The University of Mary Washington will explore the relationship between digital presence and professional development with a career-focused digital identity summit on Friday, Oct. 21.
Featuring a keynote address by Jake Ridgway, director of North American Recruiting for comScore, Inc., the program will include panels of students, alumni and employers discussing what it means to have a career-ready digital identity. The panels also will address the challenges and opportunities associated with one’s online presence in preparing for the transition from college to career. The session will begin at 3 p.m. in the Digital Auditorium of the Hurley Convergence Center on the Fredericksburg campus. The event is free and open to the public.
“A digital identity can either open doors or slam them shut,” said Tim O’Donnell, UMW’s associate provost for academic engagement and student success. “To be career-ready, today’s college graduates need to think strategically about their digital identity and how they present themselves.”
Having been in the talent acquisition industry since 2000, Ridgway has experience in both agency and corporate recruiting environments across several industries and continents. His interest in recruiting spans the practical and tactical, managing a team of highly successful recruiters as well as honing his own talent acquisition skills in recruitment operations, employment branding and candidate engagement and experience.
“There are times in your career when you want to stand out,” said Ridgway, who graduated from UMW in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. “Your digital identity is how you get noticed in the crowd and how you shape how others see you.”
The program schedule is as follows:
- 3-3:40 p.m., Student Panel – Domain of One’s Own as Career Readiness
- 3:45-4:25 p.m., Alumni Panel – Reflections from Recent UMW Graduates
- 4:30-5 p.m., Reception
- 5-5:40 p.m., Employer Panel – Advice from Professionals
- 5:45 p.m., Keynote Address
The summit is sponsored by UMW’s Office of Alumni Relations, the Division of Teaching and Learning Technologies and the Center for Career and Professional Development.
For more information, contact the Center for Career and Professional Development at 540-654-5646 or casv@umw.edu.
