Ravi Dankanikote (CACI) and Jason Levin (Ready, Set, Launch LLC)
Another college semester has officially come to a close, and students are fresh out from taking their last finals before the summer. You wouldn’t expect that the first actions of some college students to be to attend an event on the topic of strategic job interviewing, but that was just the case for 25 students apart of the WashingtonExec College Leadership Program.
WashingtonExec held its inaugural meeting for both students and their parents on the evening of May 25th, 2016 with event host Dixon Hughes Goodman in Tysons Corner. The pilot program proved to be a complete success, with over 40 students and parents from the government and govcon sectors.
Jason Levin of Ready, Set, Launch, LLC served as keynote speaker and spoke on aspects of interviewing that a college of career center might not review with students. Interviews are a huge part of obtaining a employment and it’s important for students of all grade levels to be educated on the do’s and don’ts of the process. Levin gave insight on how the process is viewed from both the perspective of interviewees and of those conducting the interview. Details on the best ways to go about a phone, skype or in-person interview and how present oneself in order to land the job were also covered.
Ravi Dankanikote, Senior Vice President at CACI, was WashingtonExec’s executive representative and sponsor of the nextgen event. When asked what he thought about the evening he said, “it’s honestly wonderful to know that all these students care so much about their futures and are willing to spend time during their summer to come to events like these. They seemed to have learned a lot from the speaker and it’s obvious that Jason was a very engaging to the group.”
The college students left the event with a greater knowledge of the business world and felt more prepared for when the next job or internship interview opportunity arrives. whether that be soon or further down the road.
Recent college graduates as well as interested high school seniors are eligible to attend. Previous topics for the group have included personal branding, internships, resume building, college recruiting tips, the security clearance process and how to construct a proper elevator pitch. The group meets three times a year, in December, May and July.
