Annual Experience Business Casually Event Draws Large Turnout

Thu, 10/03/2019 - 11:51am | By: Van Arnold

Each year, the College of Business and Economic Development hosts "Experience Business Casually", an event facilitating casual conversation between business students and business professionals from the local community and beyond.

More than 250 students attended this year's event, held on Sept. 26th on the Hattiesburg campus.

The purpose of Experience Business Casually is to provide students with a comfortable, casual environment to engage and network with business professionals. Students have the opportunity to learn from the professional's personal experiences as they discuss topics such as crafting a 60-second elevator pitch, the importance of internships, perfecting a handshake, tips for public speaking, dressing for success, proper dining etiquette, etc. There are more 13 stations, staffed by volunteer business professionals, for the students to visit. 

"We would like to thank the 35 professionals that invested their time to engage with our students at Experience Business Casually," said Dr. Bret Becton, dean of the College of Business and Economic Development. "Students look forward to this event every year, as it provides an outlet to perfect soft skills that are necessary in the workforce, no matter what field the student ends up going into."

A special thank you was also extended to sponsors Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance, Chick-fil-A Laurel and Sawmill Square Mall, and PepsiCo. 

To learn more about the College of Business and Economic Development, visit their website at www.usm.edu/business.