Attending the Chicago Bears Career Summit
I am so excited to share my recent experience attending The Chicago Bears Career Summit event hosted by HBCU 20×20 and The Application. This event brought 20 POC Chicago college seniors and the Bears professionals together for a day of networking, paneling, and learning!
As a DePaul senior, I am truly so grateful for the opportunities attending this school has brought me. To have been able to attend this event, the first Career Summit at the Bears, was an honor. I am proud to have represented DePaul University and introduce myself as a young professional.
A highlight of this event was networking with other Chicago area students. We each came from different majors and professional backgrounds, but are each ready to make an impact in the professional world. I can say this event truly will help prepare us for entering the professional world after graduation. We received personal advice from the Bears team.
During a personal networking session, I was able to speak with the Director of Production and Head of Cinematography of the Chicago Bears. As a DePaul Film and TV Production student, this was an extremely exciting opportunity to be able to personally hand them my resume and introduce myself as a DePaul film student. They informed me that multiple women on their team are DePaul Film alum, which was very exciting to hear!
My biggest takeaway from this event, which happened to be held on International Women’s Day, is to apply, apply apply! Michelle Burke-McCaskey, Manager of Customer Service at the Chicago Bears, reminded me of a study about how women are less likely to apply for jobs if they see one thing in the description that they feel doesn’t align with their skills. She encouraged all of us young women (80% of the attendees), to apply, apply, apply! All skills are transferable and you learn as you go!
I hope her advice can resonate with you as well, and I encourage you to apply, apply, apply to DePaul University for access to more opportunities like this one! Attending this summit not only expanded my professional network but also equipped me with the tools and knowledge needed to take the next steps in my career journey. I’m grateful to HBCU 20×20 | The Application and the Chicago Bears for hosting such an impactful event, and I look forward to applying the lessons learned as I embark on the next chapter of my professional career.
~Marina