Students discuss diversity at work

     The Diversity in the Workplace discussion, which took place Feb. 5 in the Maxwell Student Lounge, gave students a chance not only to learn about diversity but to gain insight on life after college. There to guide them was an experienced panel of workers from Coca-cola, Enterprise, Shepherd Center, Girls Scouts of America and the U.S. Department of State.
     “I never saw my race or gender as an impediment to get to where I wanted to get,” said Alma Aguilar, Hispanic Outreach program specialist for Girl Scouts of America and GCSU alumna. “And I got to where I wanted to get.”
     The panel answered a variety of questions tackling issues such as diversity, disabilities, office etiquette and how to get a job.
     The panelists agreed that networking and researching are essential in landing a good job. Barbara Teague, service coordinator for the Shepherd Center and graduate of Georgia State University, said she used networking in order to secure a post-college internship.
     Finding a work environment in which the student feels comfortable is important, according to the panel. Researching the company and talking to employees are important steps to take before accepting a job according to Karen McGrath, regional recruiting manager for Enterprise.
     “Most companies have some kind of identity that you’re going to connect with or not connect with,” McGrath said.
Alguilar, a Hispanic, is proud that she embraced her diversity to reach her goals of using Spanish and working with children in her job.
     “I was always the one student that was always a little bit different growing up,” Alguilar said. “Coming into it with an open mind, you can’t come in saying ‘I’m the only other’, because if you do that then you’re basically isolating yourself. I never did that. I don’t see myself differently than anybody else. I could go for the same things that anybody else went for.”
     The Diversity in the Workplace lecture, which was headed by Jennifer Cash, assistant director of GCSU’s Career Center, is the first event of the Next Top Professional Series, which ends with two Career Expos on campus.
     It is also one of the many events promoting Black History & Social Justice Awareness Month. Cash says it is important for students to understand diversity and respect others so that they can be successful in diverse workplaces in the future.
     “You’re going to school; you may be around people who may seem more like you,” Cash said. “But when you’re trying to get a job, you’re going to come across people who aren’t like you. And you need to learn to work with people who aren’t like you.”
     Mary Ford, junior information systems major, enjoyed the discussion and left with new knowledge of what to expect after she graduates.
     “I thought it was a really interesting lecture,” Ford said. “I learned a lot of important information for when I enter the workforce. I thought it was a great chance for me to make some connections and get some questions answered.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 15 2008. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry