Creatives Career Week: Non-traditional networking events at IUPUI

Creatives Career Week is coming to IUPUI with numerous opportunities for students who wish to work in creative fields. Creatives Career Week runs from Thursday, Oct. 26, to Friday, Nov. 3. These events are geared toward students in the Herron School of Art and Design and Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. Some of the events featured during Creatives Career Week include a portfolio workshop, a resume workshop, a creative industry panel and employer site visits to both Creative Works and Hirons.

One of these events is the Herron Halloween Networking Party. The Herron Student Council is hosting this event on Oct. 26 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. This event will be held on the second floor of Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hall. The Herron Halloween Networking Party is hosted by the Herron Student Council, which is a student-run organization that focuses on supporting those majoring in the Herron School of Art and Design. The Herron Student Council offers community events that allow students to socialize with one another and voice any concerns they have with the university or Herron.

The Herron Student Council is led by president Taina Bravo and vice president Nicole Hay (also commonly referred to as Pink). Some past events Herron Student Council has offered include art markets, career talks and movie nights. Bravo commented on the unique nature of this career event.

“We have always had a Halloween party, but it is our first time having it be part of a networking event,” Bravo said. “This time, we're going to encourage people to meet new people that they haven't seen before, especially ones that are not Herron students.”

The first of its kind, the party won’t be a typical networking event. This event encourages attendees to wear costumes and participate in fun activities, such as a costume contest, photo booth pictures and pumpkin painting. There will also be snacks and music. This event is open to all IUPUI students regardless of their major, and attendance is encouraged for any students who are interested.

“I think it's good for both Herron and non-Herron students,” Bravo said. “You don't realize how much creativity can be required with other majors like a business or science major.”

Another event offered during Creatives Career Week is State of the Creative Industry Panel: Is AI going to ruin the creative field? This event will be at the Basile Auditorium in Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hall from 5:00-6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 1. The panel discussion will delve into the topic of artificial intelligence and how it will impact the creative landscape and there will be snacks to accompany the panel. Zeb Wood will moderate the event, and the panelists will include Lowell Isaac, Scott Kiekbusch and Jason Palamara. Michelle Winkelman, associate director of career development at Herron commented on the importance of this panel.

“The discussion around AI can be very threatening, especially to creative jobs, but there are other people who feel like this is just another tool,” Winkelman said. “We need to harness this tool. I think it's a very relevant, very important topic.”

Another unique event happening during Creatives Career Week is called Embracing Failure, Learning Fast Alumni Panel: Impasta-Syndrome Edition. The event, which includes both an alumni panel and macaroni and cheese meals, will be on campus on Thursday, Nov. 2 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. It will promote a growth mindset to combat imposter syndrome, which impacts high-achieving individuals who feel self-doubt about their abilities. Alumnus will be giving their own insight and perspective on career resilience and generating personal growth. This event is directed by Karley Clayton, director of Career Services.

In addition to the previously mentioned events, there will also be numerous portfolio workshops throughout the week. The workshops will be geared toward multiple creative careers, including human-computer interaction, media arts and sciences, computer graphics technology, music technology, art and design and more. There is also a virtual option for a portfolio workshop available on Oct. 30 from 12-1 p.m. This opportunity will let students have one-on-one conversations about their portfolios and gain valuable feedback from alumni and creative career professionals. Winkelman commented on her enthusiasm for alumni participation.

“I'm so excited that they have volunteered their time to come and give this advice,” Winkelman said. “I'm just really excited for our students to connect with them.”

Attending career events, networking and learning from other creative career professionals is beneficial for emerging professionals in a creative field. Networking with established professionals allows students to explore career opportunities, gain valuable insight and recommendations and put out a positive image of their work. Attending in-person career events provides an advantageous opportunity to network, learn from others and to ask questions. Considering that 70% of jobs are not publicly advertised, these networking opportunities are vital for students of any major. Creatives Career Week can provide students with essential opportunities to learn more about their field and other fields as well.

“I hope that students see how diverse their options are when it comes to creative careers,” Winkelman said. “We're going to be meeting a lot of different professionals from a lot of different fields, who do a lot of different things.”

Kennedy McCormack (she/her) is a full-time IUPUI student who is majoring in Health Services Management. Kennedy is a first-year writer for the Campus Citizen.

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