On Thursday, November 12, BYU students and alumni filed into the Smith Fieldhouse Annex for the college Student Alumni Networking Dinner (SAND). Students came ready with questions pertaining to graduation and careers, and alumni were ready to answer them.
The goal of the event was to bring students together with successful alumni to share their career preparation experiences with the students. Students could sit among various alumni and share a meal while asking them questions relating to graduation, internships, success in their careers, and more.
Student Alumni Relations Council (SARC) representative Ian McGetrick, a statistics major, created and organized the event along with Cindy Snow, the college’s representative to the BYU Alumni Board.
“When you go to info sessions and meet with recruiters . . . it’s more high pressured, and you’re not as inclined to ask certain questions that don’t pertain to a specific job,” McGetrick said. “We want students to be able to meet with these alumni that already work in the field, and to be able to [ask] questions that you wouldn’t necessarily be able to ask a recruiter.”
Alumni representing the various majors in the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (CPMS) attended the event. Students both in and outside CPMS came to learn more and seek advice.
Biochemistry major Brandon Turner was one alumnus who helped answer students’ questions.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know students and their concerns,” Turner said. “It’s a good opportunity to answer their questions and help alleviate some of their fears, because I know I had them.”
Animation alumnus AJ Creek shared his experience with converting the films Terminator Genesis and Point Break into their 3D versions. He advised students to focus on internships and build their portfolios while in school.
“I love to tell them what I wish I knew back when I was still a sophomore in school,” Creek said. “As a sophomore, prep all of your stuff, get ready for internships right then, because that opportunity will never come again. You are literally too old to apply for an internship the day you graduate.”
Creek also advised students that developing good social skills is key to obtaining a job in the creative field. While a great portfolio helps students get an interview, social skills help students to get a job.
“Once you have the interview, they just want to make sure you work well with other people,” Creek said. “Be a nice person, learn to talk to people, learn to be friendly.”
Biochemistry major Kayla Bixler attended the event to explore a possible minor in computer science. There, she met an alumnus with a similar background who was able to share valuable information.
“There happens to be somebody here who is in biochemistry and computer science. It was wonderful being able to talk to him and see the perspective that he has,” Bixler said. “He knows a lot about everything that’s out there . . . He definitely was able to answer our questions and give us answers to what we need to know.”