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100 Brandeis students and 30 off-campus employers from the communication and media industry gathered for an evening of roundtable discussions and networking at the Hiatt Career Center’s third annual Communications Forum.

Bill Imada, founder, chairman and CEO of IW Group, an intercultural marketing agency, gave the keynote address. Imada’s advice to the room full of students was to “take risks … because your careers will take twists and turns … focus on solutions rather than problems … [and] let go of the idea of perfection” in careers and in life.

After the keynote lecture, participants networked with communications companies in 15-minute blocks of time.

Employers visiting campus ranged from the Today Show, CBS, Clarks, a fashion design company and Hill Holiday, an advertising agency. Students in attendance said they found the experiences of talking to potential employers, and simply listening to their stories, to be insightful.

“It was fascinating to learn more about all the communication industries and how they work,” said Rebekah Lee ’14.

“I found that the forum relieved a lot of my anxiety [about finding a job],” said Sydney Appelbaum ’13. Appelbaum said that her psychology major has made her interested in a career in marketing.

“The people here understood what it was like to be overwhelmed, so seeing successful alumni in all fields definitely helped,” Appelbaum said.