Career Connect Day 2023

Navigating the Job Market in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

By Jocylen Ashton, Executive Director of Internships & Career Services

Career Connect Day is a great opportunity for Menlo students to connect with future employers and get a foot in the door with all these big companies. I got to take great quality headshots for free and set up my professional LinkedIn profile. I can’t recommend CCD enough!

—Ella Sonnelid ’23

Use your network.

Know your audience.

These were just two of many valuable pieces of advice shared during Career Connect Day (CCD) 2023, which introduced Menlo students to alumni, industry leaders, and graduate schools. Members of the outside community enthusiastically shared their time and expertise, while students showed up ready to engage and learn, asking insightful questions. The exchanges with alumni, speakers, recruiters, and graduate programs alike, throughout the day, displayed how important building connections are to students’ career preparations. It was awesome to watch them learn and know they are building upon the Menlo competitive edge.

This year’s CCD focused on Artificial Intelligence and ChatGPT, so students could see how advances in technology will remain important influences for their future career paths. Jeremy Schifeling, LinkedIn’s former Education leader and one of the founders of The LinkedIn Guys, a personal branding and networking tool, spoke on “Get Insider Hiring Secrets – Including ChatGPT – from a Silicon Valley Pro!” Jeremy’s insights included taking ownership of your story and leveraging LinkedIn as a partner to position your “why me” to recruiters and hiring managers. He helped students build confidence in positioning themselves and getting out there to make connections.

The lunch keynote speaker was Michael Watson, a talent acquisition expert and artificial intelligence enthusiast who is dedicated to using cutting-edge technologies to revolutionize the world of work. His presentation “Career AI: Navigating the Job Market in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” helped students map their majors to future career paths and showcase skills that translated from the classroom to industry.

Other CCD programming included insider tips on work trends for top employing industries, workshops to aid student competency and skill development, panel discussions, and networking opportunities.

This year’s CCD provided insider knowledge about the latest technology trends impacting the workplace today and helped our students develop the self-knowledge necessary to take ownership of their career paths or their pursuit of graduate education. They also connected with these and other notable alumni: Golden State Warriors Partnership Coordinator Stewart Haller ’19; Denzell Jordan-Perry ’19, now the Head of Human Resources for the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula and a board member of the Compton Unified School District; Regional Chief Executive Officer of the Red Cross Hanna Malak ’12; Moran Technology Consulting Senior Consultant Giselle Martinez ’20; and San Jose Earthquakes Manager Brooke Menesini ’18.