By Ellen Piper
Contributing Writer
Students spent their Tuesday evening at the Smooth Sailing seminar listening to alumni Erik Seastedt, who has worked in various areas of human resources for 27 years.
The event, sponsored by the EDGEprogram, described ways to succeed in a new job. The EDGE program was created so that students are able to gain more job experience.
This particular event covered topics like how to succeed the first day at the job, what can be considered a “stupid question,” and how to deal with office politics.
Seastedt told students, “If you remember nothing else from this, remember you are always perceived as sending a message.”
Senior Joe Anello attended the event not because he is in the EDGE program, but because he is considering a job in the Human Resource field in Employee Development.
Anello said that making a good impression for a new job was important to him.
“This presentation will really serve as a guideline for me when I am talking to an employee about personal issues or issues with a co-worker…If my posture says ‘I don’t care what you’re saying,’ they will walk away and nothing will be solved,” He said.
Isaac Rys, a sophomore computer science student, attended the Smooth Sailing event and was struck by the fact that Seastedt said you should not use headphones while in the office or working.
“It seems like most computer science majors in lab use headphones when they’re working,” Rys said.
Rys is in the EDGE program and said he thought the points on first impressions were very beneficial.
piperef13@bonaventure.edu
