University of Cincinnati

02/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/18/2026 00:54

Get ready for your next job with a NEXT Mindset

Get ready for your next job with a NEXT Mindset

NEXT Mindset Professional Readiness Day comes to 1819 on Feb. 24

5 minute read February 17, 2026 Share on facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print StoryLike

Turn your resume into real-world opportunity.

The University of Cincinnati is hosting NEXT Mindset Professional Readiness Day, an immersive event connecting students directly with business leaders and offering training from professionalism experts.

Event held in the 1819 Learning Lab. Photo/Kailyn Swarts

For many students, the jump from college to their first full-time role comes with uncertainty about what employers actually expect. On Feb. 24, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the 1819 Innovation Hub, attendees will have the chance to network, sharpen professional skills and gain insights into what it takes to stand out in today's competitive job market.

Expert-led sessions and practical activities include resume reviews, networking guidance and mock general and technical interviews. Students will have time to ask questions, receive feedback and build confidence in a supportive environment.

A day dedicated to you

NEXT Mindset Professional Readiness Day is built around the idea that students learn best by doing. Practice opportunities and meaningful interaction with committed professionals are designed to help students improve their communication skills.

"Students should attend the NEXT Mindset Professional Readiness Day because it's about growth, not just preparation," says Mirsayah Wasnuk, a third-year UC student helping to organize the event. "Too often, students are expected to perform at career fairs without being given the space to truly learn, ask questions and build confidence. This day changes that."

Students at a professional development event at 1819. Photo/Kailyn Swarts

Here are a few mission-critical activities held during the event:

Students can also attend sessions led by business and industry professionals that focus on specific aspects of career development and early growth:

  • 11 a.m.: Uncover Your NEXT Mindset With Dr. Jason Heikenfeld
  • 11:40 a.m.: Personal Value Proposition With Western & Southern
  • 12:15 p.m.: Building Transformational Relationships With Samuel Vornhagen
  • 12:55 p.m.: Intentional Career Planning: Map Your Next Five Years With Kevin McGrew
  • 1:30 p.m.: Power To Pursue With Rachel DesRochers
  • 2:10 p.m.: Leading When You're Not the Boss: Impact Through Influence
  • 2:45 p.m.: Bearcat Panel: Your Early Career Journey
  • 3:30 p.m.: Open Networking

Amanda Bock, a career coach at UC's Carl H. Lindner College of Business, says the event gives students a chance to strengthen skills that are often expected early in a career. "This is not a career fair," she says, "but an opportunity to practice and improve professionalism in multiple areas. Students can improve resumes, practice networking and interviewing, and attend some really great programs that will spark personal insight and development."

Network where next happens

NEXT Mindset Professional Readiness Day will take place at the 1819 Innovation Hub, a space that brings together academic programs, corporate partners and startups. Located in the Cincinnati Innovation District, 1819 is home to companies such as Procter & Gamble, Microsoft and U.S. Bank along with startups launched through the UC Venture Lab.

Hosting the event at 1819 allows students to interact with professionals from a range of industries while gaining exposure to potential career paths. These conversations can support future job, co-op and internship searches and help students better understand what different workplaces value.

Students are encouraged to use the day as a starting point by engaging with professionals on site and continuing to apply what they learn in interviews, networking situations and early career roles.

Attendees will learn directly from passionate professionals, receive meaningful feedback and gain clarity on what employers are really looking for.

Mirsayah Wasnuk Co-organizer, NEXT Mindset Professional Readiness Day

According to Wasnuk, that lasting impact is what makes the event valuable. "Attendees will learn directly from passionate professionals, receive meaningful feedback and gain clarity on what employers are really looking for," she says. "[It] will empower students to see themselves as capable professionals and give them the tools to keep improving long after the fair ends."

Featured image at top: Guest at a UC-led career fair. Photo/Gregory Humbert

Impact Lives Here

The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.

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University of Cincinnati published this content on February 17, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 18, 2026 at 06:54 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]