During the spring 2023 semester School of Information Technology offered a program of 11 seminars covering a range of topics, including professional development seminars presented by IT leaders from industry partners.
More than 100 IT students turned out to hear Jason Potts, VP Enterprise Technology, State Farm, present “The future of work: Working in a hybrid environment.” Hybrid work environments are flexible allowing some portion of one’s work to be done in the office and some portion to be done from home. More and more organizations are moving toward this environment.
Organizations invested heavily in developing the infrastructure to support work from home during the pandemic and are now leveraging that investment in the hybrid work environment. Potts presented information for students to evaluate if hybrid is right for them, discussing the pros and cons of hybrid, and keys to being successful in in the hybrid environment.
It was standing room only when IT leaders from Karmak, Inc. presented “Understanding and navigating your IT career Opportunities.” Karmak, Inc. is a leading provider of business management solutions for the commercial transportation industry. Presenters were Neil Osborn, VP of Software Development, Jamey Bantner, director of Information Technology, and School of IT alum Justin Blakley, senior software developer.
Much research has been done about the IT workforce and how IT professionals can succeed and flourish. This panel discussion explored various career paths available within IT and steps students can take to understand what they want, how their skills and personality align with their desires, and how to get to where they want to be. Each panelist is involved in helping IT employees manage their career opportunities, and each has navigated the path differently.
The School of IT is committed to student success, both academic and professional. Planning is underway for next semester’s Student Success Seminar Program.
