Many college students might think their major leaves them with little opportunity to explore different fields in the job market, but they would be surprised to learn otherwise.

Communication Studies Student Advisory Council (ComSAC), will be sponsoring a panel discussion from 9 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4 at the Wesley Foundation, 633 W. Locust St.

Future Opportunities for Communication Undergraduate Students (FOCUS) is the name of the conference and the purpose is to help students with a communications degree see the many options they have available in the job market.

“Most students are not aware of the broad spectrum of jobs available to students with a communication degree and this panel gives students a chance to see what types of jobs are out there,” said Gina Carrigg, vice president of ComSAC.

There will be 15 NIU communication graduates talking among four different panels.

“There will be both recent graduates and those who have been out for a long time. The recent graduates encourage students for the possibility of finding jobs after graduation and the older ones show how far it is possible to go after the jobs are found,” said Keith Hearit, ComSAC faculty adviser.

Panel discussions will begin at 10:15 a.m. and will include a media panel, a sales panel, an advertising/public relations panel and for the first time a master of arts panel, which will have both graduates and current students.

Each panel will last one hour and 15 minutes. The first part of the discussion will be focused on what the speakers did at NIU, how they got their first job, how they got ahead and how current communication majors can get good jobs after graduating. The second part will be devoted to questions and answers.

This is the third year ComSAC will be hosting FOCUS, which has had very positive results in past years. Carrigg estimates about 60 students at each panel and said even though the communications department is sponsoring the discussion it is open to all majors.

Carrigg points out this is by no means a job interview, but most students do bring resumes. All students planning on attending are encouraged to do so since past FOCUS discussions have resulted in job offers.

Some of the companies which will be represented include Arthur Anderson, Leo Burnett and USA Today.

“FOCUS is a good motivational factor. It gives students a chance to see and hear people who have gone before them in the same path and gives them the hope for a similar achievement,” Hearit said.

For more information on FOCUS, call 753-1563.