UA’s Plank Center Hosts ‘Finding That First Job’ Webinar

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — As graduation draws near, thousands of University of Alabama students will enter the job market in hopes of finding a professional career.

To ease the process, The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations will host a free webinar, “Building Your Brand & Finding That First Job” on Tuesday, April 23, from 11 a.m. until noon CDT.

Presented by industry professionals, “Building Your Brand & Finding That First Job” is designed to inform and enlighten college students and recent graduates on the job search process. Gary McCormick, director of Partnership Development at HGTV, will lead the webinar with the assistance of Kevin Saghy, manager of communications for the Chicago Cubs.

“Finding a job is never an easy task, and finding the first one seems like the hardest,” said McCormick. “Some inside tips will hopefully make you work smarter not harder in your search.”

Previously presented to students at Belmont University, the webinar has assisted many in the job search process. The Plank Center hopes to deliver the same help to students at UA and nationwide. Highlighting the skills, attributes and strategies to use, McCormick and Saghy will contribute their experiences and advice to webinar participants.

“Gary McCormick gave us some of the most useful information I have heard about the process and pitfalls of finding a first job or great internship. His real-world experience in hiring new grads was really helpful to those of us who are soon to hit the job market,” said Andy Cole, president of the Belmont PRSSA Chapter.

The upcoming webinar is part of a free series for public relations students and educators provided by The Plank Center. This service was designed to advance leadership values and skills in public relations while bridging the gap between the education and the practice.

For more information about this webinar and to register, visit The Plank Center website.

About the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations

In 2005, the University of Alabama Board of Trustees established The Plank Center, named for public relations leader and UA alumna, the late Betsy Plank, to develop and recognize outstanding performance in the profession and classroom. Through a variety of programs, and in concert with groups and associations, the Center works to nurture and help develop outstanding leaders.

In addition to national leaders in the practice and education, the Center Board includes an ex officio position for the president of the Public Relations Student Society of America, that represents more than 10,000 members in 300-plus colleges and universities.

The Center is housed in UA’s College of Communication and Information Sciences. UA’s public relations program, with nearly 600 students, is the largest undergraduate degree program within the College. The program is certified by the Public Relations Society of America and has been named by PRWeek magazine as one of the top five public relations programs in the country for five consecutive years.