In its final meeting this semester, the American Marketing Association connected with former president Marina Antonov via Skype.

The AMA is a national organization whose purpose is to connect students with opportunities in the marketing field.

Lucas Nudelman, a senior marketing major and current AMA president, displayed a presentation Antonov made about the importance of LinkedIn and students’ profiles.

Antonov encouraged the members to participate in mock interviews on campus, and to go to career fairs other than the one held at Eastern. “The more people you know, the better off you are,” she said.

“In today’s world, skills become outdated every three to five months,” Antonov said. “That’s why you have to stay current with what’s going on.”

After the presentation, some members asked Antonov some questions about what they should be doing to make their LinkedIn profiles better. Antonov said, “You should consider the content you put on your profile and determine what is the most important to what is the least important.”

Antonov went on to say that employers will look at profiles in depth as they interview potential employers. Networking with all different types of people is important to the success of your profile, she said.

Nudelman asked if it’s important to put all of your internships on your profile, even if they don’t pertain to your major. Antonov said it is important because employers like to know what type of work you have done in the past and see how it will affect your future.

Another student asked if it is important to put all your contact information on your profile. Anotonov said just put down what you think is the best way someone can get ahold of you.

Anotonov ended by saying it is important to get involved on campus or around your local community. “Get all the experience you can,” Antonov said.

Antonov gave some background about herself, saying she graduated in 2010 from Eastern with a bachelor’s in marketing and was a member of Kappa Delta. After words, Antonov went on to get her master’s in Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Currently, Antonov is a project manager at Discover Card working with Marketing Acquisitions for the NHL division.

Jack Hockenberry can be reached at 581-2812 or jthockenberry@eiu.edu.