Third-years in the College are invited downtown this Saturday, January 8, to the Fairmont Chicago, home of formal dances and the MUNUC conferences, to participate in Taking the Next Step (TNS)—an annual event designed to help third-years explore post-graduation options, as well as to meet and speak with alumni of the College.

The event, organized by the College Programming Office (CPO) and Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS), is optional, but has been popular in past years among third-years considering their future beyond the gates of the University.

TNS is presented as a series of three panel discussions, each led by a group of alumni. TNS organizers hope that attendees will find panels that suit their career interests, with TNS offering panels on everything from the entertainment industry to public policy planning.

The beauty of TNS, according to CAPS Assistant Employee Director Sophia Carey, is that the third-years who attend get to meet a collection of alumni, all experts in their respective fields, who have been flown in from around the world. The alumni, said Carey, are there to advise the job-hungry students no matter what stage of the employment hunt they happen to be in when they arrive. “This is the one time the University puts students in a room with its alumni, recent graduates and veteran professionals both,” she said.

Listen to Carey, third-years, and put yourself in a position to succeed once you get your diploma.

For those third-years who have registered for Saturday’s meeting, it is important to go with a few questions in mind, and also to be prepared to question the panelists as they present their information, according to Carey. Unregistered students are more than welcome to attend; walk-in registration begins at 9:30 a.m. on the January 8. The University will be providing transportation to and from the Fairmont starting at 9:15 a.m. Saturday outside the Reynolds Club.