A presentation by recent Penn State alumnus Randy Winder capped off the last Diversity Student Meeting of the semester, with an emphasis on first impressions in the workplace and what it means to be your own "brand name."

A crowd of about thirty spilled out from the open conference room on the second floor of the Carnegie Building into the hallway to listen to Winder's speech, titled "The First Five Minutes: Tips for successfully launching your career."

Winder, a 2006 graduate of the College of Communications, said that in the past seven months as an organizational communications specialist for the high-profile government defense contractor Raytheon in Boston, he has learned more than he did in all four years as an undergraduate at Penn State.

"I think I would be remiss if I didn't share my experiences," he said.

Winder spoke about the importance of thinking of one's personal image as a brand name, similar to the Nike "swoosh" or the Pepsi symbol.

He said perspective employees should do everything possible to protect and strengthen their "brand."

"If you don't define yourself, someone else will define yourself for you," he said.

Winder also forewarned the audience about office politics, the corporate learning curve and getting caught on Facebook during company time.

The presentation lasted well over an hour, and Winder spoke passionately about taking charge of one's own career, informing the students that "there's no syllabi in the real world."

Winder stressed a knowledge of business-related topics as essential to earning "a seat at the table" in a corporation, and that understanding the marketplace is essential to adding value to one's company with the first 30 days of employment.

"Never eat lunch by yourself," he said, in reference to making an effort to meet as many co-workers as possible and establishing a diverse network.

Winder also shared some negative experiences he has had while on the job.

He said once that he was cursed at by his boss. Another time he was told he was a poor writer, but he said he was able to bounce back from these negative setbacks by remembering to "check [his] ego at the door."

Winder, a former Daily Collegian reporter, also urged current students to get involved, telling them they will not have the opportunity to relive these four years.

"Don't leave this place and wish that you 'would have,' " he said. "All the resources are right here."

Arvind Balaji (freshman - telecommunications) said he enjoyed the presentation.

"It made me think about minorities in the corporate field. I'm thinking about going into business and it made me think about how to act and how I'm going to be treated," he said.