“Our alumni can’t always come here, so let’s bring our best and brightest to the companies,” is the way Brandon Chicotsky explained the method behind Industry Immersion.
Industry Immersion is an educational, professional development program hosted by the College of Communication and Information Sciences and open to students of all majors and classifications. Chicotsky, coordinator of experiential learning for the College, describes it as “professional development on steroids.”
The program is shaped around group travel to leading job-market hubs. During breaks and between semesters, the groups spend five days in cities such as New York, Chicago, Seattle, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Silicon Valley, where they connect with high-powered C&IS alumni and industry professionals.
Most recently a group of 11 undergraduates spent spring break in Atlanta and met with C&IS graduates at companies ranging from retail giant Home Depot to digital marketing agency 360i. Trip itineraries focus on industries related to C&IS majors, and extend to broad-reaching interests like entertainment, fashion, retail and social media.
While open to all majors, each trip has reserved spots for C&IS students. C&IS faculty and staff lead each trip and offer guidance to participants to generate interview opportunities for internships or early-entry positions after college. They teach salary negotiation and online professional branding.
The learning starts before the group logs a single travel mile. Before departure, students get a crash course in the industries they will visit, and a business-attire session led by students who have been on previous immersion trips.
“We hope to increase earnings for graduates,” Chicotsky said. “And in addition to building a network among high-achieving alumni, the students build a network among other students in the program – a network that will be valuable throughout their careers.”
Started just last year, the program has proved to be popular with students and an attractive recruiting tool for UA. Chicotsky has already initiated plans to engage alumni and take students to destinations outside the United States.
Students applying for the program are expected to attend orientation and pre-trip sessions, agree and sign behavior expectation forms, and have access to business casual attire. A GPA of 2.75 or higher at the time of application is encouraged. The cost of the trip is $1,850, with scholarships available.
This winter, Industry Immersion is visiting Los Angeles (Dec. 11-15), Austin (Dec. 18-22), and Nashville (Jan. 2-7). The application deadline to apply for winter trips is Friday, Nov. 18. To learn more about Industry Immersion and apply, visit industry.ua.edu.