BU to hold annual Zeigler Institute for Professional Development Business Conference

Bloomsburg University will host the Zeigler Institute for Professional Development (ZIPD) Business ConferenceWednesday, Nov. 3, through Friday, Nov. 5. The ZIPD conference provides students with a safe environment to network and learn with business professionals, many of whom are BU alumni.

All panel discussions on Wednesday, Nov. 3, will occur over Zoom. Each conversation dives into a different business-related career, allowing participants an opportunity to explore different career paths. The rest of the conference's panels will occur in person in Sutliff hall. They will cover a broad range of topics related to business, allowing students to discover different business careers, leadership, job searching, and several current "Hot Topics" in business.

On Thursday, Nov. 4, there will be a Geisinger recruitment breakfast. In attendance will be several guests from Geisinger, including Lyndsey Brandau, nurse recruiter; Julene Campion, vice president of recruitment, organization development, and Learning; Nancy Lawton-Kluck, chief philanthropy officer; and Stephanie Servose, training and development specialist.

In the afternoon, there will be a "Walk the Mock" event with a resume critique, mock interview, and speed networking, followed by three luncheons. The "Clark Associates Recruitment Lunch," "Enterprise Recruitment Lunch," and "Resilience and Reinvention Panel Discussion Networking Luncheon" will provide students an opportunity to meet with and network with recruiters and other business professionals from different businesses.

Following the day's panels will be a series of ZED talks in the Kehr Union Hideaway, room 231. ZED Talks, like TED talks, are brief presentations given by BU alumni. This year's speakers will give talks about the conference's theme Resilience & Reinvention.

The keynote address will be given at 3:30 p.m. in Carver Hall, Gross Auditorium, by Courtney Clark. Her topic is "Detour: Winning When Life Doesn't Go According to Plan." Clark is the luckiest unlucky person in the world. After a series of major struggles beginning in her mid-20s, she built two successful businesses, working with people who want to adapt faster and achieve more. She has spoken worldwide to organizations like Procter & Gamble, Dell, S&P, Humana, Cisco, and Cardinal Health and is the author of two books: The Giving Prescription and The Successful Struggle: Powerful Techniques to Achieve Accelerated Resilience. Courtney is the past President of the Austin chapter of the National Speakers Association.

On Friday, Nov. 5, at 8:15 a.m. in McCormick Center for Human Services, room 1303, there will be a presentation to regional high schools with an overview of the Zeigler College of Business.The conference will conclude Friday with the President's Appreciation Luncheon in the Kehr Union Ballroom at 12:30 p.m.

Masks are required for attendance at all indoor university events.

Getting to hear from graduates who’ve become business professionals in so many different industries is inspiring to me. It allows me to network with people I can look up to and learn from. I’m grateful to experience this every year and take with me the lessons and connections I wouldn’t have without it.

Caroline Borges '22, Business Management Major

Many business colleges have only a handful of small networking opportunities and don’t have a focus in developing each student to find success. Bloomsburg has a strong focus on professionally developing students, as well as providing students with opportunities to get hired right out of college.

Chad Lyman '22, Business Administration Major