Leadership and Development Program Co-Creator Interviewed

Miabella Espaillat
Stillman News Editor

There is a Leadership/Professional Development Course that Professor Gordon, Bryan Price, and Joe Testa have helped construct. The program and developmental course were designed for students seeking an internship or dream job after graduation. It’s also open to people who want to learn how to become professionals. The lessons include interactive sessions, participants learning leadership skills, building confidence, networking, perfecting resumes, and practice interviews. The program provides headshots for students. An exclusive networking event at the end of the year, and inviting professionals across the country to create potential work relationships. The program initially ran as a 10-week program but currently, it’s a 4-week in-person session. The students who’ve taken a chance on the program have kept in touch with them about any results and asked for advice! The program has created long-standing relationships, experience, and professional knowledge.

I had the personal opportunity of interviewing Professor Gordon, a Professor of Business Law, that helped create the program:

The first question I asked was “What are some of the unique aspects that this program has provided?”

• The professor’s response: “Really it’s giving students professional skills for career, confidence, and belief in self. It’s more important than basic skills. 3 of the students attending the program became a part of the Student Government Assembly. Those were the first initial classmates attending the program. They learned from the exercise and materials they were taught. The program made it worthwhile for these students. I saw the results of the work.”

The second question asked was “Do you ever wish you had this program for yourself when you were in college?”

• In response, he stated “100%. My daughter is a freshman too. I would encourage anyone to take it because the school doesn’t teach you this stuff. Unless you go to the career center for all the little stuff, you won’t be able too to bridge the gap. How the job market works. How to approach a manager. All of that stuff people expect others through trial and error. I don’t want failures, we want to use our failures when we were younger to help the people of the younger generation.”

The third question asked: “Have you done something like this before (like a similar program)?”

• Professor Gordon responded with how he tries to incorporate the same material taught in the program into his class when possible. There isn’t a program particularly similar but he invites students to stay after to learn more. He would provide little snippets but nothing similar. He put more thought into how he wanted to present it.

Another inquiry I made: “Will you guys run this program next year for people potentially interested but who weren’t able to get a spot?”

• In response, as of current, they plan to run it again. They would like to continue the leadership program and the ultimate goal is to create an actual class. The Professor described disliking how they have to charge people. They want to make their intentions clear that they don’t want to make a profit but to help students achieve their dreams. He wants to not only educate but provide students with professional skills for Seton Hall.

With the question proposed to him: “Is there anything else you’d like students to know about this program you ran or your overall feelings about it?”

• Overall, how happy they are with the success of the program. The students are doing good work. He came into the program with the intention to help others. And in quote, “I thank the university for giving the opportunity and the students giving them the opportunity,” Professor Gordon gave his gratitude. He’s simply happy to see it works. Every student left with positive reviews and it really went well.

He spoke more and expanded on his colleagues. He discussed how Byran Price and Joe Testa share equal responsibility with him. According to Professor Gordon, Byran Price is an army leader, runs the leadership institute, is good at reading people, and helps runs personal development. Joe Testa is a Seton Hall graduate that shares the same passion for helping and mentoring students. He helps build a brand and social media presence. Professor Gordon helps with job preparation, using LinkedIn, interviews, resumes, and has been on hiring committees to back his qualifications up. They are from different generations that provide students with different perspectives.

His final remarks lay in his hopes to expand the program. He stated how he felt that more people can do more for it. He simply wishes to expand it into an official class and be able to provide these useful skills to as many students as possible.

The program runs during the fall and the spring. Please be sure to contact Professor Gordon, Bryan Price, or Joe Testa for further information on how to join.

 

Contact Miabella at espailmi@shu.edu