April 01, 2025
Meghan O'Toole
Students build professional skills at Career-A-Palooza 2025
At Career-A-Palooza, students choose from a variety of sessions and activities where they learn valuable career-building skills that will help them apply for and secure jobs and internships as well as narrow down their fields of interest.
Each year, the Gorter Family Career Advancement Center organizes the event, which includes games, lectures, a photo booth, professional headshot station, and more. This year, close to 250 students participated in the event.
Career-A-Palooza session topics and workshops included:
- How to Thrive in the Age of AI (with Your Liberal Arts Advantage)
- Teaming Up with AI: Maximizing Productivity in the Modern Workplace
- Find Your Fit: Connect Who You Are to What You Do
- Speed Interviewing: Stand Out, Be Authentic, Get Hired
- Cross-Cultural Differences in a Global Workplace
- How to Be a Rock Star Applicant: Behind the Scenes with Recruiters and AI
“As the world of work is rapidly evolving, Lake Forest College students are primed with the skills most sought-after by employers, and events like Career-A-Palooza help students stay on top of latest career trends, leverage their strengths, and jumpstart their career readiness ahead of summer internships and graduation,” said Assistant Vice President for Career Advancement and Director of the Career Advancement Center Colleen Monks.
Laura Narin ’26 found that the event was helpful in learning about job applications: “What I enjoyed most were the workshops. They were incredibly eye-opening and informative. The final one, featuring two employers, stood out in particular. It was fascinating to hear their perspectives on internship and job applications.”
View more photos from the event.
Learning from the experts
Students had the opportunity to connect with guest speaker Dr. Serena Huang, who presented the keynote for Career-A-Palooza on topics such as how to thrive in the age of AI using liberal arts skills and shared insights with students on how AI is impacting jobs. Huang highlighted the importance of "human skills" in giving graduates a competitive advantage in the workplace.
Dr. Serena Huang is a globally recognized speaker and innovator, renowned for her ability to bridge the gap between data analytics and the human side of business. She brings a unique perspective, having served as a data executive at Fortune 100 companies and later as a Chief Data Officer in a startup environment. Her insights are not just about numbers; they're about understanding the human impact of data and harnessing its power to create a more productive and healthy workplace. A Wiley author, Dr. Huang is also a regular guest lecturer at top MBA programs, where she shares her passion with the next generation of business leaders.
