Attending professional and leadership conferences are opportunities for students to expand their horizons and absorb valuable knowledge to apply to their field. In addition, attending conferences have the ability to look appealing to potential employers.
Melvin Smith, career counselor at the Auburn University Career Center, said it depends on the amount of conferences attended where it should be placed on a resume.
Smith said if a student attended multiple conferences, a separate section could be created, but if student attended one conference, it should be listed either under education, if it was attended for a class or under the organization the student attended with.
Kristy Malone, Diversity Initiatives Coordinator, said conferences differ from classroom experiences in a variety of ways. She said the setting is more formal, in dress and purpose, it's voluntary and people are there to learn and connect.
The annual Women's Leadership Conference was held Feb. 24, and Malone said the conference is a good way for women to network and to share ideas.
"I think this conference specifically, the theme was leading a balanced life, and then Alexis Jones' talk was very heavy on women's empowerment and collaboration," Malone said. "So we are definitely hoping that women and men...hopefully will be culprits, having some ideas on being more balanced and also incorporating more collaboration and you know kind of that sisterhood vibe that she really pushes with her talks."
Malone also said certain strategies could also be implemented from the workshops.
"There was a graduate student track that focused heavily on preparing for life after graduate school and what you can do in graduate school to ensure your success," Malone said.
Other strategies included how to use social networking as a resume tool and how to balance personal life and relationships with a career.
Malone said if a student reflected the Women's Leadership Conference in a resume, it could be listed under extracurricular activities with the title of the conference, and then expand in an interview.
"You can then elaborate and say in this conference I learned not only how to find balance and making sure I take care of myself so I can be a better employee, but I also learned some interesting skills for networking and how to form contacts in the workplace, how to better communicate with co-workers, things like that," Malone said.
Smith also said not to elaborate on conferences in the resume, waiting to elaborate in an interview or cover letter.
Amy Young, senior in art, attended the keynote speaker luncheon where Alexis Jones talked about her organization, I Am That Girl--an organization that seeks to empower women.
Young said she wouldn't necessarily put her attendance at the conference on her resume because it wouldn't look appealing to an art gallery or graduate school, but she did learn on a personal level.
"I personally enjoyed how she presented herself," Young said. "I took how she acted, presented and spoke, and I want to implement that in how I present my artist statement and my work in front of panels."
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