact the down economy is having on recruitment and what changes we may be in store for all of us in the near future.

(5) Shannon Krantz, First Investors
            Investment Basics
With the economy in its critical state, it’s difficult to know how to prepare for your future when you don’t know the future of our nations economy.  However, knowing the basics to investing will give you tools to help you sort out what is best for you and determine how much risk you can handle. If you don’t educate yourself on the basics, it’s hard to plan for anything.

Thursday, June 11

9:00 – 10:00 AM Breakout Session (3)
(6) Amy Rowell & Stephanie Saunders, Georgia Southern University
Life Planning Conference: Helping Students Reach the Peak in their Job Search
After years of planning workshops with low student turn-out, Georgia Southern Career Services tried a new strategy that has so far been successful. For the past 4 years, Career Services has coordinated the Life Planning Conference targeted to juniors and seniors to provide a day of special workshops on job search strategies and preparing for life after college.  In addition, we incorporated our “Employers in Residence” program this year as part of the Life Planning Conference and asked speakers to conduct mock interviews and critique résumés throughout the day.  Learn more about the planning and marketing of this event and how we reached almost 350 students in February 2009.  Also discuss how we funded the program and reduced the amount of money pulled from our departmental budget.  Finally, brainstorm with fellow GACE members on ideas that other schools are implementing to educate students on the job search process, especially in the down economy. 

(7) Catherine Neiner, Agnes Scott College
Making Ethics Happen
Recruiting and career services professionals are constantly faced with changing and ever evolving ethical issues in college recruiting today. Solving those dilemmas is not magic – there are resources available to help. Discover the resources and how to apply them to some of today’s toughest recruiting and career services dilemmas. Mini case studies on current issues reported to the NACE Principles for Professional Conduct Committee will be examined. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss additional ethical issues that are problematic for their campuses/organizations.

(8) Andrea Holyfield Scott, Georgia Gwinnett College
New Professional Roundtable, What Every Career Professional Needs to Know
Your first year on the job as a career professional can be extremely intimidating. Do I know enough? Am I offering the right advice? Do I have the correct resources? The New Professional Roundtable will allow an atmosphere for new professionals to share their feelings and experiences with their peers while gaining tools that will assist them in their professional growth.

10:30 – 11:45 AM Keynote Speaker –
Mike Gomez
10 Essential Elements to Long-Term Sustained Growth(c)
President of, Allegro Consulting, an Atlanta-based growth specialty consulting firm providing intensive, individualized planning and operational advice for mid-sized service and manufacturing businesses. As a multi-billion dollar program manager, international business development executive and consultant Mike has interacted with hundreds of businesses large and small, international and domestic. In this hard hitting and introspective presentation Mike shares the ten common traits he has witnessed in companies who consistently grow. How does your company or organization compare?

Friday, June 12

9:00 – 10:00 AM Breakout Sessions (3)
(9) Tracey Dowling, Erica Walbert, The University of Georgia
Budget constraints exhausting your creativity?
Budget cuts threatening your fail-safe program? Reinvent that workshop /presentation with creative solutions!  Come hear how The University of Georgia Terry College of Business Career Consultant Team is reinventing their hit “Terry Working Lunch” series to be high impact and low budget for the Fall 2009 semester. In the past, TWL has drawn crowds of 75-200 per luncheon.  Budget cuts=elimination of Chick-fil-A, but the Terry Team refuses to be daunted.  They’ve consulted students and student affairs listservs to compile an innovative line of programs to draw students even without chicken sandwiches.

(10)Angelyn Hayes, Ph.D., Clayton State University
Reaching the Educational Peak: How to Start, Survive, and Complete a Ph.D.
Obtaining a Ph.D. is a challenge unlike any other. It is also an appropriate goal for career services professionals. This presentation will offer perspectives on the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing a doctoral degree. It will include realistic questions to ask when making the graduate school decision, some tips on applying to a doctoral program, guidance on surviving the numerous hurdles involved in the process, and encouragement for reaching the educational peak of being “doctor.”

(11)  Cole Carroll SPHR, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Transforming Professional Relationships
Let’s face it: not everyone loves their job.  Research has shown that between 25 and 40 percent of the U.S. workforce is dissatisfied and is actively looking to change jobs. Even with all of the self help books, the seminars and training offered on how to improve the work environment the basic problem remains the same- a lot of people still go home every night and complain about their jobs and their boss. What is at the root cause of this? Relationships! Our workplace relationships often impact the way we feel about our jobs and the way our peers and supervisors perceive us and the overall value we bring to the organization. Join us for an interactive session that will unveil strategy for you to improve your workplace relationships. Learn what you can do to better manage up with expectations and what you will need to be prepared to deliver to the team.

 

Thank you to our sponsors!