The communication department will host its fourth annual Communication Career Day event tomorrow from 12:30 to 4 p.m. at HSSB.

The event will feature 40 communication alumni speakers from organizations including Facebook, Google, Bank of America and 20th Century Fox. The afternoon will include a total of nine panel presentations split into two sessions, the first at 1 p.m. and the second at 2:30 p.m., addressing topics in various industries such as media, marketing, entertainment and sales management.

Communication professor Karen Myers said the alumni seminars provide insight and ideas for students to sharpen their focus on career decisions.

“I think so often communication students are excited about their major but they do not know what to do with the degree,” Myers said. “It is so broad. What do you do when you major in communication? [Career Day] is a great forum for learning about that question and finding an answer. It is often better than just coming to faculty because sometimes we, too, do not fully know what the opportunities are.”

Prior to the panel presentations,students will be able to visit industry tables hosted by various organizations during the Courtyard Mingle in the HSSB Courtyard. Communication pre- major courses instructor Dolly Mullin said this is a new feature designed to provide students with networking opportunities and personal interaction with panel presenters.

“A fun part of the experience is the surprises that you hear from the alumni about what they do in their careers and how they got there,” Mullin said. “Alumni can come back to the undergraduates and can say, ‘I know what you guys are thinking because I was there. Here is what I wish I would have done.’”

Communication department Chair Linda Putnam said while Career Day can provide potential internship and job opportunities, its main purpose is to reunite alumni with the department and provide career development advice for students.

“The goal of the event is to help students with marketing their skills to get jobs in the working world,” Putnam said. “It is not only about networking and trying to find opportunities out there but also about using skills gained with the communication major to adapt to different jobs.”

Career Day began in 2008 as a single-session informational event for the communication department’s 25th anniversary. According to communication professor and Career Day Committee Chair Anna Laura Jansma, the event continued due to positive student and alumni reception.

Jansma said the success also triggered the founding of the Alumni Council, an advisory board of successful alumni that contributes to Career Day monetarily and by speaking, moderating and sharing ideas.

“These speakers were all former communication undergraduates who now want to give back,” Jansma said. “This is really what makes the event unique. You can get advice from employers elsewhere, but these are our own graduates who want to connect with the students and share their expertise.”

Detailed information about panel presentation room locations, presentation topics and presenter bios are available at http:// www.comm.ucsb.edu.