Connecting with this generation of students and young professionals may require thinking outside of the box. The KC Early Talent Summit hosted hiring professionals from more than 90 local companies and organizations to discuss the opportunities and changing landscape when it comes to hiring and working with young professionals.

Topics included diversity, equity and inclusion, recruitment and retention, building a recognizable brand on campus and alternatives to traditional internships.

“We hope this Early Talent Summit will benefit our students and organizations in town,” said Goldie Gildehaus, assistant director of UMKC Career Services. “We want to build talent pipelines and early connections between students and professionals to help everyone be successful.”

Several UMKC students and recent alumni had the chance to talk to attendees about the hiring process from a potential employee’s perspective. They noted how important communication and flexibility are to them, as well as the role that networking and career services can play.

“I was at Bloch Career Center all the time,” said Kyle Potts (BBA ’22). “I can’t count how many times they looked over a resume for me or connected me with someone they knew. The internship I got in college is actually one I heard about through them. You never know where you’ll learn about an opportunity.”

This is the first year UMKC has hosted the KC Early Talent Summit. It developed as a partnership between several UMKC entities, including Career Services, Bloch Career Center, the UMKC Board of Trustees and Professional Career Escalators.