More than 20 students from the Korean Student Association gathered in Marvin Center 403 Saturday afternoon to learn networking techniques and get advice from professionals in a variety of fields.

“We wanted to try and widen the students’ knowledge of different career fields. The one we held last semester contained mostly representatives from the internet technology sector,” said Jodie Song, a junior studying criminal justice, who organized of the event.

The five speakers at the event were all members of the D.C. Chapter of the Korean American Coalition, a non-profit organization that encourages Korean participation in the community. They included Young J. Bang, a technology consultant, Suki Han and Michael Lee from technology consulting company Booz Allen Hamiliton, Department of Justice attorney Allie Pang and Julie Ju-Kyung Park, a leadership education counselor for the Gates Millenium Scholars Foundation.

The students asked questions about job hunting and the interviewing process.

“You need to sell yourself,” Han said. “Show confidence and most of all, don’t forget to simply smile.”

The speakers also spoke about the need for job satisfaction.

Park noted the importance of finding a job that fits students’ personality and makes them happy.

Lee agreed, saying “if all you think about are the hours, then it’s time for you to leave.”

Many students were concerned about the poor economy and limited job opportunities. The speakers encouraged students to seek jobs in the government and private sector.

After the event, students were invited to join the speakers for lunch. Song said this gave students the opportunity to interact with the speakers on a more individual level and to ask questions they had not had the opportunity to ask earlier.

“Overall this event has been one of our most successful events,” Song said. “I think everyone who attended this event walked away with some valuable advice from the speakers.”

Robia Cho, a senior majoring in marketing, said she found the networking day to be very useful in helping her to plan her future career.

“Having the opportunity to speak to professionals in different field has given me a better insight on the job market,” she said.