Gannon University will host its annual Business Day event Friday in the Center for Business Ingenuity.
The event, which will run from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is an opportunity for Gannon students to participate in panels dedicated to discussing specialized business topics with area business figures.
Students will have the opportunity to learn about different career paths through “conference-style panel discussions, a keynote luncheon and on-campus interviews,” according to Erin Hart, associate director of employer relations for the Office of Career Exploration and Development (CED).
The event operates as a partnership between the CED and the Dahlkemper School of Business DSB, as well as professional recruiters and guests.
This is the second year that the event has been held under this format, thanks in part to the accounting program’s efforts to make the event more inclusive for other majors on campus.
Hart believes this event will be a helpful and useful tool for Gannon students looking at a career revolving around business.
“The event engages Gannon students in their career exploration and encourages them to take a proactive approach to networking and their job/internship searches,” Hart said.
“The event also serves to create personalized recruiting opportunities for our employer partners seeking to hire Gannon talent. Throughout the day, students are encouraged to participate in the nine different industry conference panels and some are invited to the luncheon keynote and campus recruiting in the afternoon.”
Overall, Hart believes Business Day fits into the broader vision for growth and development that not only the CED has, but also the DSB. and Engineering seeks to partner with the office of Career Exploration and Development to encourage students to be proactive in their career exploration by bringing dynamic career programing and employers into the classroom and beyond,” Hart said. “Events such as Business Day serve to help students connect their curriculum to organizations of interest and explore future job/internship opportunities.”
Many students are excited for Business Day and believe it will have a positive impact on Gannon and its students.
“I think that Business Day provides many worthwhile opportunities to Gannon business students Phillip Vargo, a business administration & pre-law major, said.
“Many, if not all business students, are required to attend at least one of the panel sessions that cover almost all business fields. The fact that Gannon hosts this event is advantageous in that it exposes students to job interviews and other legitimate professional networking opportunities. I am excited to take part in Business Day and I commend Gannon University and the Dahlkemper School of Business for making such an event available to its students.”
Kyle Peck, an economics and political science double major, said this is a helpful event for many students.
“I think it’s great Gannon is doing this for their business students,” Peck said.
“People like me could really take advantage of the opportunity to interview and maybe get ahead a bit in our respective career paths, so overall I think it’s pretty awesome.”
Kevin Paton, a math major who recently added a minor in business administration, thinks this will be a mutually beneficial moment for students and the university.
“I think it’s a good opportunity for us students to look at different lanes and career paths and for Gannon to showcase the talent they’ve developed over the years,” Paton said. “This will be a great event for all.”
Students currently in a business-related major are strongly encouraged to attend.

MICHAEL GUIDO
[email protected]