Lauren Lajeunesse ’20
Staff Writer
On March 28 and 29, select Merrimack College Juniors had the opportunity to network at the Professional Development Retreat in Boston.
Merrimack juniors were required to submit applications to attend the Professional Development retreat, which included an all expenses paid two night stay at the Hotel Commonwealth. Students of all majors were welcome to attend this retreat.
According to the O’Brien Career Center, topics throughout the retreat included networking sessions with professionals, communication styles, working on strengths, and also practicing business etiquette.
“My overall experience was pretty good. I got to work on my strengths and weaknesses, my elevator pitch and public speaking throughout the course of the two days. I will definitely recommend it for upcoming juniors,” said Merrimack College junior Eric Rosario.
Day one of the retreat consisted of activities in the morning with different speakers, followed by lunch, more activities, dinner, and then the night concluded with a networking event. The second day consisted of morning activities, lunch, workshops, followed by a final networking event with different companies from different fields.
“I learned how to use my strengths in my favor, and how to use them specifically when talking to employers,” Rosario said.
Most students at the retreat thought it was a great way to improve their networking skills and helped them learn about future career possibilities. Students deemed the retreat a success and recommended it to future juniors.
Merrimack College has used these specific types of events to prepare its students to be fully prepared once they leave campus to go out into the real world. Students interested in learning more about career opportunities can visit the O’Brien Center for Career Development in the Arcidi Center.
