The College of Communication and the International Association of Business Communicators held Communication Career Day on Saturday, April 12 at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort.

The annual event is co-sponsored by the HPU student chapters of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the American Advertising Federation (Akamai Advertising agency).

“If you were unable to attend, you missed out on a great opportunity to network and gain insight into the various careers available in the communication field,” said journalism instructor Dr. Larry LeDoux. The event served as an inspirational experience as students were introduced to alumni who used their time at HPU to make a place for themselves in the business world.

Students who gave up their Saturday morning to attend were able to choose three of eight workshops offered by local professionals working in communications. These included portfolio development, resumes, business etiquette, corporate communications, marketing, Web page design, advertising, and telecommunications. The event ended with lunch and a panel presentation by four HPU alumni, followed by a question and answer session.

Among the alumni speakers was Wera Panow-Loui, director of marketing for Aloha Petroleum; Alicia Maluafiti, associate director of advocacy and communicationsfor the American Association of Retired Persons, Hawai‘i; Jared Grugett, the weekend sports anchor for KHNL News 8 and the interim VP of Operations for Summit Communications; and Song Choi, the director of corporate communications for CTA .

The alumni panelists gave students a chance to ask questions and get advice on how to open the doors of opportunity. Their discussion focused on what students should do now to get jobs, and on how completing a graduate degree would help them to negotiate better promotions sooner and higher salaries in their career fields. The panel also stressed the importance of events such as Communication Career Day, which help them to meet potential employers and make contacts that lead to employment and enhance career goals.

Dr. Helen Varner, the dean of Communication, ended the event with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”