The Corporate Hiring Panel occurred at the McCormick Tribune Campus Center (MTCC) Theater on Thursday February 27, 2025, from 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.. The recruiting session was hosted with representatives from JP Morgan Chase and Discover along with CCC Intelligent Solutions and Proven IT providing students with information about the skills that top tech employers look for when hiring talent.
The Corporate Hiring Panel during the event presented multiple questions that future technologists may find valuable. The panel members emphasized the urgent need for continuous learning due to technological evolution in the tech industry. Industry experts provided data showing that new technology and business trends must be a mandatory learning priority for success in their profession. During the presentation speakers stressed the importance of networking while encouraging students to establish valuable connections that would exceed every expectation.
The session addressed mentorship in addition to all the other lessons, and the students were advised by the panel to go ahead and approach professionals without fear because professional experience from experienced mentors would drive their career. The experts mentioned soft skills as important elements of recruitment in the tech industry, as communication skills and collaboration skills have a tendency to become the last recruitment factors considered.
The presentation from JP Morgan Chase Senior Executive Director of Software Engineering, Rekha Challa brought increased motivation to the audience. A master’s degree in biological sciences obtained by Challa did not prevent her from making a successful career change to the tech industry. According to her experience, one can shift to tech through willpower and continuous learning even without computer science or engineering studies.
The story about Challa managed to resonate deeply with my experience since I studied outside of Information Technology programs before beginning my graduate studies. The tech industry accepts people from diverse backgrounds and skill sets when they demonstrate both teachable qualities and adaptability. The statement provided reassurance to all students who were uncertain about technical majors because of their academic disciplines.
Students should attend hackathons and develop open-source projects while participating in co-op or internship programs according to panel member recommendations. According to the panelists, these experiences provide both hands-on technical skills and reveal to employers that students take the initiative to perform interesting work outside their areas of study. The attendees could directly interact with the panelists to clear their uncertainties through personal meetings. Each industry pioneer carefully accepted audience inquiries followed by distinct individualized responses that answered every question. The interactive advice session delivered great value because it tailored recommendations to individual preferences regarding their career paths.
Speaker interaction focused on student improvement areas along with career distinctiveness and expert professional relationship development methods. Panelists delivered outstanding counsel by explaining how to develop compelling storytelling while demonstrating LinkedIn business networking and staying informed about business trends from technical websites and audio content.
Students received sincere professional advice from the Corporate Recruitment Panel which created an optimistic atmosphere amongst the participants. The message through these sessions reiterated that technology professionals must simply work until they succeed with a growth mindset as they learn new skills across fields.
The connection between business and educational spheres depends heavily on such events for communication. The events enable students to acquire direct knowledge while helping them understand the business requirements in relation to their personal potential and career goals. The students who missed this event should monitor upcoming sessions because they could unlock proper technology pathways by maintaining their interest in lifelong learning.
The Illinois Institute of Technology Corporate Hiring Panel turned out to exceed the basic role of a speaker event. This experience brought inspiration together with practical guidance in addition to professional alliance opportunities. The initiatives establish a developmental route for future leaders in technology, promoting professional variety along with teaching new entrants to handle upcoming technological risks and rewards.