Person you should know:

Ken

Smith

Ioannas Joseph
TECHNEWS WRITER

IIT is known to have one of the
biggest University career fairs in the Chicago
area, and for that we must give the Career
Management Center (CEO) a significant
amount of praise. One of the main individuals
laying the foundation of the career fair over the
past 2 years has been Ken Smith. Smith holds
the positions of Senior Employer Relations
Specialist (S.E.R.S.) and Student Employment
Coordinator (S.E.C.) here at IIT. If you are a
student employee hired over the past 3 years at
IIT, your paperwork has been handled by Smith
and you may or may not have had a meeting
with him. Smith’s duties include assisting
in bringing employers to campus to recruit
students, making employers aware of IIT’s
programs (S.E.R.S); processing all payrolls for
student workers, ensuring that student workers
get paid, and making students aware of jobs
available on campus (S.E.C).

Smith has been at IIT for just over 3
years, and in that time his name has become
synonymous with student employment and all
things career related. With a M.S. in Human
Resources from Robert Morris University,
he came, into the Student Employment role
initially temporarily and his experience at IIT
with dealing with students was thus the catalyst
to increase his impact on students, and also
provided the zeal to remain IIT. “There’s a part
of me that wants to go in Human Resources
but there is also a part that wants to remain in
career services, because I can have a really great
impact on students minds...I enjoy working
with students more than anything, one-on-one’s
and giving them tough love,’ ’ said Smith when
asked whether or not he would like to enter the
field which he initially studied.

During his tenure, the two biggest

 

issues he has encountered with students are
that they are unable to find jobs on campus
and that a lot of students do not understand
the importance of searching for a job whether
it is an internship, part-time or full-time job.
His approach to rectify these have been being
proactive and finding out what are the needs of
various departments and broadcasting available
posting to the student body, having one—on-
ones and also doing presentations to student
organizations. “I don’t believe in jobs, I believe
in careers... You are not in college to get a job
but a career” noted Smith and is a notion he
continuously tries to engrain within the minds
of students.

One program which Smith thinks was
especially beneficial at his previous institution
and could have equal benefit to IIT was the
requirement that every undergraduate student
have an internship before they graduate.
Although difficult to include immediately
into IIT’s curriculum, it would be beneficial to
students in the long run.

One suggestion may be to introduce
it to individual colleges, then make it a campus
wide requirement.

Outside of HT, Smith is a father of
two children and an avid Chicago sports fan,
namely the Bears, Cubs, Bulls and Blackhawks.
He still plays videos games, stating that Grand
Theft Auto is his favorite and is currently waiting
patiently before purchasing GTA-V.

To students, Smith’s words were,
“Your career is your responsibility; where you
go in life is your responsibility, there’s nothing
wrong in asking for help ” “It takes a village to
get someone prepared for their career.
and staff need to help students get ready for their
career,” and everyone involved in a student’s life
should play an active role.

Smith has an open door policy and is
open to any student coming in seeking career
advice, job search or even to talk sports.

 

TechNews | Tuesday, October 22, 2013

 

 

 

Met Hans Griese.

 

“Your life is yours alone ~ rise up and live it."

 

.faculty V

 

Year: Fourth

Major: Architecture

Greek Afiiliation: Triangle

Hometown: Barrington, IL

Leadership Positions at 1sz President of Triangle

Hobbies: Soccer, football, running (which I still thinkl am crazy for doing),
video games, architecture

How has Greek life developed you as a. person and a leader?

Greek life has provided such a wide variety of obstacles and challenges
to me. At the same time, it also provides the community to overcome
them. I have learned so much about how to utilize leadership to
surmount difficulties. I have also developed towards becoming a man
of outstanding character, all thanks to my time spent with Triangle.
What would be your advice for an incoming student?

GO GREEK” While it may seem common to say, and there are many
stereotypes fighting that idea, going Greek is the best thing you can do
for yourself, your education, your career, and your quality of life. It truly
will create the best version of yourself that is possible.

If you could visit any country in the world, where would you go and why?
I have far to many amazing memories thanks to Triangle, it would take
forever to even list them in an attempt to pick a favorite. But Greek Week
Dance off has to be very near the top. Always a thrill.

W hen you were a kid, what did you want to grow up to be?

I'm assuming this means after the Fireman and Policeman stages. I

, alwayseither wanted to be an architect, sky-diver, teacher, or

professional musician (percussion)

Questions? Email orderofomegaiitéflgmailcom

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