The board of Visitors for the Bob Schieffer College of Communication hosted a virtual career panel and Q&A centered towards soon-to-be graduates Monday night.

The event “Trailblazing Times” was moderated by Horned Frog alum Marc Istook, co-anchor of WFAA ABC-TV’s “Daybreak” program.

“I think senior leaders need to embrace, to consider this new normal and to consider the next round of the workforce,” said Istook.

Panelists who joined Istook in the event included Corrie Brock ’06 National Marketing Director BDO, Elizabeth Jenswold ’89 Senior Vice President, Global Head of People at CBRE and L. Michelle Smith ’95, author, speaker and executive and personal coach.

“How can Horned Frogs help shape the global workforce of the future?” and “how do you think the global pandemic has impacted what you do?” were points of focus during the panel.

“In financial services and in corporate real estate, truly people thought we have to do these jobs at the office,” Jenswold said. “Our employees interfaced daily with clients in person. We build relationships with each other in person.”

In addition to transitioning out of in-person work life to figuring out Zoom backdrops, panelists all agreed the pandemic taught them to be much more human.

Moving forward

After adapting to a lifestyle with endless Zoom calls, Corrie Brock said she hopes to see students and the community continue moving forward despite facing obstacles over the last year.

“There’s this ingenuity to keep this connection going. Intentional communication between stakeholders, clients and prospects and internal organizations. I think that, too, has helped people be seen and be known in their organizations,” Brock said.

L. Michelle Smith said that as a result of the pandemic, students, specifically graduating seniors, have the necessary skills to adapt to a career that may now rely heavily on digital platforms.

“I would say that these graduating seniors have something in their hand that is an advantage over many veterans [in business],” Smith said. “You guys are digital natives. You already know what it is to use these weapons of max innovation.”

At the end of the panel, students were invited to join break-out rooms to further discuss what “trailblazing times” meant for them now and post-graduation.

To keep up with upcoming events hosted by the Bob Schieffer College of Communication, click here.